Chapter forty

The battlefield was chaos.

The first wave of Orion’s forces had hit hard, testing their defenses, pushing at the edges of the pack’s territory with brutal precision. But this wasn’t just a reckless assault. It was controlled, calculated—Orion wasn’t just attacking. He was studying them, testing their weaknesses.

And he was waiting.

Kai could feel it. Even as he fought, even as his claws tore through the throat of another enemy, the unease coiled in his gut like a snake ready to strike.

Orion wasn’t here.

Not yet.

But his presence lingered in the air, pressing down on them like an invisible hand, squeezing, suffocating.

Lucian was at the front lines, leading the charge, his sword slicing through the enemy with ruthless efficiency. His presence was a pillar, a force that kept their warriors steady even as the battle raged around them.

Kai and Kieran had fallen back toward the inner perimeter, their focus on protecting the freed wolves—those who had once belonged to Orion, those who were still learning to fight for themselves.

They were holding.

But not for long.

Another wave crashed into them, wolves snarling, lunging, their eyes empty, their bodies moving in perfect synchronization. These weren’t just soldiers. These were puppets, bound to Orion’s will, forced to fight even if they no longer had the will to do so.

Kai’s chest tightened. He recognized some of them.

Faces he had seen in the camp. Wolves who had been stolen.

And now they were here, fighting for the enemy they never chose.

A growl tore from his throat as he blocked an incoming strike, twisting to slam his elbow into his attacker’s ribs before bringing his claws up in a vicious arc. The wolf crumpled, breath ragged—but Kai hesitated.

A mistake.

A second wolf lunged at him from the side, too fast, but Kieran was there, intercepting the blow, claws flashing in the dim moonlight.

“Focus,” Kieran snapped, shoving the enemy back.

Kai exhaled sharply, pushing down the wave of guilt threatening to choke him.

He didn’t have time for regrets.

They had to survive.

A snarl tore through the air, and Kai turned just in time to see Rhett locked in battle with Selene.

The two of them clashed, claws raking against steel, their movements fluid, deadly.

Selene was faster. Stronger. But Rhett was unpredictable. He fought like chaos incarnate, all reckless movements and calculated arrogance, a dangerous mix that kept Selene on her toes.

But she was toying with him.

Even in the midst of battle, she was smirking, her movements controlled, as if she were waiting for something.

Then, she spoke.

“You should’ve stayed out of this, Rhett.” Her voice was smooth, but there was something sharp beneath it. “You don’t know what you’re fighting against.”

Rhett grinned, even as he wiped blood from his chin. “Sweetheart, I never know what I’m fighting against. That’s what makes it fun.”

Selene chuckled, then lunged.

Kai lost sight of them as another wave of enemies descended, forcing him and Kieran back into motion.

Anna was in the center of it all, her back pressed against the outer wall of the healer’s cabin, her breathing ragged.

And her mark was glowing.

Not just faintly—blazing.

Kai’s stomach dropped.

“Anna!” He shoved past another enemy, reaching for her, but the moment his fingers brushed her skin, a shockwave of energy erupted outward.

The entire battlefield shuddered.

Wolves stumbled, some crying out as the pressure hit them like a physical force.

And for a split second—

The puppets stopped moving.

Orion’s wolves—those controlled by him—froze mid-motion, their bodies rigid, their eyes flickering with something else.

Confusion.

Pain.

Fear.

Then, just as suddenly as it happened, the control snapped back into place, and the fight resumed.

But Kai had seen it.

For one brief moment, Anna’s power had broken through.

“Anna,” he gasped, gripping her shoulders. “What the hell was that?”

Her eyes were wild, her breath shallow. “I don’t— I don’t know.”

But she did.

Kai could see it in her face.

She knew exactly what had happened.

And she was terrified of it.

Before he could press further, Lucian’s voice rang through the mind-link, sharp and uncompromising.

“Fall back. Now.”

Kai’s head snapped up.

And that’s when he saw it.

A third wave was coming.

Bigger than the others.

Stronger.

More organized.

They weren’t just trying to break the defenses anymore.

They were trying to crush them.

Kai’s pulse spiked.

Lucian was already moving, cutting through enemies as he signaled for the warriors to regroup.

They had held the line—barely—but if they didn’t retreat to stronger ground, they would be overwhelmed.

“Kieran, help me get Anna inside!” Kai barked, pushing forward.

Kieran was already at his side, gripping Anna’s other arm. “Can she walk?”

“I can,” Anna ground out, her voice strained. “I just— Orion’s pushing back.”

Kai’s stomach twisted.

So Orion felt it too.

They made it back to the second line of defenses, where Lucian and the others had already started regrouping. The battle wasn’t over, but the pace had changed.

Orion’s forces had tested their defenses.

Now, they were waiting.

Kai scanned the battlefield, his chest heaving. Selene was gone, her fight with Rhett cut short. The controlled wolves had stopped advancing, standing at the edge of the clearing like they were waiting for orders.

Lucian’s expression was grim as he turned to Kai.

“He’s toying with us.”

Kai clenched his fists. “No. He’s studying us.”

Lucian’s gaze darkened. “Then we need to make him regret it.”

The night stretched on.

The battle wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.