Serena’s POV
This was it. This was how I would end — alone, betrayed by the one I loved, abandoned in the forest, and torn apart by rogues.
I closed my eyes and braced for the inevitable as the rogue above me bared its teeth, ready to strike. Suddenly, I heard a howl in the distance. It was low at first, but then it grew louder, echoing through the trees. The rogue above me froze, its attention snapping toward the sound. Another howl followed, then another, until the forest seemed alive with the howls of wolves.
"From the frying pan, into the fire." I chuckled, mocking myself as I stared at the rogues. They hesitated, their snarls turning into whimpers of confusion as they looked around nervously. Then, out of the darkness, another pack of wolves emerged. These wolves were larger, stronger, and more organized than the rogues. Their fur ranged from black to silver, and their eyes glowed a fierce red. Without wasting time, they howled once more and barreled into the rogues with ruthless precision.
The rogues tried to fight back, but they were no match for the power of this new force. The battle was over almost as soon as it began. The larger wolves tore through the rogues with ease. Within minutes, the attackers were dead, their bodies scattered across the ground like discarded toys.
I was too stunned to move. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified.
One of the wolves – the largest of them all, with fur as dark as the night itself — turned toward me. It locked its crimson eyes on mine, and for a moment, I thought I would end up like the rogues from earlier. Mangled and ripped apart.
But instead, the wolf began to shift. Its massive body contorted, shrinking and twisting until a tall, handsome man stood in its place.
"Who are you?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "And why were the rogues after you?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but the words got stuck in my throat. I mean, I had no answer for him. At least an answer that would make sense, anyway. What could I say? That I had escaped from one nightmare only to fall into another?
"I... I..." I stammered, trying to come up with a suitable lie. "I don’t know. They attacked me out of nowhere." That was the best I could come up with under these circumstances.
"You're lying." The man saw through me like an open book.
"I’m not!" I protested, though I knew my story sounded flimsy. "I don’t have any reason to lie to you! I’m telling the truth."
Before the man could press me further, another figure stepped forward — a woman dressed in simple traveling clothes with her long brown hair tied back in a braid. She had a calm expression as she stared at me.
"She looks harmless," the woman said in a soft tone that set me at ease. "We can take her with us. She looks like she doesn’t have anywhere else to go."
The man hesitated, glaring at me suspiciously. "Are you sure about that, Talia? We don’t know who she is. She could be a spy."
Talia shook her head. "I don’t think she’s a threat. Besides, she’s been through enough. Look at her."
The man rolled his eyes and grunted, turning to me with a warning glare. "We’re heading to the Rykor Pack territory. If you want to come with us, you’d better keep your mouth shut and stay out of trouble. Understand?"
"Thank you." I nodded quickly, accepting to go with them. I didn’t exactly have a choice, and it was the most sensible thing to do.
With a stiff nod, he turned around and the group began to move. I followed them, staying close to Talia as we made our way back to the group’s carriages. The large wolves shifted back to their human forms, and the remaining members of the group quickly gathered their belongings, preparing to continue their journey.
As we traveled, I decided to stick close to Talia. She seemed kinder than the others, and I wasn’t in the mood for more cruelty. I had had my fair share of that already.
My thoughts spiraled back to what had happened a few hours ago. Draven’s betrayal, the death of my parents. The grief that I had put on hold finally settled, and tears streamed down my face.
"Are you alright?" Talia asked, handing me a handkerchief.
"I… I’m fine." I wiped my tears, pulling myself together. I didn’t want to show weakness in the presence of others. If I was going to cry, I’d do it alone. Not here.
"Why are we going to the Rykor Pack territory?" I quickly changed the topic.
"We are escorting a bride to Alpha Kaidon of the Black Moon Pack." Talia glanced at me with a guarded expression.
I nearly stumbled at the mention of his name. "Alpha Kaidon?" I repeated, whispering to myself. "The one who… kills his brides?"
