Chapter 36 Impossible Alliances
Chapter 36:
Sera's POV
Helena's death should have ended it. Instead, it revealed the scope of the nightmare.
"Seventeen territories." Marcus's replacement, Elder Thane, spread maps across the war table. "All under coordinated attack in the last six hours. Corrupted forces hitting simultaneously."
"Helena was just one head." I stared at the reports, exhaustion making them blur. "The network runs deeper."
"Much deeper." Lydia stepped forward, still under guard. "I told you. She wasn't working alone."
"Then who?" Dante demanded. "Who's coordinating this?"
"I don't know names. But I know locations." She pointed to the map. "Three strongholds. Here, here, and here. Command centers for the corruption network."
"You've been holding this back?" I started toward her.
"I told you what was immediately relevant!" She stepped back. "You want everything? Fine. There are three corrupted generals. Each controls a region. Helena was just the northern commander. The other two are still out there."
"Names." My voice went deadly quiet.
"Malkor you already killed. Helena is dead. That leaves Kaine and Ravenna." She pointed to two locations. "Kaine controls the eastern territories. Ravenna has the west. Both are ancient. Both are impossibly powerful."
"Then we hit them before they hit us." Dante studied the map. "Strike teams. Coordinated assault-"
"With what forces?" Rhett interrupted. "Half our warriors are wounded. The allied packs are barely holding their own territories. We're spread too thin."
"Then we make new allies." I looked at the map, an insane idea forming. "Even if we have to bargain with enemies to do it."
"What enemies?" Lyssa asked carefully.
"Everyone." I started marking positions. "Council remnants, rival packs, even rogue factions. Anyone who doesn't want corrupted Lycans enslaving the entire species."
"They'll demand concessions-"
"Then we give them." I cut Dante off. "Power, territory, resources. Whatever it takes. We can argue about borders later if we're all still alive."
"Some will refuse." Thane's voice was grave. "Some will see this as an opportunity to weaken us."
"Then they're fools." I straightened. "Lyssa, send messengers to every major Alpha. Tell them we're forming a coalition. Join or face corruption alone."
"What about those who betrayed us?" Rhett asked. "The ones who withdrew their alliance?"
"We need them anyway." It tasted like poison. "Send envoys. Offer to forgive past cowardice if they fight now."
"And if they refuse?"
"Mark them as enemies." Simple. Final. "When this is over, we'll remember who stood with us."
The room erupted in activity. Messages sent, forces mobilized, impossible choices made in seconds.
"You're gambling everything," Dante said quietly.
"I'm buying time." I leaned on the table, letting it support my weight. "Kaine and Ravenna won't expect a unified response. They're counting on us fighting separately, falling one by one."
"And if the coalition fractures?"
"Then we're dead anyway." I met his eyes. "Might as well die trying something impossible."
\---
Three days. That's how long it took to assemble the coalition.
Alphas who hated each other stood side by side. Council remnants worked with the revolutionaries who'd overthrown them. Rogues fought beside pack wolves. Desperation made strange allies.
"This is insane," Alpha Maren muttered, surveying the gathered forces. "We'll kill each other before reaching the enemy."
"Then don't." I addressed the assembled leaders. "I know you hate each other. I know you have centuries of grudges and territorial disputes. But right now, none of that matters."
"Easy for you to say-" someone started.
"I was rejected by my mate!" My voice cracked like thunder. "Exiled. Left to die. Everything I built came from ashes. So don't tell me about grudges."
Silence.
"The corrupted don't care about your borders or politics. They want to enslave every wolf alive. You can hate each other tomorrow. Today, we fight together or die separately."
"She's right." Surprisingly, it was Maren who spoke. "I withdrew my alliance. I was a coward. But I'm here now. And I'll fight until my last breath."
Others nodded. Grudging agreement spreading.
"We split into three forces," Dante announced. "One for each stronghold. Hit simultaneously so they can't reinforce each other."
"I'll take Kaine's stronghold," I said. "East territory. Lyssa, you're with me."
"I'll handle Ravenna." Dante marked the western location. "Rhett, Maren, you're with me."
"And the third?" someone asked.
"Reserve force." Thane stepped forward. "Stays central. Responds to whichever battle turns bad."
"We move at dawn," I said. "Three days to reach positions. Then we strike."
\---
The march east was brutal. Thousands of wolves moving fast, trying to maintain surprise. Impossible, but we tried anyway.
"You're not healed," Lyssa said quietly on the second night. "You can barely channel power without shaking."
"I know." I stared at the campfires. "But if I show weakness-"
"They already know you're weak." She wasn't unkind. "They also know you're leading anyway. That's why they follow."
"Desperation isn't leadership."
"Neither is perfection." She stood. "Rest. We attack tomorrow."
But I couldn't rest. Something felt wrong. Off.
A scout ran into camp. "Majesty! The stronghold, it's empty!"
"What?"
"No forces. No defenses. Just, empty."
I was moving before conscious thought. Reached the ridge overlooking Kaine's fortress.
She was right. Abandoned. Recently.
"It's a trap," I breathed. "They knew we were coming."
A howl split the night. From behind us. Where we'd left minimal defense.
"No." Horror flooded me. "Aurora. They're hitting Aurora."
"We're three days away!" Lyssa grabbed my arm. "We can't-"
"Asher is there." My voice went dead. "My son is in Aurora with skeleton defenses while we're here chasing ghosts."
I turned to the army. "Everyone who can run, with me. Now. We sprint back. Anyone who can't keep pace, follow as fast as you can."
"Sera, this is what they want-" Lyssa started.
"I don't care!" Power exploded around me. "My son is in danger. I'm not losing him again!"
I shifted mid-run. Wolf form, faster than human legs. Others followed. Hundreds of us racing back toward Aurora.
Three days away. My son under attack. And me too far to help.
The nightmare I'd always feared, made real.
Through the pack link, I felt Dante's horror. He'd realized the trap too.
'I'm coming,' I sent. 'Hold on. I'm coming.'
But would I reach in time?
Or would I arrive to find Aurora in ruins and Asher gone forever?
We ran faster. Pushed beyond limits. Raced against time and terror.
Behind us, the empty stronghold exploded. Kaine's laughter echoing in the blast.
"Foolish Queen," his voice carried on the wind. "Did you really think we'd wait for you to attack? We brought the war to your doorstep instead."