Damien’s POV
The howl hit us like a slap.
Close. Too damn close.
My wolf Alex went wild inside my chest. Every instinct screaming danger. This wasn’t random. This was a trap.
"Stay together!" I roared.
But the fog was wrong. All wrong. It moved like it was alive. Chemical stench burned my nose. Made my eyes water.
This was magic. Dark, twisted magic.
"Alpha!" Lucas’s voice cracked with panic. "I can’t see anyone!"
More howls. From everywhere. All around us.
Fuck.
"Listen to !" I let my alpha power explode outward. "Back to back! Fight as one!"
The first rogue ca out of nowhere.
Massive. Teeth like razors. Eyes glowing yellow death.
I shifted before I could think. Bones cracking. Muscles expanding. My human form lting away.
The beast slamd into . We rolled. Claws raked my shoulder. Pain flared white-hot.
But I’ve been fighting since I was fifteen.
I clamped down on its throat. Bit until I tasted copper. Hot blood filled my mouth. The rogue thrashed. Went limp.
Dead.
"Lucas!" I called out, still in wolf form. "Where are you?"
"Here! Two of them on !"
I bounded through the fog. Found him dancing between two snarling rogues. Blood streaming down his gray fur.
He was tiring. Fast.
I hit the nearest rogue like a freight train. Sent it flying into a tree. Crack. It didn’t get up.
The second one turned. Looked at .
My blood froze.
This wasn’t mindless rage. This was intelligence. Planning.
Soone had been training them.
The rogue feinted left. Lunged right.
I was ready. Caught it mid-leap. Jaws around its spine. Crunch.
Another one down.
I shifted back to human. Naked. Didn’t care.
"Lucas! How many are left?"
"Five!" he gasped. "Maybe six! The fog—I can’t tell!"
Five warriors. Out of twelve.
Rage burned through like acid. Pure. Blinding.
"Where’s the nearest cover?" I snarled.
"Ridge. Half mile north"
Another howl. Closer.
Ti was up.
"Everyone retreat!" I roared. "North ridge! Stay together!"
What ca next was hell.
Pure, blood-soaked hell.
We fought through the forest like wounded animals. Every few yards, another wave hit us. Rogues lting out of the mist like ghosts.
I lost count of my kills. Blood slicked my hands. Mine and theirs. Every muscle scread.
But we kept moving.
Had to keep moving.
"Almost there!" Lucas appeared beside . Supporting Derek, who was bleeding bad. "I see the rocks!"
The ridge was perfect. Natural fortress. Granite and pine. Limited approaches.
We collapsed behind the biggest boulder we could find. Gasping. Shaking.
Final count: Five warriors. All wounded.
Derek was worst. Deep gashes across his back. Blood everywhere.
Lucas had a nasty bite on his forearm. Wouldn’t stop bleeding.
I had claw marks across my shoulder. Pain with every breath.
"First aid," I commanded. Voice hoarse. "Patch up what you can."
While they worked, I stared at the forest below. The mist was thinning. Whatever spell created it was fading.
But the rogues were still out there. Waiting.
*Sera.* I reached for our bond. Desperate. *Sera, can you hear ?*
Nothing.
The connection was barely a whisper. Like a candle in the wind.
Sothing was wrong. Seriously wrong.
Our bond was iron-strong. It shouldn’t be this weak unless—
No. Don’t think it.
Sera was safe. Ho with Adrian. Had to be.
*Focus,* I told myself. *Your n need you.*
"How bad, Derek?" I crouched beside him.
He tried to smile. Failed. "I’ve had worse, Alpha."
Bullshit. He was dying. We all knew it.
*If Sera were here...* The thought hit like a punch to the gut.
She could heal him. Heal all of them. Those golden hands working magic.
But she wasn’t here.
I was alone with five bleeding warriors. Cut off from everything. No backup coming.
The longing was so intense it nearly knocked over. God, what I’d give for her here. Not just the healing. Her presence. Her strength. The way she looked at impossible situations and found answers.
We could fight together. Side by side. Like we’d dread.
Instead, I was trapped on a mountain. n dying. No way ho.
"Alpha," Lucas settled beside . Arm bandaged. "What’s the plan?"
I looked out at the forest. Shadows moving between trees. Still hunting us.
"We survive the night." My voice was rough. "Co morning, we figure out how to get ho."
It wasn’t much. But it was all I had.
Lucas nodded. Grim understanding.
"And if they co again?"
I pulled my silver blade. Tested its weight. Still sharp despite the blood.
"Then we send them to hell."
The sun was setting. Long shadows across our refuge.
I tried the bond again. *Sera. Please be safe. Please be smart.*
Still nothing. Like shouting into an empty void.
My chest ached. Not from the wounds. From fear.
If she was in danger while I was stuck here...
The thought made want to howl. To rage. To tear apart everything in reach.
*Hold on,* I whispered into the darkness. *Just hold on. I’ll find a way back to you.*
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