Chapter 21 Ambushed
Ella’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as her mind raced with questions, her thoughts darting from one possibility to another, filling her with anxiety. What could Kevin be doing with Moore? Had he hurt him? Her breath quickened as the image of Moore in danger haunted her. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest—he was in this mess because of her.
But then, another thought rose, darker and more unsettling. ‘Why had Derek kept the information about her agreeing to help to himself?’ He had seemed so calm earlier, as if he had everything under control. Was he truly trying to protect her, or was there something more sinister at play? Could Derek and Kevin be working together? The idea seemed absurd, but she couldn’t ignore it. ‘What if this was all a setup?’ What if Derek had lured her into this situation, pretending to be her ally while secretly plotting with Kevin?
Her heart pounded harder, doubt creeping into her thoughts like a shadow. ‘How did Kevin even get to Moore in the first place?’ Moore wasn’t involved in pack politics, he had no enemies—or so she thought. Everything had spiraled out of control so quickly. The sense of helplessness gnawed at her, and she hated it.
Ella’s mind was so clouded by her racing thoughts that she didn’t notice the danger lurking ahead. She barely registered the flash of movement until it was too late.
The ambush came fast, brutal, and out of nowhere.
Figures emerged from the shadows along the roadside, surrounding her car with alarming precision. Before she could react, her vehicle jerked to a sudden halt as they blocked the road with a makeshift barrier. Ella’s eyes widened in shock as several masked figures stepped into view, their eyes glowing with malice.
Wolves.
Her foot slammed on the brake as she skidded to a halt, but it was too late. She could already smell the pungent scent of silver. Her heart raced, panic coursing through her veins as they moved in, pulling her car door open with brutal force. One of the attackers lunged forward with a silver-tipped blade, striking at her.
Ella let out a strangled cry as the silver made contact with her skin. The burn was instant, searing through her flesh as pain shot up her arm, weakening her. She tried to fight back, her instincts kicking in, but the silver was too much. It was draining her strength, the metal working against her supernatural healing abilities.
"Let me go!" she hissed through gritted teeth, her body trembling from the effort of holding them off.
But they didn’t relent. Another attacker moved toward her with a cruel smile, brandishing another silver weapon aimed at disabling her completely. Ella fought fiercely, her hands flailing as she tried to push them away, but the pain was too much. Her vision blurred, and her body weakened further.
Just as Ella felt herself losing the battle, a blinding light cut through the darkness, illuminating the scene.
Headlights. A car.
Her attackers froze in place, shielding their eyes from the bright beam. Then, she heard it—a deep, furious growl that sent shivers down her spine. The unmistakable sound of an alpha wolf.
Derek.
In the blink of an eye, Derek was upon them, his massive wolf form emerging from the shadows with terrifying speed. He was a force of nature— a massive creature of raw power and fury. Muscular, His fur was a dark, midnight black that shimmered under the moonlight, his eyes glowing a fierce red. His growl echoed like thunder, a warning that made the attackers hesitate.
He didn’t give them a chance to recover.
Derek launched himself at the nearest attacker, his powerful jaws snapping down on the man’s arm with a sickening crunch. The man screamed in pain before Derek flung him aside effortlessly. Another attacker lunged at Derek, but the alpha wolf was too fast, dodging the blow and swiping at him with his claws. Blood sprayed as the man fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
The rest of the attackers hesitated, their earlier confidence shattered by the sheer force of Derek’s assault. They knew they were no match for an alpha, especially one as powerful as Derek.
"Retreat!" one of them shouted, and without another word, they turned and fled into the darkness, vanishing as quickly as they had appeared.
Derek made a move to go after them, his eyes blazing with fury, but something stopped him—Ella.
She was still slumped against the car, her body weak from the silver burns. Derek turned toward her, his wolf instincts screaming to chase down the cowards who had dared to hurt her, but he couldn’t leave her like this. He shifted back into his human form, his chest heaving with barely-contained rage as he rushed to her side.
"Ella!" he called, his voice rough with concern as he knelt beside her. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow, and the scent of silver still lingered in the air. She tried to push herself up but collapsed again, her strength leaving her entirely.
Derek scooped her up in his arms without a second thought, his protective instincts overriding everything else. Ella’s head lolled against his chest as she blinked up at him, her vision blurry.
"Derek," she whispered weakly, her voice barely audible. "You… you came."
"I’m here," he said softly, his tone surprisingly gentle despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. "I’ve got you."
With careful precision, Derek carried her to his car, laying her gently across the backseat. He slammed the door shut and rushed to the driver’s seat, his mind racing. ‘Who were those wolves?’ They weren’t Kevin’s men—They were rogues that much was clear. But if they weren’t Kevin’s, then who the hell was trying to stop Ella from getting to the south?
He pushed the questions aside for now. Ella needed medical attention. Fast.
Meanwhile, one of the attackers, still nursing his wounds, picked up his phone and dialed.
"She was rescued by an alpha wolf. We were no match for him," the man said, his voice tense with fear. "But she’s in an injured state and won’t be returning to the south yet."
"Just make sure she doesn’t return to the south," the voice on the other end replied coldly before cutting off the connection.
Derek kept driving, his mind focused on one thing—protecting Ella, no matter the cost. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he glanced at Ella through the rearview mirror. He needed to find out who was behind this—before it was too late.