CHAPTER 66

**Rogue Ambush**

The forest was eerily quiet as I moved through it, my senses sharp and on edge. I wasn’t supposed to be out here alone, but waiting around in the safety of the camp while rogues wreaked havoc on our people was unbearable. I needed answers. I needed to act.

The damp earth crunched softly beneath my boots, and the faint scent of pine mixed with something sharper—metallic, bitter, and out of place. Blood. My wolf growled low in my mind, a warning that danger was near.

I stopped, crouching low as I scanned the area. The tall trees cast long shadows, and the setting sun painted the sky a fiery orange. Everything about this place screamed ambush, and yet, I pressed forward.

The rogues had taken six of our people, including children. That wasn’t something I could let slide.

My fingers brushed the hilt of the dagger strapped to my thigh, a reassuring weight. I wasn’t just walking into this blindly. I had trained for moments like this. Still, my heart pounded against my ribcage as I stepped into a small clearing.

The trap sprang instantly.

Shadows erupted from the trees, figures lunging at me with feral snarls. There were at least ten of them, their eyes glowing with a wild, crazed hunger. My wolf surged forward, and I shifted in one fluid motion, claws extending as I met their charge head-on.

The first rogue went down easily, his neck snapping beneath my jaws. The second was quicker, dodging my swipe and aiming for my flank. I twisted, using the momentum to throw him off balance before slamming him into a tree.

But there were too many of them. For every one I took down, two more seemed to appear. They were coordinated, their attacks precise. This wasn’t a random skirmish—it was an organized assault.

One rogue managed to pin me briefly, his teeth grazing my shoulder before I sank my claws into his side and shoved him off. Pain flared, but I ignored it, adrenaline keeping me moving.

A low, guttural laugh cut through the chaos, freezing me in place.

“Well, well, the infamous Luna,” a voice drawled.

The rogue leader stepped into view, the same one who had taunted me during the last attack. His smug grin made my blood boil.

“I wondered if you’d come out to play,” he said, his eyes gleaming with malice. “But don’t worry, this isn’t about killing you. Not yet, anyway.”

My wolf growled, and I took a step forward, baring my teeth. “Let them go. The children, the others—where are they?”

His grin widened. “Safe, for now. But if you want to see them again, you’ll have to come with us.”

“As if I’d ever trusted you,” I spat.

He shrugged. “Suit yourself. But you’re not leaving this clearing alive unless you do.”

The rogues closed in, their snarls filling the air. My mind raced, searching for an edge, a way to turn the tide. That’s when I felt it—a strange, electric hum deep within me. It wasn’t the usual power of my wolf. This was something… different.

I closed my eyes briefly, focusing on the sensation. The world seemed to slow, the sounds of the forest fading as I tapped into the energy coursing through me.

When I opened my eyes, the clearing was bathed in a soft, silvery glow. The rogues hesitated, their confusion evident.

“What is this?” the leader snarled, his confidence wavering.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I raised my hand, and the light expanded, forming shimmering tendrils that snaked through the air like living things.

The first rogue to charge was caught by one of the tendrils. It wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground before hurling him into a tree with bone-shattering force.

The others hesitated, their fear palpable.

The leader growled, “Don’t just stand there! Attack her!”

They obeyed, but the light moved faster than they could. Tendrils lashed out, deflecting blows and sending rogues sprawling. I moved with it, striking with claws and fangs whenever an opening presented itself.

It was like we were one, the energy and I, working in perfect harmony.

One by one, the rogues fell until only the leader remained.

He stared at me, his smug demeanor replaced by something darker. Fear.

“What are you?” he demanded, taking a step back.

I advanced on him, the glow intensifying. “Someone you should never have crossed.”

He snarled, shifting into his wolf form. His black fur bristled as he lunged at me, but the light intercepted him mid-air, slamming him into the ground.

I stood over him, my claws poised to strike. “Where are they?” I demanded. “The people you took—where are they?”

He struggled beneath the tendrils, his eyes blazing with hatred. “You’ll never find them,” he spat. “And even if you do, it’ll be too late.”

I tightened my grip, my claws drawing blood. “Try me.”

For a moment, I thought he’d refuse. But then he laughed, a hollow, chilling sound. “They’re in the ruins, north of here. But you’ll never get to them in time. My Alpha will make sure of that.”

His Alpha?

The words barely registered before a sharp, piercing howl echoed through the forest. It wasn’t from any of us—it was something else, something… monstrous.

The rogue leader grinned, his bloodied teeth gleaming. “You’re already dead.”

The glow faltered, the tendrils retracting as unease settled over me.

“What was that?” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

The rogue took advantage of my distraction, breaking free and disappearing into the shadows.

I didn’t chase him. My focus was on the sound that still echoed in my mind, sending shivers down my spine. It was a howl, yes, but not like any wolf I’d ever heard.

The forest was silent again, but it wasn’t a comforting silence. It was oppressive, like the calm before a storm.

Kai’s voice crackled through the radio strapped to my wrist. “Luna, are you okay? We heard something—what’s going on?”

I pressed the button to respond, my voice shaky. “I’m fine. But there’s… something out here. Something big.”

The line went dead.

The ground trembled beneath my feet, faint at first but growing stronger. The trees swayed, their leaves rustling like whispers in the dark.

And then I saw it.

A massive shadow emerged from the treeline, its glowing red eyes piercing through the darkness. It wasn’t a wolf—it was something far worse.

I took a step back, my heart hammering in my chest.

“Luna!” Kai’s voice came through again, urgent and filled with panic. “Get out of there! Now!”

But I couldn’t move.

The creature let out a roar, its maw opening to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.

And then it charged.