Elena’s POV
"Hey Luna." Maya approached , her voice carrying that formal tone she used when others were around.
"Stop calling that, you weirdo." I shot back, irritation creeping into my voice.
"We’re in public territory. Respect matters here." She shrugged, but I caught the teasing glint in her eyes.
"You’re my best friend. We’ve moved beyond those formalities." I crossed my arms, giving her a pointed look.
"How have you been holding up? Haven’t caught sight of you for days." Her expression softened with genuine concern.
"You know exactly how much work goes into organizing events like this." I gestured around at the bustling pack gathering.
"I understand that completely. But you still need to look after yourself properly." She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"I’m way beyond worrying about myself. I have five children to think about." The words ca out sharper than intended, and I noticed her strange expression imdiately. "Speaking of which, where are the twins? Have you seen them anywhere?"
"Yeah, they’re racing around with all the other pack children." She pointed toward the far end of the grounds.
"Good. As long as they’re staying out of serious trouble." I relaxed slightly, scanning the crowd for any signs of chaos.
"You ntioned having five children." She pressed, curiosity evident in her tone.
"Because I do." My voice turned stern, warning her not to push further. She wisely dropped the subject after catching my expression.
When dinner preparations finished, everyone gathered around the long tables. I found myself managing Seraphina while keeping a watchful eye on Finn and Tate, our energetic eight-year-old troublemakers. Those two required constant supervision during pack gatherings.
I never intended to expand our family further, but life had different plans. Now we had another precious daughter who had beco our baby. We maintained especially tight protection around her, though the boys understood our reasoning completely. They knew Briar’s story, understood why we acted so protective with Seraphina.
My own fears drove much of this behavior, sothing I actively worked to overco. The journey remained difficult and emotionally draining.
Damien rose from his seat, delivering his traditional speech to the gathered pack mbers. Soon everyone settled into eating and casual conversation filled the air around us.
I helped Seraphina cut her at into manageable pieces while firmly instructing the boys to remain seated and finish their als. They could rejoin their friends after completing dinner, but their eagerness to return to playing was obvious. I made it clear they wouldn’t move until every bite disappeared from their plates. Damien supported my stance completely.
A disturbing noise suddenly echoed from the forest edge. Both Damien and I turned simultaneously toward the strange sound, our protective instincts imdiately alert.
"Hunters approaching pack territory." A warrior’s urgent voice cut through the mind link, sending shock waves through the gathering.
Chaos erupted instantly. Pack mbers scattered in different directions, so rushing toward the packhouse with their children while others headed toward the forest to assist the patrol warriors.
Caleb and Damien sprinted toward the tree line without hesitation. I grabbed our children, herding them quickly toward the packhouse and straight into the ergency shelter area.
Maya waited at the shelter entrance. I pushed the kids toward her, my hands shaking slightly from adrenaline.
She attempted to prevent my departure, but I refused her intervention. "Take care of my children." I commanded before racing back outside.
I started running toward the forest when movent caught my peripheral vision. Soone was infiltrating our pack territory, moving with suspicious stealth. I imdiately gave chase, my wolf instincts taking control.
I managed to close the distance and tackle the intruder to the ground. Their hood fell away during the struggle, revealing long blonde hair cascading down both sides of their face.
When she turned to face directly, my breath caught in my throat. Every muscle in my body froze.
"Briar." The na escaped as barely a whisper.
She stared at with confused recognition, then raised a weapon without warning. The silver bullet tore through my shoulder, sending waves of burning pain through my entire system. She disappeared back toward the forest before I could react further.
Despite the significant blood loss and searing agony from the silver, I forced myself upright and pursued her into the woods. The wound weakened considerably, but determination pushed forward until I reached our territorial boundary. She remained just beyond my reach, but crossing that line was forbidden.
"Elena." Damien’s voice cut through my shock as he reached my location.
He imdiately assessed my bleeding shoulder, removing his shirt to create makeshift pressure bandaging.
"I saw her clearly. I saw her." My voice trembled with disbelief and residual shock.
"What are you talking about exactly?" His hands worked efficiently to stem the bleeding.
"Briar. It was definitely her." The revelation hit like a physical blow.
He stopped his first aid efforts and searched my face intently. He recognized my complete seriousness, understood I wasn’t experiencing hallucinations or confusion. The silver bullet’s poison coursed through my system, but the emotional impact of seeing her alive overshadowed even that physical tornt.
I stared into the forest where she had vanished, my mind struggling to process this impossible encounter. Briar was supposed to be gone forever, yet she had just shot and escaped into the wilderness. Everything we believed about her fate had suddenly beco questionable.
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