A DEADLY BATTLE

The evening was cold, but the fire burning in Isolde’s chest made it feel like a summer’s evening.

She had left. Finally, she had walked away.

Her feet carried her swiftly through the dense forest, the weight of her decision was pressing down on her shoulders. She had no clear destination in mind, she just wanted to be far away from him.

Yet, no matter how many steps she put between them, his voice still echoed in her mind.

"I love you."

"I was going to fight for you."

"Please… don’t walk away like this."

Her chest tightened. She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. She needed a safe place to rest, a new pack that wouldn’t question her presence. One that would offer temporary refuge while she figured out her next move.

Little did she know that she wasn’t alone.

Soren was watching and following her from a distance, his footsteps were silent, and his breathing controlled. Lutheran had sent him to follow after her the moment she was out of sight. He even threatened him:

"Follow her and make sure she’s safe. If anything happens to her, I will kill you myself." Those were his words.

Soren had never heard Lutheran speak of someone with such intensity. This felt more than love, was his friend and Alpha obsessed with this girl? He wondered. He thought about how Lutheran had knelt to beg her to stay; the mighty Lutheran lowered himself, yet she left. This made his heart boil, why should he watch over a girl who did not regard his Alpha?

As much as he hated to, he continued following her, he watched Isolde press forward through the unfamiliar land, and that got him wondering, did she know she was being followed? And if she did, would she try to fight him?

Isolde reached the gates of a pack hidden deep in the eastern territories. It was smaller than Lutheran’s and less fortified but bustling with activity.

She kept her hood low as she approached the guards. “I seek refuge,” she said simply.

The guards studied her before nodding. They asked no questions, and she offered no explanations. She was glad that they did not interrogate her much, maybe because they knew her; everyone knew about the mate Kaelen rejected; at least, that is what they all remember her for. She had no time to think about all that, she was very tired.

The moment she was led to her quarters, she collapsed onto the straw mattress, staring at the ceiling.

She could still see Lutheran. She could still hear the way his voice had cracked when he pleaded. And worst of all, she could still see the way he had knelt.

Lutheran, the Alpha all the wolves in all the neighboring packs feared. The man who commanded thousands of warriors had knelt before her, not caring that his warriors had seen him. He did not even care about his pride.

Her heart clenched painfully.

"Did I do the right thing?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. It doesn’t matter.

She had made her choice and she had to live with it.

Days passed, and Isolde kept her head low, speaking little, watching the world move around her. Then the attack came.

It started with distant tremors, the sound of war drums in the distance. At first, the pack thought it was nothing, another territorial dispute far away.

But then, the screams began, Isolde stood upright as warriors ran past her window. She rushed outside to see what was happening; her eyes were scanning the surroundings.

There was smoke, fire and blood everywhere. Something was wrong.

A messenger stumbled into the main hall, panting heavily as he reported to the warrior nearby. “The eastern border, Kaelen’s pack and Lutheran’s pack are both under attack!”

As she listened to the conversation, a chill ran down her spine. She shouldn’t care about them; after all, she had left. Yet, her feet were already moving.

All she could hear was that her home, her people, were in danger. And she couldn’t stand aside and do nothing.

By the time she reached the battlefield, it was chaos.

The scent of blood was thick in the air, and the clash of steel rang in her ears. Shadows moved swiftly between trees as warriors fell.

Then she saw Lutheran.

His blade gleamed under the moonlight, his movements swift and lethal. But there was something off, he looked reckless. Almost as if he didn’t care if he lived or died.

Her heart pounded.

She turned and saw Kaelen, not far away, cutting down enemies with ruthless precision. For once, they were fighting the same enemy, and Kaelen was now stronger.

However, the enemy was overwhelming. A joint force from rival packs, they were larger, stronger and merciless.

And suddenly, Isolde was no longer just an outsider watching a war unfold. She was in it.

A warrior lunged at her, his blade cutting through the air, and then she twisted, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Another came from behind. She ducked, rolled, and countered with a deadly force.

One by one, they fell around her, but there were too many.

She could feel them closing in, pressing against her from all sides.

Then she felt a familiar presence. It was Lutheran, he was beside her now, his golden eyes meeting hers.

For a second, the world stilled.

Then, without a word, they moved in sync.

Enemies who came at them fell. The battle became a dance, swift, precise, and unstoppable.

Yet, neither of them spoke. The only communication between them was in the glances they stole.

The tension between them was suffocating, but they didn’t have time to address it.

The enemy’s forces began to dwindle, their ranks were breaking apart and victory was close.

Just then, a sharp whistle cut through the battlefield. Isolde turned just in time to see Lutheran collapse. Her breath caught.

No.

She moved before she could think, dropping to her knees beside him. There was so much blood.

His breathing was shallow, he had been struck by a poisoned blade. Panic gripped her chest.

She pressed her hands against his wound, ignoring the way his blood-soaked her fingers. “Stay with me.”

Lutheran’s lips parted, his voice barely above a whisper. “Isolde…”

She shook her head. “Don’t say a word, just stay awake.”

His hand reached up, weakly brushing against her cheek.

Her throat tightened.

For the first time since she left, she realized something terrifying. She couldn’t lose him.

A shadow loomed over them. She looked up and froze. The enemy commander who had just struck down Lutheran stood there with his sword raised.

Isolde’s heart stopped.

She couldn’t move or think. Then, she saw a flash of silver followed by a splash of blood.

The commander fell, and behind him stood Kaelen, his blade dripping. He had saved them.

His cold gaze met hers, and then he smirked. “Still think you don’t need us, little dragon?”