Chapter 7
616 Words
The journey changed without warning.
One moment, Aloha’s SUV was traveling smoothly through Blackthorn territory. The next, the paved road ended, replaced by a rough gravel path leading into the forest.
They had entered the Waste Lands.
No pack ruled this place. It was a dangerous stretch of forest between the civilized packs and Rogue territory. There were no guards, no laws, and no help if something went wrong.
The SUV jolted over a deep pothole.
“Sorry, Miss,” the driver said.
His name was Greg, one of Lucien’s Beta guards. A scar ran across his eyebrow, and a silver handgun rested in a holster across his chest.
“Are all the roads this bad?” Aloha asked, trying to break the silence.
Greg gave a short laugh.
“They’re worse in winter. Rogues dig pits and lay spikes to stop passing vehicles. They’re always looking for an opportunity.”
Aloha looked out the window.
The familiar trees were gone, replaced by thick oaks that blocked most of the daylight.
She pulled her coat tighter.
“Why do the Rogues attack travelers?”
“They’re trying to survive,” Greg replied. “They don’t have farms or proper settlements. When they see vehicles like ours, they see food, weapons, and supplies.”
Aloha’s hand moved to the dagger hidden beneath her dress.
She tried to think about the future Lucien had promised her, but her thoughts returned to the clinic.
She remembered the way he had watched her blood being collected and the doctor’s mention of the Silver Moon Gene.
If they planned to extract it…
What would happen to her?
“We’re entering the Grave Corridor,” Greg announced.
The convoy slowed, and the armored SUVs moved closer around Aloha’s vehicle.
“Why is it called that?”
Greg’s expression darkened.
“Because almost nothing survives here. It’s close to the Reaper’s territory.”
The Reaper.
Ragnar.
Everyone knew the stories about him. Some said he had killed entire patrols by himself. Others claimed no one entered his territory and came back alive.
Aloha looked into the fog but saw nothing.
Suddenly, the radio crackled.
“…movement… east side… stay alert…”
Greg immediately became tense. His hand rested on his gun.
“Is something wrong?” Aloha asked.
“Probably just an animal,” he replied, though he didn’t sound convinced.
A loud click echoed through the SUV as he locked the doors.
The convoy picked up speed.
Aloha noticed Greg’s hands tightening on the steering wheel.
He was scared.
She leaned forward and looked through the windshield.
The lead SUV was barely visible through the fog.
Then she saw movement.
A dark figure raced through the trees beside them, keeping pace with the convoy.
“Greg,” she whispered. “There’s something out there.”
“I know.”
He grabbed the radio.
“Lead vehicle, movement on the right. Tighten formation.”
A frantic voice answered.
“Three more on the left. They’re forcing us together!”
Aloha’s stomach dropped.
This wasn’t a random attack.
It had been planned.
The SUV swerved around another pothole, throwing Aloha against the window.
“Get down!” Greg shouted.
She couldn’t.
A huge wolf burst from the trees and lunged at the lead SUV.
Seconds later, more wolves appeared from the fog.
They moved together with frightening precision.
“It’s an ambush!” Greg yelled into the radio. “Protect the Luna!”
The lead SUV suddenly slammed on its brakes as another wolf blocked the road.
It was a trap.
A deafening crack echoed through the forest.
Aloha looked up just in time to see a massive tree falling directly toward the convoy.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD