Chapter 34
Lucas
The night air hung thick with tension as I scanned the perimeter of the cabin one last time.
Victoria had been secured, her hands bound behind her back, and led away.
My wolf senses remained on high alert—something wasn't right.
This had been too easy. I took a sniff of the air and knew why something felt amiss.
Earlier on, when we came here, I could sense James around.
But he was gone now. The three werewolves that came into the house and that had now left were the only werewolves left in the area.
Something was happening.
I pulled out my phone, hoping there was a cellular network on this edge of the woods. Thankfully, there was, but it was a weak signal. It would do thought. I dialed James while keeping my eyes fixed on Alison, who held Leo close to her chest, whispering comforting words to our boy.
"Lucas," James answered immediately, his voice strained and breathless. In the background, I could hear shouting, the distinctive sounds of bodies colliding.
"Status?" I asked, my voice low, muscles tensing at what I was hearing.
James's hesitation told me everything before he even spoke. "Movement at the western border. A lot of movement. Victor's scent is everywhere."
My grip tightened on the phone until the plastic creaked in protest. "How many?"
"At least forty wolves. They're organized, armed." The line crackled with static as something loud crashed nearby. James swore, then continued, "It's a full-on assault. They've breached the outer defensive line already. Kevin is down. Elena's badly wounded."
The names of my pack members struck me like physical blows. The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. "Victoria's kidnapping was a distraction."
"Seems that way. She got you and the heir away from pack grounds at the perfect time.
" A series of snarls erupted in the background.
"Hold them!" James barked to someone, his voice momentarily distant from the phone.
"Sorry, Alpha. We're trying to establish a perimeter around the main house, but—" The sound of splintering wood interrupted him.
That was what Victoria meant when she said it's not over.
"Secure the area," I ordered, fighting to keep the rising fury from overwhelming my reason. "Full defensive protocol. I'm bringing Alison and Leo with me. We're not safe out here. We should be closer to the rest of the pack."
"Lucas." James's voice dropped, a note of genuine fear coloring his words. "They're moving fast. You might not make it back before they hit us. Victor's brought in specialists—hunters with silver weapons. We've already lost three to silver poisoning."
My blood ran cold. Silver wounds were slow to heal, excruciatingly painful. A direct hit to a vital area could kill even an Alpha.
"Then we fight them at every step. No retreat."
I ended the call and strode to Alison, who immediately recognized the change in my demeanor, her eyes widening as she registered the tension radiating from me.
"What's wrong?" she asked, clutching Leo closer.
"Victor's pack has crossed our borders." I kept my voice steady, not wanting to frighten Leo further. "It's an attack."
Alison's face paled. "But why now? How would he? He used Victoria and Leo to lure you away from the rest of the pack, didn't he?"
"Yes." I knelt beside them, placing one hand on Leo's back and the other on Alison's cheek. "I need to get you both somewhere safe."
"What about the pack?" Alison asked, ever thinking of others despite her own danger.
"My priority is you and Leo." I looked into her eyes, willing her to understand. "Always."
I helped them into the SUV in front of the cabin, securing Leo in his car seat while keeping constant vigilance on our surroundings.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I scanned the treeline, my wolf senses detecting subtle movements in the darkness. Something, or someone, was watching us.
I hotwired the car because I couldn't afford to start looking for the key now. The engine roared to life, but as I slid into the driver's seat, a shadow detached itself from the forest edge, moving with inhuman speed toward the vehicle.
"Get down!" I shouted to Alison, throwing the SUV into reverse just as a massive gray wolf launched itself at the windshield.
Glass spiderwebbed beneath the impact as powerful jaws snapped inches from my face.
I recognized the scarred muzzle—Darius, Victor's enforcer, one of his most vicious fighters.
I slammed the accelerator, the sudden backward motion sending Darius sliding across the hood.
He scrambled for purchase, claws leaving deep furrows in the metal, eyes glowing with murderous intent in the darkness.
In the rearview mirror, I saw Alison covering Leo with her body, her eyes wide but focused.
