36. Ambush
thirty-six
Ambush
*ALANA*
I ta takes the lead, rushing out of the door with Tynan and me hot on her heels. “Alpha Blaine,” she yells, catching up with the man easily. “Where?”
“Eastern and Northern border,” he pants.
“Alpha, which border is weaker?”
“East,” he says promptly.
“Then, head there first. I will take half of our men and come with you. The other half goes to the Northern border.”
I can see her eyes glossing over, and soon I feel the mind link to all of us coming through with all of our orders. Our warriors outside start running into different directions. Blaine’s men seem to have received a similar mind link, because they already run towards the borders, a grim expression on their faces.
“What about Tynan and me?” I ask Ita. “What do you want us to do?”
“You need to make sure that everyone here is evacuated,” she says.
“I will lead them to the bunker and-"
“No,” Ita exclaims and tosses a bottle towards me that looks like one of Kilah’s perfume sprays. “You need to grab them and make sure to lead them towards the mountain path. I will send two elites with you. Hide away there and diffuse your scent with this spray. If the bears break through the border, they will find the bunker and kill everyone inside.”
“Got it.”
“Ty, head out of the pack, take the south exit. You need to reach the witch that lives close to Blaine’s old pack grounds. We need her! It’s a royal order now.”
“Got you,” Tynan blurts out and rushes away. He disappears between the houses for a moment, but when my eyes catch him again, he is in his wolf form. I decide to get right to work, too. I want to lead the defenseless pack members out of the pack as fast as possible, to get some distance between us and make sure to diffuse our scents, so that no one can track us.
“Alana!” Ita grabs my hand before I leave.
I look at her, surprised.
"Please, stay safe."
I nod at her, not able to hide my gentle smile. Not to dwell on my feelings any longer, I focus on the task ahead of me though. I hurry to find Caitlin, bumping into her only a few steps further. “Caitlin!” I call out. “Where are the children, elderly, and those who can’t fight?”
“They are at the meeting point in front of the bunker,” she says.
“Change of plans. Chances are high it’s not safe there,” I tell her. “We need to hide them somewhere else.”
She nods, relief flashing in her eyes. I assume she had similar fears. “What’s the new plan?”
“We collect everyone and lead them to the mountain path.”
“The mountain path,” Caitlin muses. “I know a good route. It will lead us over the Western border and through a forest. We can remain hidden there until we reach the mountains. There is a cave a bit further up the mountain.” When I look at her curiously, she just shrugs. “I grew up here and my father was a hunter. I went hunting with him a lot.”
“That comes in handy now,” I say.
We both hurry to work, and make sure to gather everyone as fast as possible. Caitlin sends out a joint mind link to her pack members to ensure everyone knows of our change of plans. In the distance, I can already hear battle noises; roars and yells.
My chest aches painfully at the thought of Ita being out there, and in such grave danger. But, I need to have faith in her abilities. Caitlin and I work fast, making sure to grab a few supplies. There are two pregnant she-wolves with us, and a lot of children. I spot the group of kids I talked to earlier.
“Dalene!” Caitlin calls out in relief.
“I’m here,” Dalene waves at us. “I got us some blankets… you know, for the babies.”
Dalene is just a kid, yet she is already prepared for such an emergency. Something about this reality fills me with sadness.
“You did well, thank you, Dalene,” Caitlin praises her.
“You can help us, too,” I tell her friends. “Thanks to you, we now have an idea what’s attacking us, so maybe you can help us another way.”
The boy who told me about their secret first, beams with pride. “Yes, Princess.”
“What can we do!?”
“There are some elderlies. Make sure they have some support while walking.”
The kids run off to some of the older pack members, offering them a shoulder or hand for balance. Before we set off, I have everyone spray themselves with the scent diffuser Ita handed me.
It’s barely enough. Hopefully we won’t need it a second time. Dalene stays with the two pregnant women, while the two elite warriors, who Ita sent with me, help to carry the smaller kids. Caitlin takes the lead in the front, leading us to the mountains. I fall back to the end to make sure no one follows us. Most of the walk we do in silence. Everyone is nervous and anxious about being attacked again. These two packs have already suffered so much. How much more can they take?
