Chapter 23 Fight for Survival
Derek turned around to check on Ella and noticed she was awake, her eyes locked on him, a mixture of confusion and determination reflected in her gaze. He could tell she had a thousand questions swirling in her mind. With a sigh, he pulled a chair closer and sat down across from her.
“How are you feeling?” Derek asked, his voice soft.
“You saved me,” Ella replied weakly, her voice barely a whisper. “Thank you.”
Without thinking, Derek reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “You’re still weak,” he said, concern etched on his face. “The doctors did what they could for the silver burns, but you need more time to rest and regain your strength.”
Ella winced as she tried to shift on the bed, her thoughts racing. “Moore… he’s in danger,” she said, her voice laced with worry. “I need to be by his side, Derek. I have to get to the South.”
Derek shook his head, his expression firm but laced with concern. “They won’t harm him, Ella. They still need him as leverage. No harm will come to him, I promise.”
Ella scoffed, her lips curving into a bitter smile. “You expect me to trust you with my husband’s life?”
Derek’s eyes darkened, his jaw clenching slightly. “Yes, you have to trust me. Kevin is dangerous, and now there’s another force involved—someone else who wants you dead. It’s not just Kevin anymore.”
Ella’s grip on the sheets tightened as she processed his words. Her gaze flicked to Derek, searching for answers she wasn’t sure he could give.
“I’ve sent men to watch Kevin’s pack and keep me informed,” Derek continued. “I won’t let anything happen to Moore or you. I also have my best warriors stationed outside your ward, just in case there’s another attack.”
Ella’s eyes widened in shock. “Another attack? What do you mean?”
“Don’t worry,” Derek said softly, leaning forward. “I won’t let anyone harm you.”
Outside the ward, tension was rising. Derek’s warriors—five skilled wolves—had sensed something wrong. The wind carried a faint but distinct scent of rogues nearby. Their hackles raised, and their wolves stirred beneath their skin, ready to fight.
The first rogue appeared from the shadows, followed by three more. They were after one thing: finishing what they’d started.
Derek’s warriors shifted into their wolf forms in an instant, fur bristling, teeth bared. The rogues didn’t hesitate; they lunged forward, attacking with vicious intent. The night filled with snarls and the sound of claws raking against pavement.
The lead rogue, a large black wolf with blood-red eyes, charged at one of Derek’s warriors. His claws swiped at the warrior’s side, but the gray wolf dodged, spinning on his hind legs and slashing at the rogue’s flank. Blood splattered across the ground, but the rogue barely flinched, retaliating with a powerful bite aimed at the warrior’s throat. The gray wolf jumped back just in time, countering with a vicious attack that tore into the rogue’s shoulder.
Two other rogues closed in on Derek’s second-in-command, a dark brown wolf who met their attack head-on. His massive paws slammed into one rogue’s side, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. But the second rogue was faster, darting in to bite at the brown wolf’s legs, trying to cripple him. The warrior growled in pain but fought back, swiping with deadly precision. His claws connected, ripping into the rogue’s muzzle.
Nearby, Derek’s third warrior, a sleek white wolf, was battling two rogues at once. One rogue, a wiry wolf with gray fur, tried to flank her, but she was too fast, spinning in the air and sinking her teeth into his side. The rogue howled in pain as she shook him violently, throwing him to the ground. But before she could finish him off, the second rogue leaped at her back, claws outstretched. She twisted just in time, slamming her body into him, and they both rolled across the ground in a snarling mass of fur and blood.
The leader of the rogues, sensing his warriors were losing, let out a deafening howl. His call was answered by another wave of rogues appearing from the forest’s edge. They outnumbered Derek’s men two to one now, but Derek’s warriors didn’t back down. Their eyes burned with determination as they fought to protect the one thing they had sworn to—Ella.
The black wolf, clearly the rogue leader, locked eyes with Derek’s strongest warrior, a massive gray wolf named Haden. The two circled each other, growling low in their throats. Then, without warning, they lunged at each other with terrifying speed. The clash was brutal—teeth snapped, and claws tore into flesh as they fought for dominance. The rogue leader managed to bite into Haden’s shoulder, shaking him violently, but Haden didn’t relent. He pushed through the pain, slashing at the rogue’s throat, drawing blood.
The fight dragged on, each side giving everything they had. Blood stained the ground as bodies collided again and again. Haden finally gained the upper hand, slamming the rogue leader into the dirt with enough force to leave a crater. He growled, teeth bared, before sinking them deep into the rogue’s neck, ending the fight with a swift, merciless bite.
The rogue leader’s body went limp, and the remaining rogues, sensing their leader’s defeat, scattered into the night, retreating back into the shadows from where they came.
Inside the hospital, Derek remained tense. He had sensed the shift in the battle and knew his men were fighting outside. He stood and walked over to the window, watching the night, waiting for any sign of his warriors.
“Derek?” Ella’s voice broke the silence. She had heard the faint sounds of fighting too, her eyes filled with concern.
Derek turned to face her, his face unreadable. “It’s over for now. My men are taking care of it.”
Ella swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly. “How long can this go on?”
Derek approached her bed, his eyes softening as he looked at her. “As long as it takes. But I won’t let them get to you. I swear.”
Just then Derek's phone rang. “Alpha,we were able to capture one of the rogues”.