Alpha Prince Felix stood among the countless lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground. The scent of blood mingled with the earth, permeating the moist air and sending a chill down his spine. The sounds of battle had ceased, but the heavy atmosphere lingered.
Too many rogues had appeared out of nowhere—or was it really nowhere? They all behaved as though they had lost their sanity. Where exactly did they come from?
The more Felix thought about it, the stranger it felt.
Seven soldiers were lost in this encounter, each death weighing heavily on his mind. This wasn’t a simple attack from rogues. There had to be something else – a deeper reason behind all this chaos.
Felix let out a few slow breaths and was about to walk back to the tower when he heard a choking sound in the distance. A soldier lay on the ground, his right limb severed. He looked up at Felix, hand reaching out.
“What’s your name?” Felix asked, bending down.
“Axiel, Alpha Prince,” the soldier replied, choking on blood. A strained smile appeared on his face as he took Felix’s hand. “Please take care of my mother and sister. My sister, her name is Grizel.”
Felix was momentarily stunned. If he was correct, this Grizel was someone he knew.
“I will, Axiel,” Felix assured the dying man. “May the Moon Goddess retrieve your soul and grant you a longer life in the next.”
Axiel smiled faintly, tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Alpha Prince. I appreciate it…”
With those words, Axiel released his final breath, his hand slipping from Felix’s grasp as his eyes closed.
“Alpha Prince!” Max, Felix’s loyal assistant, called out. He saw the fallen soldier and fell silent for a moment.
“What is it?” Felix asked.
“We have the same situation in the South and West. Alpha Prince Zeke went to help your other brothers. But Alpha Jake requested you back to the village,” Max informed.
“How many are there?” Felix inquired.
“Earlier, we had twice their number, but I’m not sure now,” Max explained. “Do you want to check before leaving?”
Felix nodded but was suddenly struck by a lightning bolt-like sensation piercing through his head, making him wince. He clutched his head, feeling intense heat and pain.
“Alpha Prince, what’s wrong?” Max asked, horror in his voice. “Is it your illness again? Are you hurt—”
“I’m fine,” Felix said, biting back a moan as he struggled to stay steady. “I just need to rest.”
From a distance, a group of soldiers approached, accompanied by healers who quickly attended to the wounded.
Once inside his room, Felix removed the bandages from his hands, revealing them soaked in blood. But as usual, he felt no pain. This was the irony of his hidden power. Physical pain from sharp blades seldom registered; what he felt came from within—his heart, his head—the sensations his wolf should’ve brought during shifts.
Each time, he would lose his senses, everything turning into a blur. Deep inside, Felix knew why. He was different from his pack from the very beginning.
As he tried to gather his thoughts and dispel the pain, Felix saw a vision. In it, the pack’s bountiful waters dried and then filled up again. Rogues invaded their territory, and half were wiped out. A woman with sharp, cold eyes stood with a dagger, rushing to kill the pack leader. Then, a tall figure appeared, taking down the assassin and killing her. The same figure stood at the top while everyone bowed, vowing their loyalty.
Felix fell to the floor, panting hard, sweating profusely, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief. The door opened, and Max entered, finding Felix on the floor.
“Alpha Prince!” Max quickly knelt down to help his prince.
“This pack,” Felix uttered in a broken whisper, meeting Max’s eyes.
Max’s frown trembled, recognizing the look on his prince’s face. Each time Felix dreamed of something, he wore this expression—disbelief, complete shock, and terror.
“What’s going to happen, Prince?” Max asked, despite his own fears.
Felix gulped, looked at the ground, and whispered, “It is about to fall.”
As he spoke, a scream erupted in the distance. Felix collapsed to the ground with a thud. Max's frantic calls were the last sound before chaos continued and, as prophecy dictated, the official war broke out.
. . .
West Wood Pack main village.
“Sir Jed! We have a problem!” a servant shouted and panted, rushing to Edith as they carried Naya into the healing room.
Naya's eyes fluttered open briefly, her face glistening with sweat, before she slipped back into unconsciousness.
“What is it now?” Edith asked, helping Jed lay Naya on the bed.
The servant, pale and trembling, stammered, “There’s no more water.”
Jed frowned, his voice sharp, “What do you mean there’s no water? Did you check everywhere? Didn't they stock up while monitoring the river?”
“We did, Master Jed,” the servant replied nervously, “but the water we saved is gone. And it’s not just the water—the weapons of the main house’s fighters are missing too. We think someone stole them!”
Shock and horror etched onto Jed and Edith’s faces. Just then, Gaia, Felix’s temporary arranged mate, entered the room. “Alpha Prince Felix sent me after hearing about Prince Kael’s mate’s condition. Most of the healers are at the borders treating wounded soldiers, so there are only a few of us left in the village.”
