Beta's POV
When I saw Alice’s shadow pass by, it was quick, just a flicker in the corner of my eye. The fight was still raging, but for a moment, my attention was stolen. I wasn’t sure if it was her or something else, but I caught a glimpse, enough to know something was shifting.
I looked at Martha. She stood tall, her face unreadable, and she signaled her troops to retreat. My blood boiled. The wolves that had been attacking us began to pull back, retreating into the shadows, disappearing into the trees.
I looked around, my troops battered and bruised, but not broken. Their eyes were on me, waiting for a signal. They wanted to know if we were done. They wanted me to call the retreat, to signal that we’d lost, that we were backing off. But I wasn’t going to give Martha the satisfaction.
