THE WHITE WOLF HE REJECTED

Chapter 3: Blood Oath

Lyra's POV

The forest was calm and quiet, too quiet. My instinct told me something was wrong, I lowered myself behind a thick oak tree, my breath shallow and my eyes fixed on the narrow trail winding through the woods. This night air carried none of its usual sounds, no rustling leaves, no distant birdsong, just a stillness that pressed against my skin like a warning.

Beta Damon had delivered the map to Kael yesterday and by now the warriors should have been preparing for tonight's ambush, instead I had discovered something that made my blood run cold. Someone had leaked the battle plans, I unfolded the crumpled note I'd stolen from the messenger barely an hour ago, my hands still trembling.

“The rebels will attack at Raven Pass before dawn, prepare the eastern ridge”

The Alpha Regent knew, which meant there was a traitor inside Silver Crest. I squeezed the note until it rumpled in my fist, the paper was soaked with sweat. If Kael followed the original plan every warrior walking into Raven Pass would be slaughtered before they even understood what had gone wrong. I couldn't let that happen, whoever had sold this information knew exactly what they were doing, knew everything about the execution of the plan.

Still staying in the shadows I followed the messenger through the forest until he reached a small abandoned cabin near the pack border, its windows dark, its door hanging loose on rusted hinges. The Man removed his hood, Captain Darius one of Kael's most trusted patrol leaders. My heart sank, I watched from behind a rotted fence post as he accepted a pouch of silver from one of the Regent’s spies before handing over another copy of Kael's battle strategy.

“So long as Kael dies tonight” Darius said with a greedy smile, “the Regent will keep his promise” The soy nodded, “You'll be rewarded when the rebellion falls”

I didn't wait another second, the moment the spy turned his back I stepped out from the shadows letting them see me before either had a chance to reach for a weapon.

“You picked the wrong Alpha to betray”

Both men turned, the spy lunged first, I ducked beneath his blade, the steel passing through close enough to cut my hair. I hit his ribs with my elbow before kicking him into a tree. Darius rushed me from behind forcing me to block his sword with my dagger, the impact jarring up through my wrist. I wasn't stronger and I also wasn't faster but I knew these woods better than either of them.

Using the uneven ground to my advantage, I led them deeper into the forest, bending beneath low branches and cutting between the trees until Darius fell into one of the hunting traps I had set weeks ago. His scream echoed through the trees and the spy fled without looking back. I grabbed the stolen battle plans from the dirt where Darius had dropped them and disappeared into the darkness before either of them could recover.

Behind me his cursing gave way to pained gasps as he wrestled with the trap but I didn't slow down, every second I wasted was a second closer to dawn and dawn was when the warriors would march. By nightfall, Kael stood before his warriors with a revised strategy because of the information I recovered, the ambush at Raven Pass was abandoned. Instead, Kael attacked from the north cliffs, catching the Regent’s forces completely by surprise.

The battle lasted less than an hour. When the warriors returned they carried wagons filled with weapons, food and medicine. Their voices raised in songs I hadn't heard sung before the curse, not a single life was lost. Silver Crest celebrated late into the night, torchlight and laughter echoed from every corner of the pack grounds. From the edge of the crowd, I watched Kael laugh with his warriors for the first time in weeks, his shoulders loose and he was finally calm and at peace. I was relieved he was alive and that was enough.

Then I heard Elder Marcus raise his voice. “This victory would have not been possible without Lady Selena's unwavering guidance”

Cheers erupted around her, Selena lowered her head modestly accepting every word as though it were owed to her. I felt pain in my chest again, not the type that needed medication to heal, I was hurt because she knew, she knew she hadn't earned any of the praise. Yet, she smiled as though every compliment belonged to her as though the silver and the medicine and the lives saved tonight had passed through her hands instead of mine.

I slipped away before anyone noticed the tears gathering in my eyes. The celebration faded behind me as I made my way to the Moon Shrine hidden deep within the forest, the sounds of laughter and drums faded away with every step I took until I could only hear the wind. Only few people came here, the pack had stopped believing the Moon Goddess listened and the shrine had been left to the moss and the silence. Forgetting old grief is not possible, it was just buried.

I knelt before the ancient stone altar, its surface cracked by time and softened at the edges by decades of rain.

“I don't need recognition” I whispered

“I don't need to be Luna” My voice broke

“I just need him to survive”

Drawing the small dagger from my belt I pressed the blade against my palm, a sharp sting followed, drops of blood fell onto the weathered altar.

“I swear” I whispered through trembling lips, “as long as I breather, I'll protect Kael Blacktthorn and this pack even if no one ever know what I've done”

The wind suddenly picked up, cold and curling around me like something with intent. The silver leaves of the sacred Moon tree rustled despite the still night, a soft glow flickered beneath the altar before vanishing almost instantly and it disappeared immediately, I was certain I didn't imagine it or had I imagined it? Before I could settle down and investigate I hear a distant howl echoing through the silence, it was definitely not the howl of a wolf pack, it was darker than that it wasn't even a rogue.

Then another answered and another and another, the sounds echoed from every direction closing in to me like a net. I slowly rose to my feet, my heart was beating fast, my blood slicked palm was still hurting where the dagger had cut. Something was coming, something far dangerous than the Alpha Regent and somehow I shouldn't shake the feeling that it was searching for me.