Chapter 10: The Decision to Return
633 Words
Lena’s POV
The night air was thick with the scent of blood and smoke.
My blade dripped with the life of the last warrior who had dared to challenge us.
The battlefield was littered with bodies—some of mine, but more of theirs.
Darius’ forces had attacked without warning, their numbers overwhelming, their intent clear.
Destruction. Annihilation.
Raven stood beside me, her breathing ragged, blood splattered across her face.
"We can’t hold them off forever, Lena. We need a plan."
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, my mind racing. This wasn’t just a skirmish.
This was the beginning of something much bigger. Darius wasn’t just testing our defenses—he wanted to wipe us out.
A distant howl split the night, sending a shiver down my spine. It wasn’t a rogue’s cry.
It was an Alpha’s.
Killian.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. He was close.
Whether he had come for me or was simply caught in the tide of war, I couldn’t be sure.
But I felt it—our bond, no matter how shattered, still hummed beneath my skin like an old wound reopening.
More howls echoed in the distance, followed by the heavy drum of paws against the earth.
The Shadowfang Pack was near.
They had either sensed the bloodshed or had come for me.
"Lena!" Raven’s voice snapped me back to the present. "We need to retreat!"
I looked around at the warriors who had followed me for years, who had built this rogue sanctuary alongside me.
If we fled, if we scattered, we might survive another day.
But this wouldn’t stop. Darius would keep hunting us until we were nothing more than ghosts.
Another explosion of snarls and growls erupted in the trees, followed by the unmistakable sound of bodies colliding.
The fighting hadn’t stopped—it had just shifted.
I caught a glimpse of Darius’ warriors regrouping, their formation tightening. They weren’t giving up.
If anything, they were waiting for reinforcements.
I gritted my teeth, my decision made. "No. We end this."
Raven’s eyes widened. "Are you insane? You want to fight an entire war on your own?"
"Not alone," I turned to the others.
"I need to go back. To Shadowfang."
Silence fell over the group. They knew what that meant. Facing the past. Facing him.
Raven crossed her arms. "You swore you’d never go back. That Killian would never have power over you again."
"He doesn’t," I said, my voice firm.
"But he has an army. And if we want to survive, we need more than just rogues."
One of the younger warriors, Tobias, shifted uneasily. "You think the Shadowfang Pack will help us? After everything?"
I hesitated. I didn’t know. Killian had rejected me, had cast me aside as if I were nothing.
But he wasn’t a fool. He wouldn’t ignore the threat Darius posed.
And if there was even a chance that I could convince him to fight with us, I had to take it.
"If they don’t, we’ll find another way," I said. "But if we do nothing, we’re as good as dead."
Raven exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "This is a mistake. You know that, right?"
"Maybe." I met her gaze. "But it’s the only chance we have."
The forest crackled with tension, the sounds of battle still ringing in the distance. My warriors were tired, bleeding, barely holding on.
I couldn’t let them die for a fight they had no chance of winning alone.
I pressed a hand to my stomach, a gesture that had become second nature since Noah’s birth. My son was safe—for now.
But if I wanted him to have a future, I had to do this.
I had to face my past.
I had to face Killian Blackwood.
- Writer
