Chapter 62 The Frozen Bridge

Chapter 62 The Frozen Bridge
The White Pass bridge did not look like a safe way to escape. It looked like a rusted spine of iron stretched across a deep, black hole. Below the bridge, the river was roaring. You couldn't see the water because the fog and the ice were too thick, but the sound was loud like a hungry animal waiting in the dark.

Lila stopped at the edge of the cliff. The wind here was not just air; it was like a physical wall pushing against her chest. She had to lean forward just to keep from falling backward. Her Thorne Gold was very weak now. It was just a dull flicker, barely bright enough for her to see her own boots in the snow. Her body felt like it was made of heavy lead. Every step was a battle.

"Lila," Ronan panted. His face looked like a ghost in the dark. He was shivering so hard he could barely stand on his feet. "The ice... the bridge is too old. It won't hold the whole pack at once. If we all go together, it will snap like a dry stick."
Lila looked at the narrow, slippery path. Behind them, the sky was glowing with a scary light. It wasn't the sun. It was the searchlights of the SOC soldiers. The white lights were cutting through the trees, getting closer and closer.

"One by one," Lila commanded. She looked at Sarah, who was trembling. "Go. Now. Walk exactly in the center. Don't look down."

Sarah gripped the rusted railing. The iron made a long, screaming sound as she stepped onto it. Creeeeeak. The sound echoed deep in the gorge. Lila watched her every step until Sarah made it to the other side.

Kieran stood behind Lila. He was still carrying Toby on his shoulder, but he wasn't looking at the bridge. He was looking at the dark woods they had just left. His body was stiff and tense. He tilted his head to the side, like a wolf catching a bad smell in the wind.

"They are here," Kieran said.

He didn't wait for Lila to speak. He swung Toby off his shoulder and handed the boy to Ronan. "Get him across. Now. Don't stop."
"What about you?" Ronan asked, grabbing Toby’s hand.

Kieran didn't answer. He turned around, his grey eyes looking into the dark trees. Out of the shadows, three shapes walked out. They weren't men, and they weren't wolves. They were "Steel-Wolves" shifters that the SOC had changed into machines. Their eyes were glowing with red lights, like tiny sensors.

"Lila, cross the bridge," Kieran said. His voice sounded different. The cold, robot sound was still there, but beneath it was a low, vibrating growl.
"Kieran, you can't fight them alone!" Lila cried. She reached out her hand to touch him.

Kieran didn't look back. He stepped away from her, moving toward the monsters. "I am the shield. That is my job. Move, Lila. It is the only thing that makes sense."

Lila watched as Kieran’s body began to change. It wasn't the smooth, beautiful shift she remembered from before. This shift looked jagged. It looked painful. His bones made a cracking sound like breaking ice. He didn't turn into a full wolf he stayed in a half-form. He was a scary beast of silver fur and raw power.
He let out a roar that made the whole bridge shake.

"Go!" Ronan pulled Lila’s arm, forcing her to step onto the iron bridge.
Lila scrambled across the slippery metal. Her heart was hitting her ribs like it wanted to escape. She looked back over her shoulder. Kieran was a blur of silver and blood. He slammed into the first Steel-Wolf, his claws tearing through the metal plates as if they were made of paper. He fought like a machine no fear, no stopping, just hitting and tearing.

But then, the second Steel-Wolf jumped. It fired a silver wire that wrapped around Kieran’s throat.
Kieran hit the snow. His claws dug into the frozen ground as he tried to pull the wire off. The third monster moved in. Its metal arm changed into a long, glowing blade. It held the blade high over Kieran’s head.

"Kieran!" Lila screamed.

She stopped in the middle of the bridge. The world seemed to move in slow motion. She felt a heavy, solid weight in her belly the second heartbeat. It was thumping fast, matching her own heart.

The Steel-Wolf started to bring the blade down.
Lila didn't think. She didn't have a plan. She let go of the bridge railing and turned back toward the fight. She threw her hands out, and for the first time, she didn't just let the Gold flow out. She pushed it with all her strength.

"Leave him alone!"
A wave of pure, amber fire exploded from her. It wasn't a small flicker; it was like the sun. The light hit the bridge, the gorge, and the monsters. The Steel-Wolves were thrown backward by the power. Their red eyes sparked and smoked as the machines inside them broke.

The blast was so strong that the old iron beneath Lila’s feet began to crack.
Kieran looked up from the snow. His mouth was red with blood, and his eyes were wide. For a second, the grey fog in his eyes went away. He looked at Lila he really saw her.

"Lila?" he whispered. His voice was rough and cracked. It was the voice of the man who had loved her.

But the bridge groaned one last time. A massive support beam snapped with a loud BANG.
"Lila, jump!" Ronan screamed from the other side.
The iron bridge tilted sideways. Lila tried to grab the railing, but her feet slipped on the black ice. She began to slide toward the edge, toward the big, black hole of the gorge.

Kieran jumped. He wasn't a robot anymore. He was a man desperate to save his mate. He reached out his hand, his fingers just inches away from hers.

"Catch me!" Lila cried.

The bridge fell.

Lila felt the scary feeling of falling into the dark. The last thing she saw was Kieran’s face. It wasn't empty or cold anymore. It was full of pure terror because he couldn't reach her.

And then, the freezing black water of the river swallowed her whole.