"Yes, it’s him." Talia’s face took on an unpleasant expression. "The girl we’re escorting… her parents sold her to him, knowing full well what fate awaited her. But she had no choice. She had to go through with it, or Alpha Kaidon’s wrath would fall upon her entire pack."
I shivered at the thought. I had heard stories about the infamous Alpha Kaidon — terrifying tales about his cruelty, his reputation for killing every woman sent to him as a bride. The thought that I was heading to his territory made me rethink my choices, but where else would I go?
"Wh… why doesn’t she resist?" I asked with a trembling voice.
"Because… she can't afford to be selfish. If she refused, Alpha Kaidon would destroy her entire pack. She’s doing it to protect them." Talia sighed, gazing toward one of the carriages with a look of pity.
I didn’t ask any more questions, and we continued to walk in silence. A sense of sadness overwhelmed me. I didn’t know the girl, but the idea of someone being sold into such a terrible fate made my heart ache.
As night fell, we stopped to rest in a small clearing. The group set up camp and lit a fire, while I curled up beside it, staring into the flames as I thought about Draven, my parents, Alpha Kaidon, the girl who was being sent to him, and my own precarious situation.
My eyelids started to close as exhaustion finally caught up to me when suddenly, a sharp howl pierced the silence.
Another ear-piercing howl followed, and my eyes widened. I knew that sound far too well. Without even looking, I knew — the rogues had returned.
Suddenly, dozens, no, hundreds of rogues started to charge at us from the forest depths.
"Shift! Attack!" The tall man from before wasted no time, leading the charge as he shifted into his wolf. His people shifted as well and dashed to confront the rogues, but I wasn’t optimistic about their chances. The rogues vastly outnumbered them, and I feared this would be a one-sided massacre.
And just as I had feared, one by one, the wolves fell. Their mangled bodies hit the ground, staining the forest floor with blood.
I scrambled to my feet, watching the carnage unfold before me. My legs were rooted to the ground, paralyzed with fear.
"Run, dammit!" A loud voice echoed in my mind, snapping me back to my senses. I turned to see Talia in her wolf form, fighting bravely against several rogues, but she was outmatched.
"Run!" she boomed again, and as if my legs had a mind of their own, they propelled me forward. I sprinted, the sounds of battle fading behind me. The rogues were everywhere, and they would come for me next. I had to find somewhere to hide.
My eyes landed on a large hollow tree, its trunk wide enough for me to crawl inside. Without hesitation, I dove into the hollow and curled up as tightly as I could. I closed my eyes and listened in horror as the rogues tore through the camp, their growls mingling with the dying screams of the people I had known for barely a day.
I didn’t know how long I stayed hidden in that tree, but eventually, the sounds of battle faded, and silence fell over the forest.
After a few more moments, I cautiously crawled out of the tree. My heart pounded against my ribcage as I surveyed the clearing, gasping at the sight before me.
The ground was littered with bodies — men, women, wolves — all dead. Blood soaked the earth, and the air was thick with the stench of death.
I spotted Talia’s lifeless body and collapsed to my knees. She hadn’t survived. Her mangled form lay still, her eyes dull and lifeless.
Sadness, rage, and grief overwhelmed me, and I raised my head, letting out a pained scream. This was his doing. Draven’s doing. He had sent the rogues after me, and now all these innocent people were dead.
I couldn’t let him win. I couldn’t let it end like this. He had taken everything from me, and he would pay — with his life.
My eyes landed on one lone survivor. A man, badly injured but still alive. I marched up to him and helped him to his feet, staring into his eyes with a burning gaze.
"Take me to Alpha Kaidon," I demanded, my tone leaving no room for argument.
"What the...?" The man looked up at me in shock.
"The bride to Alpha Kaidon is dead.” I said, my voice dropping to a cold whisper. “I will be the new bride to Alpha Kaidon, and I will have my vengeance.”