Chapter 5: The Shattered Shadow
1565 Words
The western ridge was like a backbone of black rock that looked out over the deepest hole in the Neutral Zone. The trees were not as thick here, so the rock was bare. Got hit by the cold mountain winds. The freezing fog rolled over the edge like a waterfall, hiding the drops below.
Elena pushed through the bushes, her boots finding places to grip on the slippery rock. Tristan was like a shadow next to her, his big body moving quietly and looking very dangerous. Behind them, Jade and four rogue warriors with guns kept their eyes open, watching the fog.
When they got to the top of the ridge, Elena smelled blood. Her inner wolf woke up. She felt a growl in her chest.
"Get down ", Tristan said quietly, putting his hand on Elena's shoulder.
They hid behind a rock. Elena looked over the edge into the hole. Through the fog, she saw what was happening below.
A girl was backed against the wall, surrounded by five warriors from the Bloodmoon Pack. The girl was. Her clothes were torn and bloody. She was still fighting, holding a broken stick and showing her teeth.
Elena's heart jumped. She knew the girl. It was Evelyn Crowe, someone who had been kind to her before she was rejected.
The leader of the Bloodmoon warriors was Commander Drake Ravenswood, Elena's cousin. He was very loyal to Alpha Julian.
"You can't run from the pack, Evelyn ", Drake said, his voice cold and mean. "The Alpha wants you back. You have papers that belong to the Bloodmoon Council. Give them to us. We will kill you quickly."
Evelyn did not give up. "Julian is a person!" she shouted. "He did not just reject Elena because of money. He is selling our people to the packs as workers to pay for his new wife. The pack is being destroyed from the inside out!"
Elena was shocked. Julian was not just making friends with packs. He was hurting his own people to keep his power.
Tristan's eyes got darker. He looked very angry. "They are falling apart ", he said quietly. "Their greed is eating them from the inside."
"We have to save Evelyn ", Elena said, her fingers digging into the rock. "She knows the truth. She is our friend."
Tristan looked at Elena. Then he nodded. "Jade, take the sides. Get rid of the archers. Elena, you and I will take the middle. Show them what happens when they hunt in our area."
The rogue warriors moved quietly into the fog.
Down in the hole, Drake raised his spear, moving towards Evelyn. "Enough ", he said. "If you won't give us the papers, we will take them from your body."
Before he could attack, a roar echoed through the canyon.
Tristan jumped from the ridge, landing on one of the Bloodmoon warriors. The impact was so strong that it killed the warrior instantly. Tristan spun around, his dagger flashing in the fog, and killed another guard.
"Rogues!" Drake yelled, stepping back. "Make a circle!"
The circle did not form. Elena jumped from the rock, landing between Drake and Evelyn. Her power. The remaining warriors dropped to their knees, gasping for air.
Drake stared at Elena, his mouth open. The weak girl he had helped throw out of the pack was now a warrior, and her eyes were glowing with power.
"Elena?" Drake said, his voice shaking. "How are you alive? Your spirit was broken!"
"The Bloodmoon Pack is not good at finishing what they start ", Elena said, her voice low and strong.
The two remaining guards attacked her. Elena was too fast. She dodged their blows, took a sword, and fought back. Soon, the elite warriors were all. Only Drake was left.
"Go back to Julian ", Elena said, stepping towards her cousin. "Tell him that the girl he threw away is making an army. Tell him that every secret he hides will be found out. Tell him that the Neutral Zone now belongs to the Alpha I chose."
Drake was scared. He backed away into the fog. He dropped his spear. Ran up the canyon path.
Elena immediately went to Evelyn, who was falling down. Elena caught her. Held her tight.
"I've got you ", Elena whispered gently. "You're safe now."
Evelyn looked up at Elena, smiling weakly. "Elena... You found it... The power..." She gave Elena a bloody book. "Take this. Julian does not know what he is doing. He thinks he is coming for the valley week, but it's a trap. He is bringing the Alphas to hunt you down."
Tristan took the book. Looked at it. He was very serious. His eyes were scanning the pages. "This gives us everything we need to stop their plans before they even start."
"We need to get Evelyn to the camp ", Elena said, helping her up. Jade and the other rogues came down looking happy and triumphant.
"Let's move ", Tristan said, his voice commanding. "We have a week to make this valley a graveyard for the Bloodmoon Pack."
The return to the hidden camp was quiet. The energy was different. The news of the fight spread quickly. The recruits saw Elena as a leader who could stand up to the elite warriors.
Inside the war room, Elena and Tristan sat across from each other, looking at the book. Evelyn was. Her wounds were being treated.
"The southern packs are sending three hundred warriors to help Julian take the valley ", Elena said, tracing the path on the map. "They want to clear out any settlements before the winter snows block the passes."
"Then they are walking into a trap ", Tristan said, leaning forward. "The eastern valley gets narrow at the Whispering Gorge. If we put our archers on the ridges and block the northern pass, we can trap their warriors inside the stone canyon."
"It's a risk ", Elena said, thinking about the tactics Tristan had taught her. "If their scouts find us early, they can surround us."
"They won't find us ", Tristan said, smiling confidently. "Because they still think the rogues are weak and fighting over nothing. They don't know you are leading them, Elena. They don't know the Sovereign lineage is in charge."
Elena looked down at her hands, feeling the power inside her. "I never asked for this power, Tristan. I just wanted a pack. I just wanted to belong."
Tristan reached across the table. His big hand covered Elena's hand. It felt like a big shock of energy went through her body when they touched. She could not breathe for a moment.
Tristan said, "The packs we were part of before, they thought you had to listen to them to belong.. Out here, it is different. You get to choose who you want to be with. You chose to stay and fight for these people. You even got hurt for them. That makes you a better leader than Julian will ever be."
Elena looked up at Tristan. His gray eyes were looking at her. The space between them felt weird, like there was something big happening that they could not see.
It felt like they were two things that fit together to make something strong.
Then the big doors of the war room opened with a noise.
Caleb Nightfall ran into the room. He was the guy Elena beat in training. He was pale and breathing hard. He did not even say hello before he started talking.
"Commander, Alpha Elena, he said, holding onto the door. "The people watching the border just stopped talking. Something big just came across the border. It is not like anything we have seen before."
Tristan stood up fast, his chair scraping on the floor. He had his knife in his hand before he was even standing up.
"Is it Julian's army?" he asked.
Caleb said, "No, it is not an army. It is one wolf. It is not normal. It is getting past our magic without any trouble. The magic is not fighting it; it is just doing what the wolf says."
Elena stood up beside Tristan. The wolf inside her was awake and ready to fight.
She could smell something coming from outside. It smelled old and powerful and scary.
It made her feel cold and afraid.
Before they could leave the room, a smooth voice was talking in their minds.
It said, "You woke up the power. Did you think you could make your choices without paying for them, little leader?"
The walls of the room started shaking. Rocks on the tables were moving around.
A big dark shadow appeared at the door. It was blocking the way.
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