Chapter 95 *

Chapter 95 Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Angelina’s POV
The atmosphere changed completely. People started smiling. Laughing nervously.
Some girls were hugging each other. Guys were giving each other high-fives from different branches.
The fear from before started to fade.
Then Kai's voice rang out. Loud. Confident.
"Everyone! Don't panic! I have a plan!"
All eyes turned to him.
Kai cleared his throat. Straightened his shoulders. Trying to make himself look bigger.
"Listen up!" he said. His voice was steady now. Controlled. "As the future Alpha of Meadow Pack, I won't let anyone get hurt. I promise you that."
Someone in the trees muttered something. I couldn't hear what.
"I have a plan," he announced. "We can't just wait here."
People were listening now. "Right now there are five mountain lions on the ground," Kai said. "The rescue helicopter is coming, but it'll still take time. We can't stay in these trees forever. The temperature is dropping. Someone's going to get frostbite."
He paused for effect.
"So we need to take action. We need to drive these mountain lions away."
A voice called out. "How?"
"Fire," Kai said simply. "Mountain lions are afraid of fire. We make torches from the campfire. Use them to scare the mountain lions off."
"But how do we get to the campfire?" someone asked.
"That's the dangerous part," Kai admitted. "Someone needs to go down and get wood and cloth to make the torches."
He let that sink in for a second.
"I'll go down," Kai said. "But I need Silas to help me."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"Silas can use his ability to cover me while I go to the campfire and grab what we need," Kai continued. "Then we work together to make torches. The rest of you stay in the trees. If the mountain lions get close, throw rocks and branches. Distract them."
He looked around at everyone.
"If we all work together, we can hold out until rescue arrives. Are you with me?"
Silence for a few seconds.
Then someone said, "That sounds like a good plan!"
"Yeah! We can't just sit here doing nothing!"
"Kai's right! We need to take action!"
"Okay! We'll follow your lead!"
More people started agreeing. The energy shifted again. People seemed encouraged now.
Like they'd forgotten that Kai had abandoned Zoey to save himself. Forgotten that it was Silas who actually saved three people. Not Kai.
On his branch, Kai's expression changed. He looked satisfied. Confident again.
He'd found a way to make himself look like a leader.
Next to me, Mia was vibrating with rage.
"I can't believe this," she hissed. Her voice was barely controlled. "I seriously can't believe this."
I glanced at her. Her face was red.
"Are they all blind?" Mia continued, her words coming out fast. "Did they forget what just happened? Kai literally panicked and climbed a tree! He left his girlfriend on the ground to die!"
She took a breath but kept going.
"And now he says a few nice words and makes a plan and suddenly everyone's praising him again? Like nothing happened?"
"It was Silas who saved people!" Mia's voice got louder. She caught herself and lowered it again. "Silas risked his life and used his ability to save three people!"
"But now Kai says some bullshit and everyone acts like he's the hero? Like the credit goes to him?"
"And this plan!" Mia continued. "It's just making Silas take all the risk again! 'I'll go down' - yeah right! What he means is 'Silas, you protect me with your ability!'"
"If he's so brave, why doesn't he use an ability to protect Silas? Oh wait - he doesn't have one!"
Mia clenched her fists. "This is such bullshit."
I felt my mouth curve slightly.
Mia caught it. "Why are you smiling?"
"People believe what they want to believe," I said calmly. "Kai has the title of Alpha heir. So they need to believe he's a leader."
"Even when the facts are right in front of them, they'll ignore it."
Mia looked like she wanted to scream. "That's not fair! That's not fair to Silas at all!"
I shrugged. "Life isn't fair."
Below us, Kai was still talking.
"Good. So we'll stick to the plan for the next twenty minutes. Everyone ready? Silas?"





Zoey’s POV
I watched from my branch as Silas carefully moved through the trees. He was heading toward Aria's tree.
Everyone else was watching too. Waiting to see what he'd do.
Kai had just asked him to help with the plan. But Silas hadn't answered yet.
He reached Aria's branch and leaned in close. Started talking to her in a low voice.
I couldn't hear what they were saying. But I could see Aria's face.
She was smiling. Actually smiling. Like she was reassuring him about something.
Then she said something and Silas nodded. He looked relieved.
My hands tightened on the branch I was holding.
Of course. Of course everyone was looking at her again.
Silas had just saved three people. He was the hero. He used his ability and risked his life.
And Kai had come up with the plan. A good plan that could keep everyone safe until the helicopter arrived.
But somehow, the attention was back on Aria again.
Like she was the center of everything.
I felt anger rising in my chest. Hot and sharp.
She hadn't done anything. She'd just sat in her tree and watched while Silas saved people. While Kai made plans.
But everyone still looked at her like she was special.
Silas finished talking to Aria. He turned back toward Kai's tree and called out.
"Okay! I'll do it! Let's follow Kai's plan!"
People started moving immediately. Getting ready to help.
"We need to distract the mountain lions!" someone shouted.
"Use whatever you have! Throw things at them!"
"Point your flashlights at their eyes! It'll confuse them!"
I watched as people started pulling things out of their backpacks. Water bottles. Granola bars. Whatever they could throw.
Tyler had his phone out, turning on the flashlight. Other people did the same.
The beams of light started sweeping across the clearing below. Hitting the mountain lions' faces.
The mountain lions looked up. Their eyes reflected the light. They looked annoyed.
"Mia! Mia, come help!"
I turned my head. A girl on another tree was calling out.
Mia had been sitting on Aria's tree. Right next to her. Like they were best friends or something.
Now Mia was climbing down from Aria's branch. Moving toward the other girl's tree.
"What do you need?" Mia called back.
"Help me break these branches! We can throw them!"
"Okay, coming!"
I watched Mia move through the trees. She was careful but quick.
She reached the other girl's tree and started climbing up to her branch.
That tree was closer to mine. Much closer than Aria's tree had been.
I looked around. Checking positions.
Aria was still on her original tree. Far away now. There were at least four or five trees between us.
And people were scattered everywhere. Some higher up. Some lower down. All focused on gathering things to throw.
Nobody was paying attention to me.
I looked at Mia. She was on a thick branch now. Leaning forward. Trying to break off a smaller branch to throw.
Her position was awkward. Half-crouched. One hand holding the tree trunk for balance. The other hand pulling at a branch.
And I was on a branch just behind her. Slightly to the side.
Close enough to reach her.
My mind started working fast.
Mia was Aria's friend. Maybe her best friend here.
If Mia fell... Aria would go down to save her. She'd have to.
That's what friends did, right?
And Aria had kicked one mountain lion like it was nothing. Everyone had seen it.
So she'd think she could handle this too. She'd jump down to save Mia.
But there were five mountain lions down there now. Not one.
Even if Aria was strong enough to kick one, she couldn't fight five at once.
She'd die down there.
And then Kai would stop looking at her. Stop thinking about her.
He'd focus on me again. The way he was supposed to.
My hand moved before I could think too much about it.
I reached forward. Both hands on Mia's back.
And I pushed.