Chapter 67 The Red Crossing

Chapter 67 The Red Crossing
The sun was not even up yet, but the cave was turning a dark, scary red. The wind outside was not just blowing; it was screaming. It sounded like a thousand angry spirits were trying to tear the mountain apart. Kieran stood at the mouth of the cave, looking through the small cracks between the metal plates he had jammed into the opening.
He couldn't see the ground. He couldn't see the sky. He could only see a thick wall of red dust that moved like a living thing. The sand was hitting the metal plates with a sound like millions of tiny needles.

Kieran turned back to look at Lila. He moved his arm, and his face twisted in pain. The cut on his side was still red and angry. His shirt was stuck to his skin with dried blood, and every time he took a deep breath, his ribs felt like they were being crushed by a vice. He didn't say it hurt. He just bit his lip until a fresh drop of blood appeared.

Lila was trying to sit up. She grabbed the jagged stone wall, her fingers turning white as she pulled herself up. Her legs were shaking like dry grass in a storm. She took one small step, and her knees gave out. She fell back onto the blankets with a soft thud, her breath coming in fast, short gasps.
"I can't walk, Kieran," she whispered. She looked at her feet like they belonged to a stranger. "My body... it won't listen to me."

Kieran didn't tell her it was okay. He didn't use "big words" to make her feel better. Instead, he knelt in the dirt in front of her. He turned his back to her, showing his wide, scarred shoulders.

"Get on," he said. His voice was deep and steady, even though his body was shivering from the cold.
Lila didn't argue. She knew they had to move. She took the silver-threaded blanket and wrapped it around herself and baby Leo. She tied the ends tightly around her waist, making a safe nest for the child against her chest. Leo didn't cry. He just tucked his small head under her chin, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

Lila crawled onto Kieran’s back. As soon as his arms hooked under her knees and he stood up, Kieran let out a low groan. A fresh line of red blood began to run down his leg, soaking into his pants. He didn't put her down. He just tightened his grip and walked toward the cave opening.
He kicked the metal plates aside. The red storm rushed in like a flood.

The moment they stepped out, the world disappeared.

The red sand was everywhere. It stung Lila’s eyes and got into her throat. She had to bury her face in the back of Kieran’s neck just to find air that didn't taste like dirt. The wind was so loud that she couldn't even hear the sound of Kieran’s boots hitting the ground.

Kieran was leaning forward, his body bent against the force of the wind. Every step was a battle. His boots sank deep into the soft red sand, and he had to pull his feet out with a wet, sucking sound. His muscles were jumping and twitching under his skin. Lila could feel his heart thumping hard against her chest like a bird trapped in a cage.

They walked for an hour. Then two.

Kieran was starting to stumble. His head was hanging low, and his breath was coming out in ragged, wet gasps. He wasn't walking like a King or a powerful Alpha anymore. He was walking like a man who was using his last bit of soul just to keep his legs moving.

Suddenly, Kieran stopped. He didn't just stop; he froze. A low, dangerous growl started deep in his chest. It was a sound that made the hair on Lila’s arms stand up.

"Kieran? What is it?" Lila shouted over the wind.
Kieran didn't answer. He just shifted his weight, making sure Lila and the baby were covered by his body.

Out of the red fog, three shadows appeared. They weren't robots made of metal. They were men, but they looked like ghosts. They were thin, their ribs showing through their skin. Their clothes were just dirty rags, and their hair was long and matted with red dust. They held spears made of sharpened bone and rusted scrap metal.

Their eyes were the scariest part. They were bright yellow, like a wolf’s eyes, but there was no light in them. Only hunger.

The Rogues.

The leader of the group stepped forward. He walked with a limp, and his skin was covered in old scars. He looked at the blood on Kieran’s side, and then he looked at the bundle on Lila’s chest. He licked his dry, cracked lips.

"That is a very heavy load for a dying wolf," the Rogue said. His voice sounded like rocks grinding together. "Why are you out here in the death storm, Blackwood? Are you looking for a place to bury your Queen?"

Kieran didn't talk. He didn't explain. He just let out a snarl that sounded like a saw hitting bone. His eyes turned a dark, terrifying purple. The purple fire started to swirl in his pupils, glowing through the red dust. He took a step forward, and even though he was bleeding, he looked like a monster ready to kill.

The Rogues saw the purple fire. They saw the mark of the Dark Alpha. Their hands started to shake on their bone spears. They knew about the Blackwood rage. Even a dying Alpha was more dangerous than ten healthy men.

"We don't want a fight," the leader said, his voice trembling now. He took a step back, his yellow eyes wide with fear. "We just want to know how a Thorne baby survived the night. The Gold light... we felt it. It woke up everyone in the Dead Lands."
Kieran took another step. The ground under his boot cracked. "You will lead us to your camp," Kieran barked. The sound was so loud it seemed to push the wind back. "You will give us fire. You will give us food. Or I will turn this red sand into a lake of your blood."

The Rogues didn't wait for him to ask again. They turned around and started running into the storm, waving their arms for Kieran to follow.

Kieran started walking again. But this time, it was harder. His steps were short and slow. His vision was starting to go dark at the edges. He felt like his side was on fire, and his legs felt like they were made of lead. But he didn't let go of Lila’s legs. He dug his fingers into her skin, holding her so tight it almost hurt.

"Kieran, you're shaking," Lila whispered, her voice full of fear. She could feel his skin turning cold.
"I have you," Kieran gasped. "I have you."

As they followed the Rogues deeper into the red fog, Lila looked back. She couldn't see the cave. She couldn't see the path. There was only the screaming wind, the hungry ghosts in front of them, and the man who was bleeding to death just to keep her off the dirty ground.

They were entering the heart of the Rogue Camp. A place where there were no laws, no Kings, and no mercy. And Kieran was almost out of time.