Chapter 03
1518 Words
There were numerous buildings scattered across the greenland. It was a vast expanse, like an open field, so large I couldn't even see where it ended. Tall, sturdy trees stood proud at various points, filling the air with the fresh, earthy scent of the surrounding forest. Yet, despite the beauty, a heavy gloom lingered.
I turned my gaze to the side and noticed, some distance away from the buildings, a cluster of tents-a makeshift camp set up near the edge of the greenland, close to the dense thicket of trees. It was no surprise; these people were only allowed here out of necessity. Packs rarely welcomed outsiders, and such generosity was far from typical.
As we walked toward the area, I took in the scene. In the past few days, we had passed other packs without stopping, but what lay before us now was truly heartbreaking.
There were injured people everywhere-some sick, others being tended to by healers. Among the injured, children made up the majority, their fragile forms were a painful sight. They didn't look well at all. The rogues had done a devastating number on them.
The wolves and lycans I could pick out among the crowd also seemed to have taken quite the blow. They, too, had suffered greatly in the attacks.
As I scanned the faces around me, a jolt of recognition hit me-I knew most of these people. We had been in the same camp up north.
"They arrived almost a week ago," one of the men walking with Nixon said.
The rogue attacks in the north had begun weeks ago. If these people had been traveling together, they must have faced yet another attack along the way.
"We need to help them," Jaeda said, but Darius gently held her back.
"And we will, but you need to rest," he replied firmly.
"I'm fine. They need our help," she insisted, her gaze fixed on the survivors.
"You don't have to worry," Nixon interjected, his calm voice cutting through the tension. "My pack is already handling it, but you all look like you could use some rest." His blue-green irises locked onto mine, and my heart lurched in my chest.
"No," Jaeda said sharply, her voice unwavering. All heads turned to her as she continued, her tone resolute. "We've lived with most of these people. They're from our camp-we should help."
Before Nixon could respond, another voice cut through the air, filled with both surprise and relief.
"Alpha Darius."
We turned to see a man approaching us-a Lycan.
When he reached us, he cracked a smile, letting out a happy sigh as he looked at each of us in turn.
"You made it. It's good to see you all."
"It is?" Jaisen arched a dark brow, skepticism clear in his voice.
Maia shot him a look before turning back to the stranger.
"I'm sorry, but do you know us?" she asked.
"My name is Eryx," the Lycan replied. "You remember me, don't you?"
His black, onyx-colored eyes sparkled-which was weird to me considering their colour
"From Lotus Camp?" I ventured.
"Yes," he confirmed.
"I think I remember you," Maia said thoughtfully. He gave her a small smile before turning his attention to Nixon.
"This is the Alpha I was telling you about. He was the one who helped during the attack."
"We'll need to talk," my brother said. It wasn't exactly a suggestion, but he gave a slight nod.
"In the meantime, I'll have someone bring you all some clothes. If you need anything, you can ask any of the pack members," he added, his eyes meeting mine briefly before he turned and left with his men.
His lingering looks seemed to hold an unspoken promise; We'll talk soon.
Eryx led us through the camp. It didn't look good at all.
"I don't recognize a lot of these people," Jaisen said.
"Not all of them are from our camp," Sage explained. "Lotus wasn't the only one up north; the northern parts held the highest number of camps. After the attack, the camps scattered-what was left of them, anyway."
"Yeah, there were a lot of casualties," I said solemnly, the memory creeping into my mind. People we had grown up with, lived with-killed and torn apart mercilessly.
Just another night, when everyone had retired to bed peacefully, the way we always had.
I glanced into an open tent and saw a woman healing someone. A look of deep relief settled on the older man's face as she healed him.
"It was a savage moment," Jaisen added, his eyes reflecting vivid remembrance. "Those rogues, their eyes... like they'd taken large whiffs of Lysbane."
Large wolves, thirsting for blood and driven to kill. Sinking their canines into anyone-regardless of whether they were a child or an adult.
Maia wrapped her arms around herself. "It was terrible"
A shrill cry had us on our feet in an instant. We rushed outside to see the place we had called a home for so long, engulfed in flames. People running, some attacking and fighting back
It wasn't enough. They attacked from all sides. The lights had been cut, we only relied on our senses to fight.
The white snow was soaked in blood
" Saying that half of the camp was wiped out is not an assumption" Jaeda said
Darius was in full killing mode, shredding rogues like paper, protecting and helping. No hesitation came as we killed like never before. Whilst many of us possessed the zeal and determination to fight for our homes, the Intruders outnumbered us as they kept pouring in from every side and we were left with no choice but to retreat, from our own home.
There was almost nothing left-except broken homes and ashes along with bodies, of those that hadn't the chance of putting up a fight and of those that had fought to their dying breath.
It had been a large camp.
While it wasn't a pack, Lotus Camp had been a home to most of us, especially those of us who had been there for so long.
Eryx bent down to help a passing woman retrieve her shawl. “It seems that their true goal wasn’t just to kill—it was to drive us out. Not just from our camps, but out of the snow lands entirely.”
This wasn't just an attack; it was a mission, one that had been accomplished
“I traveled with a group,” he continued, running a tattooed hand through his bleach-blonde hair. “Along the way, we met survivors from other camps who had also escaped. But we were attacked again, and most of our food and supplies were stolen. By the time we completely left the North, the packs that might’ve helped us were overwhelmed. They couldn’t take in any more campers.”
He sighed, his voice tinged with frustration. “We thought about camping in the forest, but we had no tents, no food, and too many injuries. We needed treatment—more hands to heal the wounded. But the nearby packs were already stretched thin, trying to care for the ones who got there before us.”
“Continuing the journey felt impossible. We were running out of options, out of hope. Then Alpha Nixon’s patrol team found us. They sent vans to bring us in, gave us food, medical care—everything we needed. They saved us, but it hadn’t been easy.”
The weight of his words sank into me. The damage done was staggering. Lycans and wolves are known for their resilience, yet hearing that some had to be transported in cars—not out of convenience, but because they had no choice—was almost too much to comprehend.
"Does he have a lot of healers?" Darius asked, referring to Nixon.
Healers weren’t very common among any species. It was mostly lycans who possessed the power, and even then, not all of us do.
"Not very many, but more than a handful," Talon replied before turning his gaze to me. "Are you a healer?"
"I am," I said with a nod.
His tired eyes seemed to brighten with relief, though his exhaustion was still evident. He looked worn and drained; it must have been a rough journey.
His gaze shifted to Jaeda. "You’re looking pale. Are you alright?" he asked gently.
She nodded.
Eryx led us to another tent, and the sight that greeted us was heartbreaking. Rows of children lay in beds, many severely injured, their small bodies wrapped in bandages and hooked up to IV drips.
"Children heal more slowly," Eryx explained as we stood in silence, taking in the scene. "Some have lost their parents and families. The trauma weighs heavily on them, slowing the healing process even further."
"But as a healer, you should still be able to help," Jaisen said, directing the comment toward me.
I could take.my eyes of the sight in front of us, so I barely registered his question.
"It’s not as simple as it seems,” a calm voice interjected.
A woman approached us with measured steps.
- Writer