I turn around to toss a glance at the pack. In the distance, I can see some wolves climbing onto a werebear and bringing him down. These are our warriors, I realize. The royal warriors are truly elites. Pride fills me both for being part of them, but also for being part of the royal family.
The whole way to the mountains, I’m nervous and anxious, almost expecting someone to attack us from behind. I’m prepared to fight for these people, and I’m certainly not a bad fighter, but to take on a werebear… that’s some extra skills I don’t quite possess yet. Especially not on my own. It only now dawns on me how important this task is that Ita handed to me.
I know that despite everything she did choose a task for me that would lead me away from the battlefield; I’m still a princess, and she is responsible for me. But looking at the group ahead of me, I realize I’m responsible for these people now. If something happens, it will be on me.
Fortunately, though, it seems like Ita’s senses as our gamma were right, she is a true strategist. Caitlin leads us to the mountain cave without any disturbances, while I make sure to further diffuse our traces. Once there, both she and I take a deep breath. The pack members go further into the cave to rest and eat, while she and I stay in front of the cave.
Looking down onto the pack from here, I realize why Ita didn’t send any more warriors with us, or with Tynan. There just weren’t enough warriors in numbers. As werewolves, our senses allow us to look further into the distance, more so than a human could. Which is why Caitlin and I watch the fight anxiously from our position. There are a few werebears in the pack grounds now and they seem to circle a building.
“That’s where the bunker is,” Caitlin whispers.
“Good thing we didn’t hide there,” I declare.
“Gamma Ita is an incredible woman,” Caitlin says. “Without her…” She turns to look into the cave. “Who knows what would have happened?”
I smile. “She is the best.”
We watch in silence how some wolves circle the bears that made it onto pack grounds. One of the wolves is dark brown and bigger than the others. “That’s Blaine,” Caitlin whispers, grabbing my hand anxiously.
I squeeze it, while we both watch breathlessly how he attacks one of the bears. He is fast and agile, but bears are strong. His opponent tosses him to the side and throws himself on top of him. But before he can crush him, Blaine rolls over and jumps on his back.”
He is safe,” I whisper, when I notice that Caitlin has turned her head to the side.
“Thank Goddess,” she mutters. “I just don’t know what I’d do if I lost him. I… I know we are not fated mates.” She pauses. “I know the mate bond and its intensity, and I don’t regret having had a mate, but for my second chance, I chose Blaine. And I love him. I know that a lot of high-ranking members of other packs will say we just made an alliance because we were desperate and heart-broken, but I love Blaine, from the bottom of my heart. It’s a different kind of love than I felt for my mate, yes, but it’s love. He healed and mended a broken part in me and made me see the light again.”
Trauma-bonding, I think. That’s how Ita called it. For a split second, I feel bitter again that she belittled my feelings like that. Caitlin is right. It doesn’t take away from the authenticity of anyone’s feelings.
“I can see that you love him,” I tell her. “I watched you, because I know my father needs to approve of chosen matings that involve alphas.”
“It’s not a bad law,” Caitlin says. “My mother told me that back in the days a lot of alphas abused their rank, and rejected their mates when they thought they were beneath them.”
“I know.” I take her hand to squeeze it. “I also know that my father will approve of you and Blaine, because you are both genuine. Blaine cares deeply for you.”
I don’t know for how long we sit here. The night sky is illuminated by stars, idyllic and a stark contrast to the battle noises from the direction of the pack. Eventually I can see the flash lighting up the surrounding area of the pack. I recognize it instantly. “That had to be the witch.”
“Thank Goddess,” Caitlin answers.
My eyes gaze over the area below us, and I can spot Tynan’s huge and majestic wolf joining the warriors. Despite his silly and sometimes childish attitude, he is a fantastic fighter; brave, fierce and particularly crafty.
I stand up now, pacing around anxiously, while watching more and more bears pouring into the pack, but at the same time the light is pushing against them. For a few minutes it’s eerily quiet, then cheers erupt across the sky.
Next to me, Caitlin bursts into tears of relief.
A few minutes pass, then I can feel Ita’s mind link coming through. Alana, are you and everyone else alright?
I’m so relieved to hear her voice that my heart skips a beat. Yes, we are fine! What about you? Are you hurt? Is everyone well?
