Chapter 137 Chapter-137

Chapter 137 Chapter-137
Raven’s POV

We hit the centre of the refugee camp. Magnus and Zayne shifted back into their human forms, along with the rest of the Lycans. 

My eyes fell on my pack members, all of their faces pale and full of fear as they whispered frantically to one another.

While Magnus and Zayne spoke to the perimeter guards, Iris and Nolan rushed over to meet me.

"Iris," I snapped, demanding her full attention. "Get the kids, the women, and the elders down to the safe hall."

She nodded, turning her back toward me immediately, guiding them as they followed her. 

"Take the Lunar guards with you!" I shouted to her back. She waved a hand in acknowledgement without slowing down.

Nolan stepped up beside me, his jaw tight. "Who the hell is pushing through the border like this?"

"We do not have time to guess," I snapped, keeping my eyes on the perimeter. "Right now, keeping everyone breathing is the only thing that matters."

I turned back to the twins. "I need to see the territorial map. Now."

Zayne did not hesitate. He pulled a folded map from a supply bag and spread it flat across the hood of a nearby truck.

I leaned over it, tracing the harsh lines of the northern border until my finger stopped over a cluster of dark symbols right before the border but slightly to the eastern side. "What is this sector?" I asked, tapping the dense, jagged lines near the eastern ridge.

"It's dense forest," Magnus said, leaning over my shoulder. "Practically impassable if you don't know the trail." 

"Do any of the guards know their way through it?"

"Yeah. Some do," Magnus answered.

"Perfect. We use it."

Magnus frowned, stepping closer. "Use it how?"

"I will lead the front line," I explained, looking between the two Lycan Kings. "I'll act as bait. Once they see me, I'll lead them deep into the woods; they'll chase me straight into the ambush. That is where our Lycans will be waiting in the shadows. Once they're inside the forest, we'll attack."

"What if they split up and some of the rogues push toward the pack?" Zayne asked.

"We divide our forces," I said. "One group here to guard the wolves. One group for distraction." 

Both Lycan Kings nodded in agreement.

I looked at Magnus. "You stay back and hold the pack line."

"Absolutely fucking not." Magnus's voice dropped into a lethal, unyielding tone. He stepped right into my space, his massive frame casting a heavy shadow over me. "I am not staying at the perimeter. I go with you."

"There is no time for this," I said.

"Then do not waste it arguing. I am coming."

Before I could fight him on it, Zayne stepped back from the map. "Fine, I will stay here."

I met Zayne's gaze. His blue eyes were completely serious and focused.

"Take half the guards with you into the woods," Zayne ordered his brother. "I will lock down the pack house. Nothing gets past me."

He gave a sharp nod and immediately backed off toward the pack grounds with his group of Lycans.

……….

Minutes later, the trap was set.

I stood alone in a small clearing just outside the edge of the trees, waiting for the rogues.

Well, I’m not entirely alone.

Magnus stood right behind me, his hands locked firmly around my waist. His solid chest pressed against my back, the steady beat of his heart a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding us. I forced myself to focus on the task as I curled my fingers around his wrists, trying to pry them away. His grip didn't loosen. 

"Let go," I hissed. Instead of answering, he pulled me a fraction closer. 

If anything, his arms tightened around me, refusing to budge a single inch. The idiot actually grinned. In a situation like this, I should have been furious with him. Instead, the warmth of his arms, his closeness, and the steady beat of his heart grounded me, giving me an unexpected sense of comfort in the middle of the chaos. 

"Magnus, are you serious right now?" I whispered, forcing irritation into my voice, turning my head to glare at him. "Go stand in the bushes with the rest of the guards! You're supposed to be hiding." 

"They have not arrived yet." His mouth brushed my ear. 

"They could be here any second! Go hide!" I shoved hard against his chest.

He shot me a dark, irritated glare, but he finally stepped back, disappearing silently into the thick bushes behind me. 

Minutes crawled by. The heavy thud of frantic footsteps shook the dirt.

A massive rogue broke through the tree line. His wild, glowing eyes scanned the dark clearing before locking onto me. 

He growled loudly.

Every rogue's head snapped toward me. Their glowing eyes found me in the darkness.

But the second they rushed past the first line of trees, I moved.

"Come and get me, motherfuckers," I breathed.

I turned and sprinted deeper into the darkness of the woods.