Chapter 136 Escape from Alderwood

Chapter 136 Escape from Alderwood
When we arrived, the hideout felt cramped and hot. It was in the basement of a restaurant, deep inside, like a bunker.

Dozens of royal wolves hid there, mostly alphas. Of course, they were the primary targets—if captured or eliminated, their packs would automatically fall under Wanda's control, along with her rogue wolves.

When Michael and I entered, the Alphas looked uncomfortable, as if they had just seen us rise from the grave - both of us.

"Young Master Michael?" One of them stood and approached, then pulled Michael into a tight hug, sobbing. "It's good to see you! I have never believed that you were a traitor! I knew it!"

One by one, they hugged Michael, their voices thick with emotion as they cried and ranted about Wanda's cruelty. Only then did they seem to realize that I was there, too.

Don't say it again—I've heard enough of that "fake Luna Queen" nonsense.

"Queen Delilah? I didn't know it was you!" another Alpha said to me.

Okay, that's new.

Why did he call me... Queen?

"I'm sorry, we fell for Camden's lies! That bastard Alpha fooled us all!" the Alpha lamented. "Beta, actually. He's the one behind it all!"

"Arlington, Orson, and Fergus too! They're the ones who set us up. Fortunately, we managed to escape! We were betrayed by all three of them!" another voice added.

"Aren't they imprisoned as well?" I asked, surprised since that was what Elijah had told me.

The Alpha standing closest to me sighed. "I guess they'd rather live comfortably than uphold their honor. They sold their souls to Camden and Wanda! Poor King Elijah... He was thrown into a cell for defending the kingdom and the royal wolves, only to be betrayed!"

"King Elijah will be executed tomorrow. There's nothing we can do to save him! Oh, Moon Goddess!" wailed another Alpha.

Michael looked at me and nodded.

"No, King Elijah managed to escape. That's why the rogue wolves are swarming the town. We need to get out of here; our destination is Pinecrest," Michael explained.

The Alphas gasped in shock. They looked confused; how did Michael know?

"Don't ask me how I know. I'll explain everything when we get to Pinecrest safely," Michael added.

"But... that territory doesn't belong to the royal Alphas. They hate us because of the traitorous royal Alphas! If we set foot there, we could be slaughtered, Young Master Michael!" the Alpha beside me protested.

"I survived with their help! That's why you shouldn't hesitate if you want to take down Wanda and her rogue wolves!" Michael replied, his determination glowing.

The Alphas muttered to each other, buzzing like a hive of bees.

"Well, if that's your suggestion... We can't stay here forever," one of them finally spoke up.

"We have some safe vehicles on the northern edge of town. We can leave after midnight," another added.

But with the rogue wolves patrolling, it would be difficult for us to leave as a large group. Our scent would be too strong and easily detected.

"We can't all leave together, Michael. We have to split up," I said.

"That's true." Michael agreed. "Then we need a plan to throw the rogue wolves off our scent."



Once everything was decided, Michael and I left with a group of Alphas by the western route. The rest took the eastern and northern paths.

We split into three groups and had only one hour to reach the rendezvous point. If anyone didn't arrive then, we would have no choice but to leave them behind.

It wasn't a selfish act—if we were all captured, our entire plan would fall apart.

Michael and I, along with twenty Royal Alphas, were the first to leave the hideout. The western route was longer and took an extra fifteen minutes. The others would follow in two smaller groups—ten Alphas heading east and another ten heading north.

Why was our group the largest?

Because our detour would scramble our scent and confuse the rogue wolves. They'd waste time tracking us, making it easier for the other groups to pass the patrols.

"Queen Delilah, don't stay in the back! Stay in the middle so we can protect you," one of the Alphas whispered.

They didn't know I was the heir to the Crescent Moon Kingdom, but they still called me queen. After Camden's betrayal, they must have assumed I was Elijah's true mate.

Michael and I hadn't revealed anything yet, but our sudden return to Alderwood was clearly connected to Elijah.

So... that was how it felt to be treated like a queen again. A mixture of deep emotion and quiet joy swelled within me.

I used to think I wasn't worthy of the title because I carried the burden of deception. But now I am that queen.

I am the leader of the royal wolves.

"The stench!" Michael growled.

The distinct, rotten scent of rogue wolves was growing stronger. What had been a faint trace before was now overwhelming. They were waiting for us at the upcoming crossroads; we didn't know how many there were.

But if the rogues had positioned themselves so quickly, these wild wolves had learned how to strategize.

"No matter what happens, Queen Delilah and Young Master Michael must survive," one of the Alphas warned.

Well, without us, they wouldn't be able to get into the non-royal Alpha territories. Michael and I were the key to their survival.

Then dark figures came into view, cutting through our ranks. I didn't have time to count, but their foul stench was overwhelming. Two... or two dozen and a half, I guess?

Michael grabbed my hand. "We have to keep running!"

"But—"

My eyes darted to the Alphas, who had already shifted. How could I leave them? I couldn't!

"For your own sake!" Michael shouted.

I stopped and yanked my hand out of Michael's grip. "We have to fight!"

The Alphas had already charged into battle against the rogues. There was no way I was going to run and leave them behind!

Michael pushed me back against the wall, his golden eyes burning angrily.

"You are our queen, damn it! So stay put!" he snapped.

I glared at Michael. "I demand to fight with my kin! Don't order me around, Michael, son of Bishop!"

Michael looked as if he had been slapped.

I let out a low growl and bared my fangs. "Now, Lona... let's tear them apart."

Lona chuckled darkly. "At your command, my queen..."