The rogue alpha moved like a living storm. Ashen Stormclaw tore through Rylan's elite with brutal precision, his silver fur shimmering under the flickering torchlight. Each strike was calculated and decisive. wolves fell before him like wheat before a scythe. The hall shook with every impact, and the air grew thick with dust and fear.
Maya's wolf surged inside her chest. The silver cuffs still burned, weakening her, but the sight of Ashen ripping through their attackers ignited something she hadn't felt since the coup. hope, Not for rescue, not for vengeance yet but for survival.
"Kade," she hissed, pointing to her cell door. "Help me get out now!"
He stumbled forward, his own injuries slowing him, but determination overriding pain. "I'm trying, Maya! These cuffs—"
"Then break then!" She slammed her shoulder into the iron bars. Sparks flew as the silver scraped against the stone, but it didn't yield.
Kade grimaced. "I need more time!"
Maya's eyes scanned the hall, calculating. The elite were still scrambling under Ashen's assault, some trying to flee, others frozen in disbelief. If she moved now, she might stand a chance.
The key Sariah had dropped was still nearby. She nudged it closer with her foot, ignoring the burn. Grunting, she picked it up and jammed it into the lock. The mechanism groaned under the strain, but the cuffs clicked open.
Freedom…or something close to it.
"Finally," she muttered, rubbing her wrists. Her wolf surged, eager to break free entirely, but she forced control. No, Not yet. Timing mattered.
Kade stepped up beside her, pain written in every line of his face. "We have to move."
Maya nodded. "Follow me and stay close."
Ashen's presence dominated the hall. Every wolf in the corridor hesitated, caught between fear and awe. Even the elite who weren't fleeing dropped their weapons instinctively, uncertainty shaking their hands. But Rylan stood at the far end, expression dark, fury and disbelief mingling in equal measure.
"You!" Rylan bellowed. "Stop them!"
He surged forward, but Maya's wolf senses alerted her before he reached striking distance. She pivoted, dodging his charge, and slammed her shoulder into the first guard she encountered. The impact sent him crashing into the wall.
Kade fought beside her, using brute force to hold off another elite. Each movement was a struggle due to the pain from his injuries, fatigue and the burning heat from the torches but he refused to falter.
"Through there!" Maya shouted, pointing to a side exit partially blocked by rubble. Ashen had smashed through the wall behind the torch stands, creating a narrow opening.
Together, Maya and Kade sprinted toward the rubble, weaving through chaos. Wolves tried to intercept them, but Ashen's presence kept them from pressing too closely. One bold elite lunged for Maya's leg but she kicked him back, sending him skidding across the stones like a ragdoll. Kade shoved another off the path.
The corridor narrowed. Dust and smoke choked the air, torchlight flickering violently. Maya's vision burned from the smoke, but she refused to falter. Survival demanded every ounce of focus.
"Keep moving!" she shouted over the roar of battle.
Behind them, Rylan's voice cracked with rage. "You cannot escape me!"
Maya glanced back just enough to see him attempting to push past Ashen. But the rogue alpha was faster, stronger, smarter. He tore into Rylan's formation with relentless ferocity. Wolves that had once been loyal to Maya, even if only superficially hesitated, giving them the advantage they needed.
They reached the rubble. Maya took a deep breath, her wolf surging within her, coiling like a spring. She could feel every inch of the debris, every stone that could be shifted. With a herculean effort, she shifted her weight, kicking at a large boulder. Dust exploded around them as the stone toppled, clearing just enough space for Kade to squeeze through.
"Go!" she yelled. She followed, the pain from her burns almost unbearable.
Outside, the night air hit them like a wall. The forest beyond the stone walls stretched in shadowed waves, leaves whispering in the wind. Freedom was close but not without risk. They were still within striking distance of Rylan's forces.
Maya glanced around. "We split," she said. "I'll draw their attention. Kade, run toward the northern ridge."
Kade's eyes widened. "Maya…"
"I said go!" Her voice left no room for argument. Her wolf pressed against her, snarling, urging her to fight. "Now!"
He hesitated only for a heartbeat before bolting toward the trees, limping but determined. Maya turned back to face the corridor. Rylan was regrouping his elite, regrouping his courage.
Maya didn't wait.
She stepped into the shadows, letting her presence swell. Her aura flared, bright and golden against the night, powerful enough to make even trained wolves hesitate. She roared, not just a sound, but a declaration. A warning. A promise.
"Over here!" she screamed.
Rylan's eyes widened. "You…"
Before he could finish, Maya launched herself at the closest wolf, forcing him back into the wall. The sound of cracking stone echoed as her strength collided with theirs. Her wolf instincts guided her, predicting every movement, dodging every strike. Pain radiated through her arms, through the burns from the silver but she ignored it.
Ashen's howl cut through the chaos. Wolves stopped mid-attack, uncertainty freezing them. Maya pivoted, using the distraction to sprint deeper into the forest. Branches whipped against her face, tearing at her clothing, but she pressed on, driven by a singular focus, survival.
The forest floor was uneven, roots threatening to trip her at every step. Her lungs burned, her muscles screamed, and Kade was already far ahead. She slowed only briefly to glance back. Ashen was still wreaking havoc, keeping Rylan distracted.
She pressed on, deeper into the shadowed woods. Every tree became an ally, every rustle a warning. She wasn't safe yet, but she was alive. And alive was the first step to vengeance.
Finally, they reached a small clearing. Moonlight spilled across the ground, illuminating the forest in silver. Maya collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. Her wolf pressed against her, soothing and sharpening simultaneously. Kade arrived moments later, clutching his side, pain etched across his face.
"You made it," he rasped, voice filled with awe and relief.
"I did," she said, voice hoarse but steady. "And I'm not done yet."
She rose slowly, every movement deliberate, her eyes scanning the forest. The fight wasn't over. Rylan hadn't been defeated. The pack hadn't been saved. But tonight, she had survived betrayal and death itself.
Maya looked at Kade. "We regroup. We plan. And when we strike back… they will remember what it means to betray an alpha."
Kade nodded. "Then what now?"
Her gaze drifted to the horizon, to the shadows of the mountains where the Moonstone touched the earth with cold, silver light. "Now," she said, voice low and fierce, "we hunt."
And under the silver glow of the moon, Anderson Maya the alpha betrayed, rose once more.