Chapter 44 CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Chapter 44 CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Matt’s POV

The night carried the kind of silence that felt like a warning.
No wind. No distant howls. Just the heavy stillness of a world holding its breath before the storm.
I stood at the edge of the training field, watching the moon rise over the horizon like a blade of light slicing through darkness. Every instinct in me stirred restlessly. The pack could sense it too, the unease in the air, the anticipation of blood and betrayal.

We had just come from the strategy council. Words were exchanged, promises made, but none of it settled the war brewing beneath my skin. The threat wasn’t just outside our borders anymore; it was here, within the walls, hiding behind familiar faces.
And I had no doubt Laura was somewhere in the shadows, pulling strings.

Paul approached from behind me, his boots crunching over gravel. “They’re ready, Alpha.”
I nodded, still staring at the moon. “Double the guard around the east wing. No one gets through, not even the healer.”
His brow furrowed. “You think she’s involved again?”

“I think everyone who stood by while Hellen suffered has blood on their hands,” I said quietly. “And I intend to find out whose blood stains the deepest.”
Paul hesitated, but he knew better than to argue. He gave a curt nod and left to carry out the order.
The moment he was gone, I exhaled deeply. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless, agitated. He wanted out to hunt, to tear apart the lies that had trapped us for too long.

But then I heard her voice.
“Matt?”
I turned. Hellen stood near the edge of the field, her white robe glowing faintly under the moonlight. Her hair moved with the night breeze, her eyes calm yet burning with something fierce, something I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I said, though my voice softened despite myself. “It’s not safe.”
She smiled faintly. “If danger’s coming, I’d rather face it beside you than wait behind locked doors.”
There it was again, that quiet strength she tried to hide. The woman I’d thought I was losing now stood before me reborn.

I walked closer, my chest tightening as I took in the sight of her. “You look…” I hesitated, searching for the right word. “Alive.”
“I am,” she said, stepping closer too. “And for the first time, I can feel my wolf again.”
Her confession hit me like a heartbeat. I could sense it, the faint hum of power under her skin, her aura burning stronger than before. She was no longer fragile. No longer fading.

And for the first time in months, hope flickered in me.
But hope had a cruel way of arriving before disaster.
A horn sounded in the distance, short, sharp, urgent. The kind reserved for one thing: bloodshed.
Paul came running back, breathless. “Alpha rogues. South border. Dozens. Maybe more.”
Hellen’s expression hardened instantly. “It’s them. Laura’s army.”

I felt my pulse surge, fury igniting like wildfire. “Then she’s making her move.”
Paul nodded grimly. “They’re not charging yet. They’re waiting for something.”
“Or someone,” Hellen murmured, her gaze cutting toward the forest.
For a moment, none of us spoke. Then I straightened, my Alpha voice cutting through the night. “Sound the rally. Prepare the defense line. I want warriors in formation within five minutes.”

Paul didn’t waste a breath; he was gone, barking orders.
I turned to Hellen. “You go back inside. Stay with the healers and...”
She interrupted, her tone firm. “No.”

“Hellen.”
“No, Matt,” she said again, stepping closer. “I’ve hidden long enough. This fight is mine too. I won’t stand behind while others bleed for what was done to me.”
Her eyes glimmered under the moon, fierce, resolute, alive. And gods help me, I knew there was no stopping her.
I exhaled, the faintest smile tugging at my lips. “Then stay close to me. If anything happens, you run. Understood?”
She tilted her head, smirking. “You forget who you’re talking to.”

That small defiance sparked something deep in me: pride, fear, maybe even love. I didn’t know. But I nodded once, then shifted into my wolf form, my bones cracking, my muscles expanding until the beast took full control.
Hellen’s wolf emerged beside me, ivory-white, majestic, eyes glowing bright as lightning. She was magnificent.
The pack howled as one, and the ground trembled with unity.
Then came the first attack.

Rogues burst from the tree line in dozens, maybe hundreds, snarling, their eyes feral. They moved like shadows, fast and chaotic. I charged forward, claws meeting flesh, blood splattering across the dirt. The air filled with growls, screams, and the stench of death.
Hellen fought beside me, fluid, graceful, deadly. She wasn’t the fragile Luna they once pitied. She was power incarnate.
But even amidst the chaos, something felt wrong. Too easy. Too orchestrated.

Then I saw it at the edge of the battle, beyond the flames and blood. Laura stood on a ridge, her eyes fixed on me, lips curved into a venomous smile.
And beside her, the healer.
The sight made my heart lurch.
It was them. The poison, the lies, the manipulation, had always been them.
Rage consumed me. I tore through anyone in my path, my only goal to reach them. But just as I broke free from the melee, a sudden blast of energy knocked me to the ground, magic dark and ancient.

I looked up to see Laura raise her hand, her voice echoing through the night. “You should have chosen better, Matt.”
Before I could react, she cast a curse, black and seething. It struck the earth, splitting it open. Warriors screamed as the ground shook. Hellen tried to reach me, but a wall of fire rose between us.
“Hellen!” I roared, pushing against the flames. My wolf fought to break through, but the magic burned real, painful.

Through the fire, I saw her struggling to reach me, her silver fur glowing under the inferno. Then her voice echoed through the bond, Matt, don’t let her win.
And just like that, the link between us surged. Power raw, unstoppable shot through me. My wolf howled, the sound shattering the air. The flames flickered, then burst apart as if repelled by our combined force.

I lunged forward, claws slashing through what was left of the spell, my fury unrestrained.
But Laura was already gone. The ridge was empty. Only smoke and blood remained.
The battle dragged till dawn. By the time the last rogue fell, the field was soaked crimson.
The first blood of war
.
As the sun began to rise, I stood in the wreckage, chest heaving, every inch of me aching. The cost was heavy, too many warriors dead, too much trust broken.
Paul limped toward me, his face streaked with blood and dirt. “They retreated,” he said hoarsely. “But they’ll be back. Stronger.”
I nodded, scanning the horizon. My eyes found Hellen bruised but alive, her wolf shimmering as she shifted back into her human form. Our eyes met, and for a moment, the world stilled.
She walked to me, slow and steady, until she stood inches away. “This was just the beginning,” she said quietly.

“I know.”
Her hand touched mine, all warm, grounding.
“They drew first blood,” I murmured, staring at the sun. “Next time, we end it.”
She nodded, her gaze fierce. “Together.”
And as the dawn broke over the ruins of the battlefield, I made a silent vow I would tear down every lie, every enemy, every shadow that dared threaten her again.

Because this time, the Alpha wasn’t fighting for control.
He was fighting for love.
And nothing burns hotter than that.