Chapter 67 SIXTY-SEVEN
Jao winced in pain, his body aching from Derrick’s brutal beating. With the deep wounds covering him, he should have passed out by now. But his will to survive kept him awake, refusing to give in.
Jao had no idea what was happening outside. The thick walls of the basement blocked out any sounds of battle. The heavy chains on his wrists kept him from moving much, their cold metal biting into his skin. He let out a worn-out sigh, his thoughts drifting to Celine and their son. Were they safe? Had they escaped in time? The uncertainty made his chest tighten.
Suddenly, he heard movement. One of the warriors standing guard stepped forward, his face tense. He knelt beside Jao and reached for the chains, his hands shaking slightly as he gripped them. The other warrior frowned, stepping closer.
"What are you doing?" he asked, suspicion in his voice.
"Mark, I'm going to free Beta Jao," he said.
"Have you gone mad, David?! Step away!" Mark yelled. David looked at him, eyes filled with determination.
"Mark, can't you see? What Beta Jao said was right. Almost all of our friends use that weird drug Derrick gave and made them crazy!" David said. "I don't want to be like them. I want to get away from here," he added.
"And you think helping Beta Jao is the solution?" Mark whispered.
"Yes, I do. As Beta Jao said, Derrick was battling with the Crescent Stone Pack; I'm going to help them," David bravely said while looking Mark in the eyes.
"Alright," Mark said and heaved a sigh, making David smile.
"Thank you," Jao said. David and Mark looked at him and started removing his chains.
"There are rogues all over the packhouse," Mark said. "Can we beat all of them while protecting Beta Jao?" he added.
"I will fight," Jao said while David assisted him. "You don't need to protect me; I will fight," he added. Mark's forehead creased.
"I'm sorry, Beta Jao, but in your condition, you're going to cost us our lives if you try to help," Mark said, his voice laced with guilt. "No offense," he added. Jao just nodded his head as he understood what Mark meant.
He was weak, barely able to move because of his wounds, and if they had to carry him, it would slow them down. But that didn’t mean he was going to give up.
Mark worked quickly, using a small dagger to pry at the chains. The metal groaned, resisting, but after a few tense moments, the lock gave way with a sharp click. Jao gasped as his arms dropped, the sudden relief nearly making him collapse.
"Can you walk?" David asked, still wary.
Gritting his teeth, Jao forced himself up, leaning against the wall for support. His legs trembled, but he nodded.
"I can manage," he replied.
Mark and David exchanged a look before moving toward the door.
"Stay close," Mark whispered. "We need to be quiet," he added.
They slipped out of the basement, their steps careful as they made their way through the dimly lit corridors. The packhouse was eerily silent, the usual presence of warriors nowhere to be seen. The battle outside had drawn most of them away.
But just as they reached the back exit, a low growl stopped them in their tracks.
A group of rogues stood at the other end of the hall, their yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"Well, well," one of them sneered, cracking his knuckles. "Trying to sneak out, are we?" he added.
Without another word, the rogues attacked Mark and David. David had to put Jao behind him and transformed into a wolf while Mark fought with his knives.
"Fuck, you're all going to die here with the rest of the rogues Derrick brought, so why not leave us the fuck alone?" Mark angrily said as he fended himself from the rogue's aggressive attack in its wolf form.
Mark was forced to transform and fight the rogues in front of him. Jao sat, panting heavily as he watched the warriors whom he had trained fighting the rogues. He wanted to help, but even moving his body a little hurts like hell.
"Fuck," Jao muttered, breathing heavily.
After a few minutes, the fight was over. The rogues lay motionless on the ground, their bodies still. Blood stained the floor, the scent thick in the air.
David clutched his shoulder where a deep wound is bleeding, while Mark leaned against the wall, a fresh gash on his back. Despite their injuries, they had won. Mark wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"We need to move before more of them show up," Mark said.
Jao nodded, still unsteady but determined. With Mark and David supporting him, they made their way out of the packhouse. The cold wind hit them the moment they stepped outside, but it brought no relief—only the distant sound of growls and clashing wolves.
Before they could take another step, a group of warriors rushed toward them.
"David!" one of them called out, his face urgent. He and the others, mostly David’s close friends, stopped in front of them, breathing hard. Their clothes were torn, and some were wounded, but they were still standing.
"What’s going on, Lander?" Mark asked.
"The fight in the forest is getting worse," Lander said, his voice grim. "Crescent Stone Pack warriors are pushing forward, but Derrick’s forces aren’t backing down. Some of our brothers have also fallen," he added.
"We were lucky to escape the fight with a few wounds," Miles said, the one standing beside Lander.
Jao clenched his fists. There was no turning back now.
"Then we should go and help the Crescent Stone Pack!" David said.
"Wait," Jao said. "Is this all we've got? Where are the others?" he asked. Lander bowed his head.
"I'm sorry, Beta, we tried to convince them to escape, but they have already consumed the weird drug Derrick is giving them," Lander whispered, and Jao cursed. Jao kept the drug away from his warriors as much as possible, only giving them to rogues, but Derrick had other plans, and Jao didn't know any of that. He should have prevented it. Now, he doesn't know if he's too late to save them.
"Let's go!" Mark said.
"Wait," Jao said. "Can we go to my house? I just needed to see my wife and son," he added. The warriors looked at him.
"Beta, your house is already empty. We went there before we came here to see you," Miles said.
"What?" Jao said, his heart pounding. "Is it true?" he added, his voice filled with hope. Miles nodded firmly.
Did this mean Celine and their son had successfully escaped?
For the first time in hours since he was imprisoned in the basement, Jao allowed himself to breathe—but the battle was far from over.