HIDDEN HER

Chapter2 (Assassination)

Ace’s Pov

Seated under the sprawling oak tree, I gazed vacantly into the unknown, straining to comprehend what had happened in the last hour. The cool wind stirred the leaves above me, but it was like the world had gone still. Everything felt so unrealistic— a nightmare I couldn't wake from. "I have banished you."

The phrase carried weight, each repetition cutting deeper. Leo's words echoed endlessly through my mind, leaving me with a pain in my heart, sharper with every thought of the last things that had happened.

Out of all people, Leo has joined forces with King Zizka, the greatest enemy of my father. The man who knew all the weaknesses of our pack.

The man who caused my mother's disappearance some years ago. My mother sacrificed herself to keep Mooneve safe, leaving us vulnerable but alive. But now Leo, my own brother, has joined hands with him.

I had trusted Leo with my life, with the future of our people. Once, I had even thought of trusting him with the lives of my unborn children if ever I fell in battle. But now, he had crushed me in the worst way possible: by betraying everything we had fought for together.

The memories of those battles still felt fresh as it lasted a lifetime. The numerous victories, the losses we both had to endure, our plans for the future of Mooneve; all these felt like lies now. Betrayal turned the sweetest memories into bittersweet pains.

Ciara's silence throughout all that was deafening. Her bloom of a smile that day, so radiant and yet so heartless, was a knife twisted agony deeper into my chest. I had loved her, trusted her, and she had stood there, unmoved, while my home and honor was stripped away from me by Leo.

How long were these things planned? How long had Ciara been with my brother? the woman I thought would stand by my side.

I clenched my fists, furious at myself for being so blind. I was the victim, the wronged one. I won’t wallow in despair. I had always been a fighter, a warrior, an Alpha, and no betrayal would pull me down.

Rising to my feet, I looked at Mooneve for the last time, a home that was now unattainable.

My father's words replayed in my head: “Mooneve is my home, my pack, my people, my dream, my memories, my life, so you, my son, must protect it with everything you have.”

“I will be back,” I vowed softly, my heart hardening with resolve.

The forest stretched endlessly ahead of me, the path dark and forbidding. Winds draped in gentle pine and damping earth wafted through the air, but the coolness of the night could do nothing to soothe the restlessness within my heart.

I was off to Hillswirls, a place that I have never imagined seeking refuge in.

Lord Duca, Alpha of Hillswirls, is my father's closest ally and known for wisdom and strength; my father encouraged me often to foster our bond, but I resisted.

Why? Because of his daughter Ava. The rumor is that she has a weak personality, so I rejected her from being my mate many years ago. Facing her and the shame of my rejection has kept me away, but now I couldn't avoid it.

Ava has rejected so many suitors due to the prophecy whispered on her birth: She will find her mate in the darkest hour, when the moon itself weeps for the lost. She had clung to this and turned down any who would ask for her hand.

Seeing what I did to Ava, Lord Duca may not welcome me, but I believe his sense of honor. My father trusted him, so that trust was all I needed. He could offer me the kind of resources, warriors, and strategy I needed to reclaim Mooneve.

I proceeded further into the denser portions of the forest, a very faint noise that came to my ear and was so faint that it could have been just one of the rustling branches. I froze, hand jerking toward the hilt of my sword.

The faint noise came again, followed by a soft snap of twigs. My pulse quickened, my battle-hardened instincts roaring alive. I scanned the dark shadows surrounding me, trees casting long eerie silhouettes.

“I know you’re there,” I said, my voice steady despite the tension coiling in my muscles. “Show yourself.”

Silence answered me first, heavy and choking, then from behind a cluster of trees, a figure stepped. Cloaked in shadows, their face was obscured by a hood. Although what caught my attention was actually the tattoo on their arm: a large wolf head, the unmistakable mark of King Zizka's warriors.

“What do you want?” I demanded, tightening my grip on my sword.

The figure didn't speak, but the glint of steel in their hand told me everything I needed to know. They were not here for a conversation.

They lunged, the blade slicing through the air. I dodged, my sword flashing as I countered. The clash of steel rang out in the stillness, the force of the blow reverberating through my arms.

The fighting was brutal, straight, and unforgiving, whomever that assassin was; it seemed quite well-trained, but I had been through worse. One final powerful blow disarmed them, my blade pressing against their throat.

"Who sent you?" I growled, pinning them to the ground.