Chapter 17 – Blood and Shadows
1111 Words
The howls tore through the night like knives, echoing across the Blackwood estate.
Aria’s breath fogged in the cool air as she clutched the balcony rail, her knuckles white, her body rigid. At first she thought her mind was playing tricks, but then she saw it—two glowing red eyes staring back at her from the treeline.
Her stomach dropped.
The massive rogue wolf emerged into the open, its fur black as midnight, bristling with menace. Then more came. One by one, shadows slithered from the darkness until the clearing was alive with snarling forms. Ten… twenty… too many to count.
Her throat tightened. This isn’t just a scouting party. This is war.
“Damian,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Spinning away from the balcony, she bolted into the hall. The marble floors echoed her frantic steps as she rushed toward the grand staircase. Before she could shout his name, Damian appeared below, already striding into action. His shirt was half-buttoned, his presence sharp and commanding, every line of his body coiled with lethal energy.
“What did you see?” His voice was low, urgent, his eyes already blazing.
“They’re here!” she gasped, clutching the railing for support. “The rogues—inside the borders. I saw them with my own eyes.”
For one fleeting second, his mask cracked—Alpha fury and fear flashing in his gaze. Then his command roared through the hall like thunder.
“Warriors, to the east wall! Seal the gates! No one enters or leaves without my order!”
The estate erupted into chaos. Men dashed down corridors, blades drawn, the thunder of boots rattling chandeliers.
Evelyn appeared at the top of the stairs, pale and trembling. “What’s happening?”
“Stay inside!” Damian snapped, his tone so sharp it silenced her instantly. His gaze locked back on Aria, softer now but no less fierce. “Go with her. Lock the doors. Do not come out until I return.”
Aria shook her head, desperation surging through her chest. “Damian, there are too many of them—”
In an instant, he was at the base of the stairs, his hand cupping her face, tilting her chin so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. The fire there was both terrifying and devastatingly beautiful.
“I will not let them touch you. You are mine to protect.”
Her breath hitched, her body trembling at the raw promise in his words. Before she could reply, he was gone—already striding into the storm that awaited him.
---
The estate became a battlefield. Aria and Evelyn were herded toward the saferoom by guards, but every scream, every howl tore through Aria’s chest like blades. The clang of steel, the guttural growls of wolves, the scent of blood wafting even through the stone walls—it was unbearable.
Inside the saferoom, a heavy steel door sealed them in. Shelves lined with supplies surrounded them, while women and children huddled together, eyes wide with terror. Evelyn clutched Aria’s hands tightly, her voice shaking.
“He’ll handle it. My brother was born for this.”
But Aria couldn’t stay still. Her heart rebelled at the thought of Damian out there, alone against so many. She could still see the crimson glow of those eyes, the way the rogues moved with unnatural precision. Something about this attack felt wrong—too organized, too deliberate.
If they break through… if he falls…
Her decision came like lightning. Before Evelyn could react, she slipped her hand free and edged toward the door.
“Aria, no—” Evelyn whispered harshly.
But Aria pressed her ear to the metal, waiting until the guards’ footsteps faded. Then she slid the bolt free and slipped into the corridor, her pulse hammering as she stole through the shadows.
---
The courtyard was chaos.
Wolves clashed beneath the cold moonlight, fur and blood spraying across stone tiles slick with crimson. The Blackwood warriors fought valiantly, but the rogues’ sheer numbers were overwhelming.
And at the center of it all was Damian.
He was a vision of fury and dominance, moving with terrifying precision. His claws tore through throats, his strikes so fast they blurred. Every step radiated command, his aura shaking the air with Alpha power. He was beautiful in his brutality, a dark god waging war.
Aria’s breath caught. She had never seen him like this—untamed, lethal, breathtaking.
But then she saw it.
The ground shook as a massive rogue stepped forward, larger than any she had ever seen. Its eyes burned brighter, its movements calculated, its power radiating through the night. An Alpha rogue.
Her blood ran cold.
“Damian!” she screamed before she could stop herself.
His head whipped toward her instantly, his gaze locking on hers—shocked, furious, protective. That one heartbeat of distraction was enough.
The rogue slammed into him with brutal force, sending them crashing into the stone wall. The sound reverberated through the courtyard.
“NO!” Aria’s cry tore from her throat, raw and desperate. She surged forward, only to be grabbed by strong arms. One of Damian’s lieutenants pinned her back roughly.
“Inside, Luna!” he barked.
“I’m not your Luna!” she shouted, thrashing. But her voice broke, because deep down, she already knew the truth.
---
The fight was savage. Damian and the rogue Alpha collided again and again, claw and fang tearing through flesh. Damian’s growls shook the earth, his strength unmatched, but the rogue fought with frenzied power, driven by madness.
Blood splattered across the stones. Damian’s shoulder was torn open, crimson soaking his shirt. Still he fought, his claws slashing deep into the rogue’s chest.
For a moment, it seemed he had the upper hand. Then the rogue twisted, catching him off guard, and hurled him across the courtyard. He hit the steps with a sickening crack, his body crumpling, motionless for a heartbeat too long.
“Damian!” Aria screamed, her chest ripping apart with terror.
The rogue Alpha turned toward her. Its eyes glowed with cruel hunger as it began to stalk forward, each step deliberate, blood dripping from its fangs.
The lieutenant’s grip tightened painfully around her. “Inside. Now!”
But Aria couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. All she saw was Damian struggling to rise, blood staining the stones, and the beast coming for her next.
Her world narrowed to this single, horrifying moment.
The rogue Alpha has Damian down and bleeding—and now it’s turning its gaze on Aria. She stands helpless as the monster closes in, with no escape.
- Writer