I’m glad to hear you are well , she says softly. We had a few casualties , she continues. But, overall, we came out okay. Your father will be proud of his strong warriors.
Can we return now?
Wait, I’m going to discuss this with Alpha Blaine briefly . For a moment there is silence engulfing me before her voice is back. Yes, you can return. Some warriors are scouting the area, and Tynan and I will make sure to meet you halfway. There is a pause. I’m so relieved you are okay.
Me too , I say. I was so worried about you.
Let’s talk later , she says. This time for real.
I feel a hint of hope growing in me. Maybe Ita will finally give us a chance, and if not, I hope she will at least be honest with me this time.
Caitlin, the warriors, and I make sure to gather everyone. Some of the kids have been sleeping, but now that they know they can return, excitement and joy fill them. The adults are a bit more wary, they don’t know the losses yet or the damage that was done to their pack. But, at least no one present seems to have lost their mates.
The way back is faster as it leads us down the mountain. The adrenaline of soon being united with our loved ones spurs everyone on further. Two of the older pack members struggle, but Caitlin and one of my warriors make sure to help them.
This time it’s me who leads the way. Everything around us is quiet, peaceful; the snow swallowing our footsteps. Some of the pack members chat quietly, as the danger is gone, but in general it’s a quiet walk down.
Why am I feeling so restless then?
Ros is on alert too. I can’t sense any danger though , she says. There are no werebears around, I’m certain about that.
But something doesn’t feel right.
It’s the same feeling I had earlier that day… and yesterday. Something feels off.
Yes , she agrees nervously.
It’s quiet, almost too quiet. I can feel the hair on my arms standing up, a shiver going down my spine. It’s not because of the cold. I’m not feeling cold, yet a shiver runs down my spine.
We are in the midst of the forest, and while it’s night, it shouldn’t be so quiet.
It’s eerie. No noises of any nocturnal animals can be heard, no wind, no rustling, nothing.
“Princess Alana?” one of the guards whispers when I halt to look around.
“We should go faster,” I instruct.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m not sure.”
I try to push the feeling aside and pick up my pace. The warriors make sure that everyone follows a bit more urgently. We just need to reach the pack grounds, and the protection of the barrier the witch put up.
The wind picks up, but again, I can’t hear any rustling. I just feel a cold brush against my skin.
“Princess,” Dalene whispers. She has picked up her pace and is now walking next to me. “I can see the blue light.”
“The blue light… like the one that was around the werebears?”
She nods, gesturing in the direction of a clearing. “It’s coming from there.”
My heart skips a beat, but this time not out of joy. What’s worrying is that Ros is terrified. She is a strong wolf, she is of alpha blood, and we trained hard for our warrior rank. I can’t remember any time that she was scared.
I push Dalene back and tell her to get to Caitlin, while I turn to my warriors. “Something is here. Be on alert!”
They have barely managed to register my words when I can hear a growl from the direction Dalene pointed at. Fuck. This is real. It is real. Whatever hope I had that I would be imagining things is gone.
Instinctively I try to reach out to Ita or Tynan first, but something blocks my mind link.
“Princess,” Caitlin’s voice reaches me as she runs towards me. “Dalene said that-“
“Is there another route?” I cut her short.
“What?”
“Another route to the pack.”
“Yes, we can take a detour,” she says.
“Do that,” I say. “Take a detour and lead everyone to safety.”
Caitlin opens her mouth to say something but another growl echoes through the area, and this time everyone clearly heard it. It’s completely silent all of a sudden. Some of the younger children start crying nervously, while the older ones hold their breaths.
I don’t see what is approaching us, only the shadow of a huge bear. Thank the goddess it’s a light night with the moon shining brightly, so at least whatever this is can’t surprise us out of nowhere.
“Princess!” The warriors come running towards me, positioning themselves in front of the group. I tap the shoulder of the youngest.
“Run ahead and warn Gamma Ita! You probably noticed that something is blocking our link to the others. You need to run, and alert her immediately.”
He nods, and without further questions, runs off.
“You need to go,” I say to Caitlin. A loud growl echoes around us, with the shadow coming closer.
“Run,” I hiss at her. “Get everyone to safety. The guards and I will buy you time!”
“Alana,” Caitlin breathes out.
