Chapter 4 Betrayal in the Dark

The night was always still before the storm.

And yet, I could feel the tension humming in the air. It was palpable, like the cracking of energy waiting to be released. My pack was on edge--weary from traveling, scared of the unknown-but they had coalesced behind me. I could see it in their eyes. There was no turning back now.

We were heading straight for the border of the Midnight Howl.

The village that we had departed was now a haven for the reject. The wolves that were cast aside like trash now looked to me for strength. And strength I would give. But I knew that the fight that we would face wouldn't be easy.

We were heading into the heart of Ronan's territory. The Midnight Howl pack was one of the most feared in the nation, and I knew any fight would be a slaughter. But I knew as well that if we were going to topple him, this was the only way.

"What if they don't take us in?" Kade questioned as he fell into step beside me, his silver eyes flashing in the firelight.

"We make them surrender," I stated, my tone cold and confident. "If they refuse to obey, we take their pack by force. Ronan's reign ends today."

Kade looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed. "What if Ronan isn't there?"

I moved my gaze to the horizon, the black form of the Midnight Howl pack's lands spreading out before us.

"Then we rally the wolves who will come with us. Ronan's power is based on fear. Without that, he's nothing."

---

The first sign that something was wrong was at dawn.

We'd moved into Midnight Howl territory the night before, but there was no sign of Ronan's pack. No patrols. No guards. No signs of life at all.

It was too quiet.

We had camped alongside a dense thicket, hidden in the shade of towering pine trees. The scent of wet soil and approaching rain was thick in the air.

Kade and I reconnoitered the area, a tingling feeling of discomfort sweeping through us. Something didn't feel right. The silence wasn't normal, not in this country.

"Something's off," Kade muttered.

I nodded. "I feel it too."

Silently, we moved through the trees, as quiet as ghosts. I did not like this. It was too quiet, too still.

And then we saw them.

The first body was face down in the mud. Blood pooled around him, his body torn open as if by something far stronger than any wolf.

The second body was barely recognizable. It had been torn apart, limbs torn from its body. The stench of death and decay filled the air.

"What happened here?" I whispered.

Kade crouched by the body. "This wasn't Ronan's work. This... this is something else."

I stood up, gazing around. "Whatever it is, we need to move fast.".

We went deeper into the woods, and there were even more bodies on the ground. Some had been warriors-probably from Midnight Howl. But others were strangers, wolves from outside packs.

"We need to get out of here," Kade said, his voice tight with fear. "This is a trap. Ronan is trying to frame us."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "This isn't Ronan's doing. This is something worse."

The wind picked up, shrieking through the trees, making my flesh creep. I felt it in my bones-a shift in the air. And then, a howl.

Not the howl of a wolf, but something... darker.

A low, guttural snarl that stood the hairs up on the back of my neck. It was in front of us, out there in the woods.

Kade glanced at me, his face pale. "Lilith, we need to get out of here. Now."

But I didn't move. My wolf responded within me, sensing the same danger.

"I'm not running from this," I said to him. "Whatever this is, we meet it head-on."

We moved forward, going in the direction of the sound.

As we approached the clearing, I could see them. Dark shapes, writhing in the darkness.

A pack of wolves-no, not wolves. Beasts.

Their coats were black as night, their eyes afire with an unearthly red light. Their bodies were twisted and deformed, their limbs too long, their movements jerky and unnatural.

These were not ordinary wolves. They were something else.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

Tall. Dark. Powerful.

It was a woman.

Her hair was like a shadow, flowing behind her like smoke, and her eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light. She was enveloped in a cloak of the blackest silk, embroidered with silver thread. And she held in her hand a staff of bone.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice steady despite the fear twisting in my stomach.

The woman nodded her head, a smile spreading across her lips that made my blood freeze.

"I am the one who will put an end to Ronan's reign," she answered.

A shiver ran through me, colder than any winter night I had ever experienced.

"You are not one of Ronan's," I said slowly.

"No," said the woman, stepping forward, the shadows retreating as she did. "But he is mine. And I will have his pack. And yours."

I stepped forward, my wolf's fury simmering beneath my skin.

"Then you'll have to go through me first," I snarled.

The woman's eyes sparkled with enjoyment. "I anticipated as much."

Her mouth opened, and she let out a low, throaty sound that echoed through the clearing.

The pack of dark wolves shifted, their red eyes shining as they closed in around us.

"This is no ordinary battle, my Queen," Kade whispered at my side.

I could feel the energy in the air-dark, wild, and old. We weren't fighting wolves anymore. We were fighting something far older, far deadlier.

The woman stepped forward, her hand reaching out.

"Let's see if you're worthy of the throne you attempt to usurp."

And with that, the battle began.

---

The fight was chaos. The black wolves were fast, brutal. They struck like ghosts, appearing and disappearing with terrifying quickness. My pack fought bravely, but we were outnumbered.

Kade and I fought back to back, protecting ourselves from the creatures that came at us from every direction. I could feel the burn of exhaustion, but I couldn't afford to stop. Not now. Not when we were so close.

But then the woman attacked.

She raised her staff, and a burst of energy shot out of it, knocking us both to the ground.

I gasped for air, the impact of the blow searing in my chest.

"You think you can defeat me?" the woman snarled. "You're a child playing at a throne you can't even begin to understand."

I stumbled to my feet, my vision blurry. "We'll see about that."

I pulled the bone ring from my finger, feeling its heartbeat, its power. The shadows around us reacted.

I raised my hand, summoning the shadows.

They obeyed.

The dark wolves howled, moving backward as the shadows churned around us. My wolf, Solara, lunged forward, pushing the darkness back, pushing the creature who dared to attack me back.

The woman looked at me, her eyes slanting in surprise.

You are worthy," she whispered, her voice hardly low.

But before she could make a move, a shadow loomed in front of her.

A figure, tall and dark. A man.

The figure struck, sending her flying backward.

"Kieran?" I breathed.

He turned to me, his silver eyes gleaming.

"I told you," he said, "I wasn't going to let you fight alone."

The battle was far from over, but with Kieran by my side, I finally felt like we could.