Gaia examined Naya briefly. “We need to give her water,” she said urgently.
Jed glanced at Naya, her face contorted in pain. “Is her condition that bad? Why does she look in so much pain?”
“Master Jed!” came a frantic voice from outside. It was the same servant from earlier. He burst in, breathless. “We’re under attack! The rogues... they've reached our main grounds!”
Jed’s eyes widened. “How can that be? Our Alpha Princes are at the borders, fighting them off—”
Suddenly, realization struck Jed. He had felt something was off when they arrived at the main village, the air heavy with tension at the gates.
He shook his head, urgency in his voice. “We can’t stay here. Let’s bring her to the dungeon. Quick!”
“But, Sir, there are captive rogues in the dungeon!” the servant exclaimed.
Jed gritted his teeth. “That’s better than facing real enemies out here.”
He knew they weren’t just dealing with ordinary rogues anymore. After assisting Alpha Prince Kael for so long, he had learned the most dangerous threat was being attacked from behind by those they least expected.
The West Wood Pack was infiltrated and sadly, someone from the inside had taken part of it.
. . .
Naya could hear voices. Jed was shouting, Edith was scolding, and another female voice was trying to soothe her. She could feel the ground shaking beneath her. Something bad was happening. Was it another attack? Has the war officially broken out?
No, she thought. If what Sana Azalea said was true, the drought should come first. Then, the rain, followed by the jade comet.
“Naya? Can you hear me?” Edith's voice broke through the haze.
Naya's eyes fluttered open. Through her blurred vision, she saw Edith’s concerned face.
“I know it’s hard, but you need to drink this,” Edith said softly, holding a cup to Naya’s lips. “Please swallow everything. It will make the pain go away.”
Naya struggled to sit up and took the drink. It was bitter, but she forced it down.
“Where are we?” Naya asked weakly.
“We’re in a dungeon,” Edith replied, wiping Naya’s sweaty face. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here. Close your eyes and rest until you recover. Master Jed and I will watch over you. Prince Lorenzo and your, um, mate, Prince Kael, they will be here soon.”
Naya let out a deep breath. Her eyes shut and slowly, she drifted back to sleep, unaware that in her slumber, another dream awaited her but this time, it was the kind that was bound to forever change her.
. . .
“Jeffrey’s right, I think there’s an attack. Soldiers have left their stations. It’s chaotic out there,” Nile Oryvn said as he rushed into the cell holding the Midnight Seven.
Jeffrey shook his head. “I knew it. Just like Princess Darlene said, there’s going to be a war on the mainland.”
“You spoke with the Alpha Princess? When?” Reo asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Okay, that’s not important right now,” Billy interjected, turning to Nile. “How many soldiers are at the entrance?”
“I’m not sure, but I think I saw four,” Nile replied. “We can take them down easily. So, are we doing it now?”
A sudden silence fell over the group as all eyes turned to Billy, the temporary leader. He sighed, making the decision for everyone. “We’re leaving. Let’s find Captain.”
Everyone nodded, but just as they were about to get up, Billy stopped.
“What is it?” Jeffrey asked.
Billy blinked fast, his face paling slightly. “I think I heard something.”
Before anyone could respond, a soldier hurried to the door. “You damn rogues! You were the ones who did this!” the soldier exclaimed, eyes wild with rage.
Alerted, the four members of the Midnight Seven exchanged glances, waiting for the soldier’s attack. They swiftly took him down, then fought off two more soldiers as they made their way out of the dungeon.
As they ran through the hall, Billy suddenly halted. Jeffrey quickly noticed and turned to another hall where a door stood at the end.
Hearing footsteps, they quickly hid and waited.
“I can’t believe we have to follow Prince Kael’s order right now. We should be at the gates, driving away those pesky rogues!” one soldier grumbled.
“Damn right. Now we’re stuck in this dungeon and have to secure it for his mate. From what I remember, she’s just a rogue,” the other soldier said.
“Tell me about it. Now we’re protecting a rogue from other rogues! What kind of setup is this?”
“Quit complaining. I heard she’s unwell. She even spoke to Sana Azalea before the sacred lady died. Hm, maybe she’s not as ordinary a rogue as we thought?”
“Please tell me you don’t seriously believe that rumor…A rogue is still a rogue no matter if they talk to a holy figure or not!”
“Shh! Don’t let Master Jed hear you. He’ll report you to Prince Kael and you’ll be dead meat.”
The door creaked open and the two soldiers entered. It was too far that Billy wasn’t able to see what was inside.
Nevertheless, Jeffrey shot him a glance and said in a low voice, “They’re talking about the captain, aren’t they?”
The other two quickly looked at Billy.
Billy took a deep breath and pointed to the door. “Let’s check it.”
The other three nodded in unison.
After a few minutes and taking down soldier after soldier, they entered the room and were stunned at what they saw.