Chapter 66 SIXTY-SIX
Raven, in his massive wolf form, stood at the edge of the border, watching as his warriors silently took down the rogues guarding the Red Moon Pack’s border. They moved quickly and quietly, making sure to delay Derrick and his men for as long as possible.
Soon, the last rogue fell, and Carter, one of Raven’s strongest warriors, approached him. His fur was stained with blood, his eyes sharp and focused.
"We’ve taken care of all the rogues in the area, Alpha," Carter reported.
"Good," Raven said, his deep voice firm. He then turned to the older wolf beside him. "Dad, are you sure you want to do this?" he added. Arthur huffed, shifting slightly on his paws.
"You rascal," he muttered. "Derrick is also mine to deal with. This started with us, and it will end with us." His tone was serious, his eyes burning with old rage.
Raven nodded his head. There was no point in arguing. It was his father's old enemy after all.
Meanwhile, in the basement of the packhouse, Derrick paced back and forth, his anger barely contained. Jao knelt on the cold floor, blood dripping from fresh wounds on his back.
The door burst open, and Marion rushed in, his face serious.
"Alpha Derrick," he said. "I got the news that all the border guards have been eliminated. The Crescent Stone Pack is attacking us!" he exclaimed.
Derrick froze in his spot. Then, his eyes darkened with fury.
"What?!" he yelled. Marion swallowed seeing Derrick's expression.
"They're inside our borders. We weren’t ready… They’ve already taken down a quarter of my rogues," Marion answered. Derrick’s grip tightened into fists. He turned to Jao, his face twisted with rage.
"This is your doing, isn’t it?" he asked.
Jao, weak but still defiant, managed a bloody smirk.
"Looks like you’re finally getting what you deserve," he said, making Derrick furious as he struck him with the whip once more.
"Gather the remaining rogues; we will kill them all today!" Derrick commanded.
"Understand, Alpha," Marion said and walked away to do what Derrick ordered. Derrick looked back at Jao and glared at him.
Derrick turned to the warrior standing by the door, his eyes cold and full of warning.
"You," he said sharply. "Do not leave this place. And don’t even think about betraying me like Jao here," he added. He took a threatening step closer to Jao.
"Because when I come back, I will kill every last one of you if you dare cross me," he threateningly said.
The warrior stiffened. He swallowed hard and gave a quick nod, fear flashing in his eyes. Satisfied, Derrick turned and stormed out, Marion following close behind.
As soon as the door shut, Jao let out a shaky breath. His body ached, but his mind was still sharp. He looked at the warrior, reading the doubt in his expression.
"You don’t have to follow him anymore," Jao said, his voice low but firm. The warrior tensed.
"I have no choice, Beta Jao. I'm not brave like you," he muttered. "He’ll kill me if I go against him," he added. Jao forced himself to sit up, wincing at the pain.
"And if you keep following him, he’ll kill you anyway," he said. "Derrick doesn’t care about you. He only cares about his power. But if you stand against him, you have a chance. We all do," he added.
"I hated that I obeyed him for years when I should have fought him together with Sir Albion," Jao whispered.
"And where do you think Sir Albion is now? He was torn to pieces, buried six feet underground with his family for betraying Derrick, and you're about to be like him too, Beta Jao," the warrior said.
"I am still hoping that you would rise up against him. The Crescent Stone Pack will completely wipe him and his men, believe me," Jao said. The warrior hesitated, his grip tightening on his knife.
"Think about it," Jao pressed. "Who would you rather fight for? Would you rather fight for a tyrant who will kill you the moment you're no longer useful? Or a leader who actually protects his people?" he added.
Meanwhile, outside, Derrick ran through the forest with Marion, the Red Moon Pack's warrior who swore piety to him, and the remaining rogues. The air was heavy with the smell of blood, and the distant howls of approaching wolves filled him with excitement. At long last, his lifelong goal to end the Wolfgangs' arrives. Who would have thought that those foolish wolves marched down his territory on their own?
As they reached the center, they saw them—Raven, Arthur, and their warriors—standing tall, waiting.
Arthur and Raven both shifted back into their human form, their piercing gaze locked onto Derrick.
"It's over for you, Derrick," Arthur said. "Surrender now, or die with the rest of your filthy rogues," he added.
Derrick, who has also shifted back, laughs out loud. He then growled, baring his teeth at them.
"Me? Surrender? I'll never surrender to you!" he roared. Derrick let out a furious snarl as his body shifted, bones cracking and muscles expanding until he stood on all fours—a massive, dark-furred wolf. His golden eyes burned with rage as he lunged forward, aiming straight for Arthur.
Arthur was ready. He met Derrick head-on, shifting midway, their bodies colliding with a heavy thud. Claws slashed, teeth snapped, and growls filled the air as they tore into each other. Arthur fought with the strength of years of experience. But Derrick was relentless, his attacks wild and brutal.
At the same time, Marion charged at Raven, shifting mid-air before landing with a powerful strike. Raven barely dodged in time, rolling to the side before launching himself at Marion with incredible speed. Their wolves clashed, biting and clawing, neither willing to back down.
All around them, warriors and rogues from both packs fought fiercely. Snarls and yelps echoed through the forest as wolves battled, their fur stained with blood.
Arthur growled as Derrick’s fangs sank into his shoulder, but he twisted, using Derrick’s momentum to throw him off. Derrick stumbled but recovered quickly, baring his teeth as he lunged again.
Meanwhile, Raven managed to pin Marion down— his jaws inches from Marion’s throat. But Marion kicked him off, rolling back onto his feet. He spat out blood and smirked.
"You’ll have to do better than that, Alpha," he mockingly said, trying to test how Raven would react to his blatant taunting.
Raven growled, lowering himself into a fighting stance.
"I plan to," he said before attacking again. And just like that, the battle raged on.