The sound of the alarm ripped through the facility like a physical force. It wasn’t just a warning—it was a summons.
Aria’s pulse thundered as the flashing red lights illuminated the prison chamber, casting eerie shadows across the bruised and battered wolves huddled inside. The metallic scent of blood and something worse filled the air, thick and suffocating.
“They’re coming,” the prisoner had whispered.
And Aria knew they wouldn’t come quietly.
Lucian moved first, snapping the last of the restraints off the wolf strapped to the table. “We need to move—now.”
Dante was already slicing through the remaining locks, freeing the others. Some of the prisoners could barely stand, their bodies weakened by whatever experiments had been conducted on them. Others, despite their wounds, radiated a sharp, dangerous energy.
These wolves weren’t just captives.
They were survivors.
Aria turned toward the door, gripping her dagger tightly. “Cassian, what’s our exit?”
Cassian swore under his breath as he scanned the map on the table. “There’s an old supply tunnel beneath the eastern wing. It should lead us out of the valley.”
Dante shot him a skeptical look. “Should?”
Cassian smirked. “It’s better than going out the front door.”
A loud crash echoed from the hallway.
Lucian’s silver eyes darkened. “We don’t have a choice.”
Aria turned to the freed wolves. “If you can fight, help protect the others. If you can’t, stay close and move fast.”
Some nodded, others hesitated—but all of them listened.
Dante moved beside her, his dagger gleaming in the dim light. “Ready?”
Aria exhaled sharply. “Let’s go.”
Then, they ran.
The hallway outside was chaos.
The guards were already mobilizing, their boots pounding against the steel floors, their voices echoing through the corridors.
Lucian struck first, his movements a blur of speed and precision. He slammed into the nearest soldier, driving his claws deep into the man’s chest before tossing him aside like he weighed nothing.
Cassian followed, his blade flashing as he took down another.
Aria fought beside Dante, moving instinctively—ducking under a soldier’s swing, twisting her dagger into his ribs before kicking him backward.
She barely had time to react before another lunged at her.
Dante intercepted, his blade slicing through the man’s throat in one smooth motion. “You’re getting slow,” he teased.
Aria shot him a glare. “Shut up and fight.”
More guards flooded the hall.
Lucian let out a low growl. “We don’t have time for this.”
Cassian shoved a soldier against the wall, knocking him unconscious. “We need to move before—”
A deafening explosion shook the building.
Aria stumbled, bracing herself against the nearest wall as dust and debris rained from the ceiling.
“What the hell was that?” Dante snapped.
Cassian’s face was grim. “They’re collapsing the tunnels.”
Aria’s stomach dropped.
If they didn’t get out now, they’d be buried alive.
“Move!” she shouted.
They pushed forward, cutting through the remaining guards.
The freed wolves followed, some staggering, others fighting like hell.
They reached the eastern wing in record time, but the tunnel entrance was already blocked. A thick slab of concrete had collapsed, burying the passage in rubble.
Lucian cursed. “We’re trapped.”
Cassian glanced at the freed wolves, then back at Aria. “There’s another way.”
Aria’s breath hitched. “Where?”
Cassian hesitated. “The roof.”
Dante swore. “That’s suicide.”
Lucian’s silver eyes gleamed. “Not if we make it fast.”
Another explosion rocked the building.
Aria clenched her jaw. “We don’t have a choice.”
Cassian didn’t wait for further argument. He turned and sprinted toward the stairwell.
The others followed.
The stairwell was narrow, winding upward in a spiral. Every step felt like a lifetime, the weight of the collapsing facility pressing down on them.
They burst onto the rooftop just as another explosion erupted below.
The valley stretched out beyond them, the distant tree line tauntingly close.
But between them and escape?
A team of Shadow Order soldiers.
Aria’s grip on her dagger tightened.
One of the soldiers stepped forward, his dark uniform pristine, his posture eerily relaxed despite the destruction below.
“You should have stayed hidden, 218,” he murmured.
Her stomach twisted.
That number.
Her number.
Aria forced herself to stay calm. “You’re wasting your time. You’re not taking me back.”
The soldier smirked. “Who said we need you alive?”
Then—
He attacked.
Lucian met him head-on, their bodies colliding with bone-shattering force.
The rest of the soldiers charged.
Aria fought beside Dante and Cassian, her movements sharp, precise.
She ducked under a blade, twisting, driving her dagger into the soldier’s gut before spinning toward the next.
Blood sprayed.
Another soldier lunged—Dante intercepted, his blade tearing through flesh.
But they were outnumbered.
More soldiers were coming.
Cassian blocked a strike aimed at one of the freed wolves, his expression dark. “We need to jump.”
Aria’s breath hitched. “What?”
Cassian pointed.
Beyond the edge of the roof, a river snaked through the valley below.
Dante’s expression turned incredulous. “You’re insane.”
Cassian grinned. “That’s what makes it fun.”
Lucian slammed the last soldier to the ground, his silver eyes gleaming. “Jump now or die here.”
Aria didn’t hesitate.
She ran.
The wind howled as she reached the edge of the rooftop, her heart pounding in her chest.
Then—
She jumped.
For a split second, there was nothing.
No ground.
No sky.
Just falling.
Then—impact.
Cold water crashed over her, pulling her under.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
She fought against the current, her body screaming, her lungs burning.
Then—hands grabbed her, pulling her up.
She gasped, breaking the surface.
Dante.
Cassian.
Lucian.
The freed wolves.
They had all made it.
Aria coughed, blinking water from her eyes as she looked back at the burning outpost above.
They had done it.
They had escaped.
But as the river carried them away, one thought remained.
The Shadow Order wouldn’t let this go unanswered.
They were coming.
And next time—
It wouldn’t just be a battle.
It would be war.