Chapter 94 *

Chapter 94 Chapter 94
Angelina’s POV
I narrowed my eyes. Studied the four new mountain lions.
They moved differently than the first two. More patient.
The one on the left had scars across its face. The one on the right was missing part of its ear.
The mountain lions started moving. They were circling Tyler and his friends.
Tyler took a step backward. His foot crunched on a branch.
All four mountain lions' heads snapped toward him.
"Don't move," I said. Loud enough for him to hear.
Tyler's voice shook. "Easy for you to say. You're up in a tree."
"If you run, they'll chase you. If they chase you, you're dead."
"Then what the fuck am I supposed to do?!"
"Stay still. Back up slowly toward the nearest tree. Don't turn your back on them."
Tyler started moving. Tiny steps. His eyes locked on the closest mountain lion.
The other two guys followed his lead.
The mountain lions watched them. Tails twitching.
One of them let out a low growl. Deep. Threatening.
The guy on Tyler's left panicked. He turned and ran.
"NO!" I shouted.
But it was too late.
The scarred mountain lion lunged. It crossed the distance in three bounds.
The guy screamed. The mountain lion's paws hit his back. Knocked him to the ground.
Everyone in the trees started screaming.
"OH MY GOD!"
"SOMEBODY HELP HIM!"
The guy was on the ground, face down. The mountain lion had him pinned.
But it didn't bite him. Just held him there. Growling.
I watched carefully. The mountain lion was threatening him. Not killing him.
The other three mountain lions were still circling Tyler and his remaining friend. Getting closer.
Tyler's voice cracked. "Kai! Silas! Please! Help us!"
"Kai! Silas! Please! Help us!" Tyler's voice cracked as he screamed from the ground.
Next to me, Mia made a disgusted sound. She leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"Is he insane?" she hissed. "He's asking Kai for help? Kai? The guy who literally abandoned his own girlfriend?"
I kept my eyes on the scene below. Didn't respond.
Mia wasn't done. "Did you see what happened earlier? When Zoey was on the ground with that mountain lion on top of her? Kai's first instinct was to climb a tree and save himself!"
"And then," Mia continued, her voice getting angrier, "he finally came down, pushed Zoey up the tree, and then just... left her there! Didn't even check if she was okay! What kind of Alpha does that?"
I glanced at her. "The kind that's more concerned with looking good than actually being good."
"Exactly!" Mia threw her hands up. "He doesn't deserve to be called a future Alpha. A real Alpha would protect his Pack first, not himself!"
Around us, I could hear people in other trees. They were all watching Kai. Waiting. Hoping he would do something.
On his branch, Kai's face had gone red. His jaw was tight. He'd definitely heard Tyler's scream.
Sweat was forming on his forehead despite the cold. His mouth opened like he wanted to say something. But no words came out.
His hands gripped the tree branch tightly. His whole body was tense. I watched him avoid looking down at the ground where Tyler was still screaming.
Below Kai's branch, Zoey sat on a lower branch. She was looking at Kai like she expected him to do something heroic.
Kai's eyes shifted away from her. He stared at a different tree. Pretending he hadn't seen her look.
"Silas!" Tyler's voice came again from below. "Please! Help us!"
People in the trees were holding their breath. Nobody moved.
I felt nothing. My expression stayed blank.
Then I heard movement from Silas's tree.
I turned my head slightly. Silas was shifting on his branch. His face looked conflicted.
He glanced at me. Our eyes met for a second.
I gave him a small nod.
Silas took a deep breath. Closed his eyes. His whole body went still.
The air around Tyler started to change. It looked... wrong. Like looking through water. Ripples appeared in the space around him and his friend.
Their outlines got blurry. Hazy.
The four mountain lions lunged at the same time.
Their claws went straight through Tyler and his friend. Like they weren't even there.
The mountain lions hit nothing but air. They landed in confusion, looking around for their prey.
Tyler and his friend looked down at themselves. Their bodies were half-transparent. Ghostlike.
"Fast!" Silas shouted. His voice was strained. "Run to the tree! I can't hold this long!"
Sweat was pouring down Silas's face. His hands were shaking.
Tyler and his friend didn't need to be told twice. They ran.
The mountain lions tried to chase them but their claws kept passing through empty space. They couldn't grab onto anything solid.
Tyler reached the nearest tree. Started climbing. His friend was right behind him.
Silas kept the spatial distortion going. Covering them.
The mountain lions circled below, growling in frustration.
When Tyler and his friend were high enough to be safe, Silas finally let go.
The spatial distortion disappeared. The air returned to normal.
Silas slumped against the tree trunk. His chest was heaving. His face was pale.
But Tyler and his friend were safe.
The guy on the ground was still pinned. The mountain lion's paw was still on his back.
Silas rested for about ten seconds. Then he straightened up again.
His eyes focused on the person on the ground. His jaw set.
The air around the pinned guy started to shimmer again.
The mountain lion's paw suddenly couldn't grip anymore. It was like the person's body had become slippery. Impossible to hold.
The guy rolled out from under the mountain lion's paw. Scrambled to his feet.
"Here!" Silas pointed to the closest tree. "This way! Fast!"
The guy ran. The mountain lion tried to chase but Silas kept the spatial distortion active around him.
The guy grabbed a branch. Pulled himself up. Kept climbing.
When he was safe, Silas finally released the ability completely.
He collapsed against the tree trunk. His breathing was ragged. His skin was covered in sweat. His face looked completely drained.
The trees erupted in cheers.
"SILAS! That was amazing!"
"Holy shit, you saved them!"
"What was that ability? That was so cool!"
Tyler was yelling from his tree. "Silas! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The other two guys he'd saved were shouting their thanks too.
Next to me, Mia said quietly, "Silas is really brave."
I watched Silas struggling to catch his breath. His hands were still shaking from the exertion.
But he'd done it. He'd saved three people without hesitation.
Most people would have frozen. Would have been too scared to act.
Silas had acted immediately. Had put himself at risk to save others.
He still lacked combat experience. Still made mistakes in actual fights.
But he had something more important. Courage. And a sense of responsibility to his companions.
That couldn't be taught. Either you had it or you didn't.
I made a mental note. I needed to train him more seriously. He had real potential.
Across from us, on another tree, Kai's face was twisted. He looked sick.
He'd just watched Silas do what an Alpha was supposed to do. And Kai had done nothing. Just sat on his branch and watched.
Everyone had seen it. Kai opened his mouth. Closed it. Couldn't seem to find any words.
A voice cut through the noise. "Good news! Good news!"
Everyone turned to look.
It was Noah. He was on a branch nearby, holding up his phone.
"I've been on with 911 this whole time!" Noah shouted. "They said the helicopter just took off!"
People started talking all at once.
"What? Really?"
"A helicopter?"
"When will it get here?"
Noah grinned. "About twenty minutes! They said just hang on a little longer!"
The relief was instant.
"Twenty minutes!"
"We can do that!"
"Oh thank god!"
"We're gonna be okay!"