I know what she thinks, but I don’t have time for that. “The children are the future of your pack, and you are too. If you fall, there will be no tomorrow for Blaine, or for your pack.” I’m just one of the princesses of my father, but Caitlin is the luna of her pack, their only luna.
To my relief, she sees reason too and takes the lead. She orders two of the women to help her lead everyone to safety before disappearing into the night. I’m relieved when I hear their steps getting more silent the more distance they get between them and us.
Meanwhile, the remaining warriors and I keep our attention on what’s coming. None of us talks, as we have no idea what is approaching us. It could be a werebear, though I doubt it. Ros wouldn’t be so tensed if it were a normal werebear.
Another gust of cold wind brushes over me when the creature finally reveals itself, stepping out of the shadow of the trees. This is not a normal werebear, let alone a normal bear. I’m not sure if it’s a bear at all. It’s exactly like the children described it, huge with brown fur and trees coming out of his head. What the hell is this creature?
It draws back one of its huge arms and tries to hit me with it, making me jump backwards. The creature’s slow pace is our only advantage, but other than that… How are we going to beat it!?
It’s massive and strong. One of the warriors lunges towards it, crawling on its back, but whatever he tries to do, it’s to no avail. The creature growls and reaches back, grabbing the man and tossing him against the next tree. He falls down like a lifeless bird and drops to the ground, not moving anymore. “Princess,” one of the warriors cries. “What is this?”
Francis is our most seasoned warrior, so I turn to him. “Take the lead, Francis.”
“Dodging it is our best chance,” he says, furrowing his brows. “I have never seen a being like that before. Stay on alert. Let’s tire the creature out.”
We follow his lead, circling the creature and avoiding its hits, all the while trying to buy us more and more time
I don’t know how long we fight. Time seems to be a foreign concept at the moment, while my body and mind seem to function on their own. My strength and stamina are starting to run thin. The one warrior who got hit is still not moving. One of the other men managed to pull him away so as not to get targeted again. I’m so tired, but I can’t give up yet. The creature doesn’t seem to tire, though. It keeps lunging at us, constantly turning towards the direction of the pack. Each time, one of us tries to distract it again.
The children saw a blue light, so it means it’s enchanted too.
Occasionally I can feel something pushing against my mind, clearly a mind link trying to come through, but the blockade is still up.
Francis keeps yelling commands towards us, telling us to dodge and remain defensive. We remain in our human form to be more agile and, because we are smaller in that form, but I don’t know how long we can keep this up. My arms hurt, and my legs are trembling.
I just don’t feel anything anymore.
“Princess!” Francis yells, when the huge bear creature lunges at me.
I duck my head, but its paw hits my shoulder, making me stumble and drop into the snow.
“Princess, get up! Get up!”
The pain is excruciating, for a moment, blinding me. Alana, don’t give up , Ros yells. You are a warrior. If you give up, then it’s one person less to protect the pack.
I groan, scrambling to my feet before the creature can lunge at me again.
With an angry roar, it turns to the side, his growl almost making the ground beneath us vibrate. One of the warriors loses his balance. I can hear him gasp when the bear grabs him and tosses him against a tree. Snow falls from its leaves on top of the man. He gurgles, blood oozing from his nose and mouth.
Two down, only two more standing. I don’t have any strength left. Looking to the side, I can see Francis wavering too, his body trembling slightly.
We don’t have much to lose anymore, Ros.
“Princess, run and save yourself,” Francis begs, running towards me to push me back.
“Where to?” I despair.
“Huh?”
“Run… where to? There is nowhere to run,” I breathe out. This is not a normal creature. Where we go, it will follow. It didn’t even get tired. If I run, it will easily follow and rip me apart.
“You fought well,” Francis says quietly. “Better than any other rookie warrior I’ve ever had with me. You should be proud of yourself.” He pauses. “Before we go down, we shift and let our wolves fight.” I nod, focusing on Ros. She is ready, too.
Francis and I watch how the massive bear roars again, before turning towards us. We exchange one last gaze, ready to jump to an attack, when-
“Alana! Get down!” Ita yells. She pushes past me, knocking me and Francis to the side and throwing herself in front of the bear, taking the blow that was supposed to hit us.
I feel the blood in my veins freeze. “NO!”