Chapter 25: Ambush

I woke up in pain.

My head throbbed. Everything hurt.

I opened my eyes. I was on cold concrete. In a dark room. No windows.

"Finally awake," a voice said.

I turned my head. The demon woman sat in a chair. Watching me.

"Where am I?" My voice was rough.

"Somewhere your pack can't find you. Somewhere safe for me to work."

"Work?"

"On turning you. Making you mine." She stood. Walked closer. "The trials start at dawn. But you won't be there. You'll be here. With me."

I tried to sit up. Couldn't. My wrists were chained. Silver chains.

They burned my skin.

"Silver hurts wolves," the demon said. "Weakens them. Makes them easier to control."

"You can't do this. The Elder knows I'm here. She'll come."

"The Elder?" The demon laughed. "The Elder told me where you'd be. Who do you think set up this meeting?"

My blood went cold. "You're lying."

"Am I? Think about it. She tells you about the trials. Gets you emotional. Vulnerable. Then sends you into the dark where I'm waiting." The demon crouched beside me. "The Elder wants you to fail, little Luna. Wants you out of the way. Because if you succeed, you'll be more powerful than her."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want. Doesn't change facts." She touched my face. Her hand was cold. "You're mine now. And by dawn, you'll be begging to serve me."

She stood. Walked to the door.

"Wait," I said. "Where's my pack? Where's Cole?"

"Dead probably. I left my pets to play with them."

"No!"

"Don't worry. You won't remember them soon. Won't remember anything but serving me."

She left. Locked the door.

I was alone.

I pulled against the chains. They burned worse. But I didn't stop.

I had to get out. Had to get to Cole.

The silver made me weak. My wolf couldn't surface.

I was human. Trapped. Helpless.

No. Not helpless. Never helpless.

James's voice echoed. "You're stronger than you know."

I closed my eyes. Focused. Pushed past the pain.

Reached for my wolf.

She was there. Weak but there.

"Help me," I whispered.

Heat built in my chest. Slow at first. Then faster.

My wolf pushed against the silver. Against the chains.

It hurt. God it hurt.

But I didn't stop.

The silver burned hotter. My skin blistered. But I kept pushing.

Then something snapped.

Not the chains. Something inside me.

Power flooded my body. Stronger than before.

The pendant around my neck began to glow. Silver light filled the room.

The chains started to crack.

"What?" The demon's voice. Footsteps running.

The door burst open. She stared. Eyes wide.

"Impossible. You can't break silver chains. No wolf can."

"I'm not just any wolf," I growled.

The chains shattered.

I stood. The pendant glowed brighter. Silver light poured from my skin.

"I'm a Luna Alpha. And you just made a mistake."

I shifted. Fully. Into my wolf.

But different this time. Bigger. My fur glowed silver. My eyes burned with power.

The demon backed away. "This isn't possible."

"Wrong."

I lunged.

She tried to dodge. But I was faster.

My jaws closed around her throat. She screamed.

Black smoke poured from her body. The demon was leaving.

I bit harder. My teeth sank into the smoke itself.

The demon shrieked. "You can't bite smoke!"

"Watch me."

I channeled my Luna power through my bite. Silver light burned through the demon.

It screamed louder. Started to dissolve.

"This isn't over! More will come! An army!"

"Let them come."

The demon exploded into smoke. Then faded. Gone.

The woman's body collapsed. Human again. Unconscious but alive.

I shifted back. Naked and covered in burns.

But alive.

I found my clothes. Got dressed. My hands shook.

I'd just killed a demon. By myself.

The pendant was warm. Comforting.

Margot's gift had saved me.

I needed to find Cole. Find my pack.

I ran to the door. Unlocked now. Pushed it open.

I was in an old building. Abandoned warehouse.

I ran outside. The sun was just starting to rise. Dawn.

The trials would start soon.

But first I had to find Cole.

I followed my instincts. The pack bond. It was faint but there.

He was alive. They were all alive.

I ran through the streets. Following the bond.

And found them.

They were fighting. Surrounded by demons. Dozens.

Cole in wolf form. Massive. But bleeding. Hurt.

Stacey, Andres, Marcus. All fighting. All injured.

They were losing.

"No!" I screamed.

I shifted. My silver wolf emerged.

I ran into the fight. Faster than ever.

The demons saw me. Tried to scatter.

But I was on them.

I fought like never before. Teeth and claws and Luna power.

Each demon I bit dissolved. Screamed. Died.

The pack saw me. Their eyes went wide.

Through the bond, I heard Cole. "Lita?"

"I'm here. I'm okay. Now fight!"

Together we pushed back. The pack rallied. Found new strength.

The demons tried to retreat. We didn't let them.

We hunted them down. One by one. Until none were left.

When it was over, we all shifted back. Breathing hard. Covered in blood.

Cole ran to me. Pulled me into his arms. "I thought I lost you."

"They tried. I'm harder to kill than they thought."

He kissed me. Hard. Desperate. "Don't scare me like that again."

"I won't."

Stacey limped over. "How did you escape? How did you get so strong?"

I touched the pendant. "Margot's gift. It protected me. Let me break free. Let me access my full power."

"Your wolf is glowing," Marcus said. "Actually glowing."

"Nothing about me is normal," I said. "But that's okay. Normal wouldn't survive what's coming."

Andres checked his phone. "It's dawn. The trials start in thirty minutes."

"Then we need to go. Now." I looked at my pack. My family. "I have to do this alone. But I need you there. Need to know you're watching."

"Always," Cole said. "We're with you. Always."

We got in the cars. Drove to the trial location.

A clearing in the woods. Surrounded by wolves. Hundreds. From every pack.

They all turned when we arrived. Stared at me.

Whispers spread.

"That's her? The Luna Alpha?"

"She's so young."

"She'll never pass."

I ignored them. Walked to the center.

The Elder stood there. With six other wolves. The council.

She looked at me. No emotion on her face.

"You came. I wasn't sure you would."

"Someone tried to stop me. A demon. Said you sent her."

The Elder's eyes narrowed. "I sent no one. If a demon told you that, she lied."

"How do I know you're not lying now?"

"You don't. But the trials will prove the truth." She gestured to the council. "Are you ready, Lita Dillard? Ready to prove you're worthy?"

I looked at Cole. At my pack. They nodded. Believed in me.

I turned back to The Elder. "I'm ready."

"Then let the trials begin."