Lana's P.O.V. Aspen grunted as she hit the ground again. My anger was driving my movements as I pushed myself harder than ever before in my training. I had come a long way, and the insecurities fueling my fire were helping tremendously. "I'm not sure if I should be worried that you are mad at me, or proud of you," Aspen grumbled as she pulled herself to her feet. "Again." I braced myself as she moved in front of me and shook her arms out, loosening herself up for her next attack on me. Only, I hadn't been letting her get that far. I was watching her muscles closely as she prepared herself, and as soon as she moved, I countered her attack and took her to the ground as quickly as possible. The smell of Oliver wafted toward us on the breeze, and I looked over just in time to see my mate moving between the houses with Parker, Adeline, Kaylee, and several other warriors. "I know you're frustrated, Parker, but at least he lasted longer than the others. We got everything we could from hi
Oliver's P.O.V Lana was on cloud nine for the rest of the day until we went to sleep. Once the lights went out, the cold reality that we had only one full day left before the rogues would attack sobered her up quickly. We ended up laying under the blankets, wrapped in each other arms in silence as we pondered what the future held for us. Whether we had help or not, they were still going to kill some of our people, and they still wanted my head. I was waiting on a few other packs to reach back out to me, but this late in the game, I wasn't sure that they would make it on time if they did decide to join the fight. Having one pack confirming they were on their way was a very useful bargaining chip when I spoke with the others. It may have been peer pressure, but it was making them reconsider. First thing in the morning, after eating breakfast with Lana and Maddie, I asked Parker if we could meet. He needed to know that we would not be alone, but I also wanted to make sure that he kne
Lana's P.O.V. Aspen tensed as I wrapped my arms around her, trying not to be emotional as I held her tightly. I hadn't known her for long, but she was one of my only true friends here, and she was about to go to the front line. "Don't make this a thing. You're being weird." She muttered, but I smiled when she returned the gesture with a loose wrap of her arms around me. When I pulled away, I discretely wiped the tear from my cheek before looking back up at her. I wasn't ready for them to leave. As soon as they did, the war would start, and I didn't know when or if I would see them again. "I expect you to kick some ass," Aspen said sternly as she stared at me. "I worked hard to train you. Don't make me look bad." I choked out a laugh as I nodded. The look in her eye told me that that was her way of saying goodbye as well, and I accepted it with a smile. "You got it. I'll make you proud." The goal was not to let the rogu
Oliver's P.O.V. I waited until I heard the collection of locks slide into place before I forced my eyes away from the barrier between me and my family. The trees and houses around me were mostly abandoned, leaving only the assigned guards around the outside of the pack house and the handful of guards inside the house with the children as the last line of defense. The rest of the pack were either in the forest waiting at our second and third line or were already in battle at the border. I could hear yips and yowls of pain even though they were around two miles away. The sound of my brothers and sisters being injured made my hackles rise as soon as I transformed into my fur. The dirt shifted slightly under each paw as I walked further from the house. It took everything in me not to turn back and look for Lana in the windows. I could feel her eyes on my back as I took my place and held my stance, waiting for someone to be fast enough to make it past our other wolves, but stupid enough
Lana's P.O.V.My fingers dug in further as I searched. The man laying beneath me shouted in pain as his blood spilled over the edge of the wound."There's not anything in there! You need to let it close, so I can get back outside! Where is Doc?" The wolf growled, irritated that I still had my hand shoved inside his thigh when the skin was trying to stitch itself back together."I know it's in here. I saw it!" I grunted back as I twisted my hand, feeling along the line of the muscle in his thigh. It was barely noticeable, but the slight lift and hardness of the coil of muscles had me letting out a cheer of victory. "Ah hah! Now, this is going to hurt for a moment."His jaw dropped open to protest, but I didn't let him get a word out as I extended my claw and sliced through the already-healed muscle. He let out a growl, his hands gripping the table and splitting the wood as I used my nails like tweezers and pulled out the foreign object.
Lana's P.O.V.With each step I took forward, I was forced two steps back. Back toward the house, further away from my mate.One after another, rogues were racing through the tree line, past the homes that they had set alight, and straight for the pack house.Bodies surrounded me as I fought with everything in me to protect my pack, my daughter. There wasn't a single rogue I was going to let in that house. It was bad enough that the house was filling with the injured, who were seeking help from the pack doctor.But I needed to be in two places at once.Maddie was with guards on her way to safety. But she also had enemies breathing down her neck, trying to get passed me to the innocent children so they could eliminate the pack in its entirety. I knew the chances of the rogues getting to Maddie were slim. Only those that knew of the passageway could find it, and the rogues didn't know where the tunnel let out.On the other hand
Oliver's P.O.V.I could feel her. Her determination and anger.But I could also feel her pain. My Lana was in pain. It was both a relief and disturbing. I had vowed to protect her, but I was also grateful because it meant that she was still alive.My head rolled to the side as my limp body was shoved down to my knees, held up only by my biceps. I could hear the metal chains being adjusted only a second before they were wrapped around my neck, wrists, and ankles all at once. The burning of the silver startled me back to consciousness, and I growled in annoyance that I was back in this position.I had been chained up before, but the dread that came from the way the metal weakened me and the sizzling of my flesh from the direct contact was new. I hadn't been expecting to feel this way, but now I had more to lose. I had a daughter and a mate waiting for me.To top it off, I had made a promise to the Goddess that I would rid the Earth o
Lana's P.O.V.My body had begun healing as I moved naked through the forest, tracking the paw prints and mixed scents. The only hope I had that I was trailing after the right set of rogues was the faint lingering distinction of my mate's scent.Where they had initially surrounded him, a large rock had been broken in half and left on the ground, covered in my mate's blood.I had been able to follow it until he had healed enough for the bleeding to stop, but when his scent had been thinned by the breeze, I had resorted to tracking him by the scuffs and paw prints on the ground.My nose twitched as another scent crossed my path and that of my mate. It was familiar, poisonous almost, and I wrinkled my nose."What the Hell is that stench? Just when I thought rogues couldn't get any more disgusting." Scarlett lifted her hand, covering her nose and mouth as she walked next to me. It would not take much longer before I could shift. I could