I wrenched the wheel hard, sending the SUV into a controlled spin that flung Darius off the vehicle. Without pausing, I shifted into drive and floored the accelerator, the tires spitting dirt and gravel as we tore down the forest path.
"I want to help," Alison said as I navigated the rough terrain, her voice remarkably steady despite what had just happened.
I caught her eyes in the rearview mirror, seeing the determination there. My mate was a fighter, had always been, from the moment I'd met her. "The best help you can give me is staying safe with our son. Please, Alison."
Something in my tone must have conveyed the gravity of the situation because she nodded, though reluctantly.
A howl split the night behind us—Darius, calling for reinforcements. Within moments, answering howls echoed through the forest, converging on our position.
"They're tracking us," I growled, swerving around a tight bend. The SUV fishtailed slightly before I regained control.
"Can we outrun them?" Alison asked, her hand protectively on Leo's knee. Our son's eyes were wide with fear, but to his credit, he remained silent, sensing the danger.
"No," I replied honestly. "But we can outsmart them."
I veered off the main forest path onto an even narrower trail, one used primarily by deer and seldom traveled by humans or wolves. The SUV bounced violently over exposed roots and rocks, but the rougher terrain would slow our pursuers, forcing them to track us by scent rather than sight.
The drive back was tense, my senses stretched to their limits as I monitored every shadow, every sound. I maintained constant contact with James, receiving updates on Victor's advance. My pack was holding the line, but barely.
"They've breached the eastern perimeter," James reported as we approached pack territory, his voice tight with pain.
"Tore through our second defensive line like it was paper.
We've evacuated the pups and elders to the safe houses, but they're pushing hard toward the main compound.
Victor's brought in human mercenaries, too—men with military training.
They're using coordinated tactics I've never seen from a rival pack. "
"I'm ten minutes out," I replied, calculating distances and strategies. "Hold them."
"We're trying, but—" A burst of gunfire interrupted him. "Shit! Fall back to position three!" he shouted to someone nearby. "Lucas, they've got snipers positioned in the eastern woods. Silver ammunition. Elena took a round to the shoulder; she's not healing."
My grip tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles showed white. Elena was one of our strongest fighters, my Beta's mate. If she was down—
"I'm coming, James. Hold the line. That's an order."
But when we turned onto the private road leading to the pack lands, my instincts flared. The air carried the scent of unfamiliar wolves—a scouting party, waiting to intercept us.
"Lucas?" Alison sensed my tension.
"Change of plans." I veered off the main road onto a narrow dirt track that few knew about. "We're going to a different safehouse. It's hidden and not well known."
As we bumped along the hidden path, a dark shape burst from the underbrush, sprinting alongside the SUV. Another wolf, smaller than Darius but faster, its muzzle pulled back in a snarl. It matched our speed effortlessly, waiting for its moment to attack.
I swerved hard, trying to throw it off, but the wolf anticipated the move, leaping at precisely the right moment.
It crashed through the driver's side window in an explosion of glass and fury, jaws snapping at my arm.
I fought to maintain control of the vehicle with one hand while fending off the attack with the other.
The wolf's teeth sank into my forearm, and I roared in pain and rage. Leo screamed from the back seat.
"Lucas!" Alison cried out.
With a surge of Alpha strength, I grabbed the wolf by the scruff of its neck and wrenched it off me, its teeth tearing skin and muscle as it was forced to release.
Without hesitation, I slammed the wolf's head against the dashboard with enough force to stun it, then shoved it back out the shattered window.
The SUV swerved wildly as I fought to regain control with my injured arm. Blood soaked my sleeve, but I could already feel the wound beginning to heal—no silver, thankfully.
"Are you okay?" Alison asked, her voice tight with fear.
"Fine," I gritted out, focusing on the path ahead. "Almost there."
The hidden cabin came into view, nestled among ancient pines that had stood guard over generations of Alphas.
I hurried Alison and Leo inside, activating the security systems with my handprint and a spoken code.
The walls hummed as layers of protection activated—reinforced steel beneath the rustic wooden exterior, windows laced with silver compounds that would repel any wolf trying to break through, state-of-the-art surveillance covering every approach.