Aliyah was all set to leave. Her bags were packed, her heart pounding. Leo stood tall beside her, his werewolf pack ready to move. The Council had assembled to witness their departure. Alpha Dominic stood at the front, flanked by Beta Garrick.
Dominic stepped forward and extended his hand. Leo took it, their grips firm a silent exchange of strength and status. A smirk tugged at Dominic's lips as he said, "I hope you return safe… and alive."
The words landed heavily, sharp beneath the pretense of goodwill.
Leo offered a polite smile. "Thank you for the hospitality. I'll be sure to return the favor if you ever visit my pack."
Garrick approached Leo, his expression unreadable. "So, you're finally leaving," he said, a smirk ghosting across his face. "Nice of you. Though… you're leaving with something of mine. I hope it's worth it."
There was something in his eyes unspoken, heavy. And just behind Leo, Bayle stood still, his gaze briefly locking with Garrick's. Whatever passed between them, it was quick… and loaded.
Garrick bowed stiffly. Leo gave a single nod, understanding more than he let on. Words would only make things worse.
With a howl from one of Leo's wolves, the visiting pack began to move. Aliyah turned from Leo's side and walked over to Laura, eyes glassy with tears.
"I can't believe it's happening," Aliyah whispered.
Laura gripped her hand tightly. "Just promise me you'll be happy."
Aliyah nodded, her throat too tight for words. They hugged for the last time, holding on like they might never again. Then Aliyah stepped back, eyes lingering on the faces of those she had grown up with friends, allies, and ghosts of memories.
She waved at Laura, and a few others waved back, quiet and solemn.
Then she turned… and left with Leo.
---
The journey through the forest was quiet, broken only by the creak of the transport wagon and the steady rhythm of paws on earth. Aliyah sat in the open carriage, a thick cloak wrapped around her as the trees blurred past. Most of the others moved ahead or flanked the sides in wolf form Bayle among them, his silver-gray wolf pacing near the front with silent vigilance.
Leo walked beside the wagon, tension in his shoulders despite the calm in his expression. Every so often, he reached up, his fingers brushing against Aliyah's in silent reassurance. But her thoughts were far from calm.
Behind them, Bayle shifted back into his human form, falling into step beside the carriage. His presence, as always, came with an edge.
"We should reach the border by night fall tomorrow," Leo said quietly.
Aliyah nodded, but her eyes didn't leave Bayle. "I can't shake this unease around him," she murmured. "You know how much he hates me."
Before Leo could respond, Bayle approached the wagon, walking with an easy gait, his posture relaxed but his eyes were sharp.
"Luna-to-be," he said with a polite nod, voice perfectly neutral too neutral. "Comfortable, I hope?"
Aliyah didn't answer, her expression unreadable.
Bayle's gaze flicked to Leo, then back to her. "Just remember, not all wolves howl the same, no matter the forest."
Leo's voice cut through the moment, calm but firm. "You've made your point, Bayle."
Bayle gave a shallow bow. "Of course, Alpha." Then he turned and fell back.
Aliyah drew her cloak tighter. The road ahead was meant to lead to peace but already, the air felt heavier.
---
On the second day of their journey, the group stopped in a quiet forest to rest. Tensions had eased by then. The wolves set up a tent for Leo and Aliyah, while the rest stayed in their werewolf forms, forming a silent perimeter around the camp.
Night settled with the soft rustle of trees, distant owl calls, and birds chirping now and then. Inside the tent, Leo and Aliyah shared quiet glances and soft touches, eventually drifting to sleep in each other's arms.
But not all was calm.
Bayle, however, paced restlessly in his wolf form. His teeth bared in a tight grin, frustration radiating from every step. Whatever plan he had in mind clearly hadn't gone as expected.
Unbeknownst to Bayle, Rylan had been assigned to keep a close eye on him. Leo didn't trust Bayle not for a second. And Rylan knew better than to look away, even for a moment.
Morning came bright, sunlight slicing through the trees as the sky cleared. They packed up and continued their journey, already more than halfway to Leo's territory.
But hours into the ride, they started hearing sounds.
The sound of shifting trees reached their ears unusual, unnatural. A strange hush fell over the group. Tension prickled at Aliyah's skin.
"What is that?" she whispered.
Leo glanced toward the woods, then looked at her calmly. "Don't worry. Stay calm," he said. Then he shifted into his Alpha wolf form without hesitation and ran beside the wagon.
The group didn't stop. They stayed close, their ears twitching, noses lifted to the wind.
They kept moving, paws and wheels pressing forward but the sound behind them kept pace.
Something was following.
They didn't stop.
But the weight of it the unseen, the unknown pressed close, threading through the trees like a shadow.
Bayle, sensing the strange movement too, wasn't focused on helping. Instead, he seemed more interested in worsening the tension. He suggested they slow down, claimed there could be danger ahead but there was something off about the way he said it. It felt more like a trap than a warning.
Leo didn't buy it.
"We move forward," he said firmly. "If there's danger, we face it head-on. At least then, we can fight."
His voice was steady, but concern gnawed at him. They were only seven wolves in total not nearly enough if they were outnumbered.
Still, he stayed calm, his massive Alpha wolf form leading the group through the forest.
The attackers didn't reveal themselves, but the trees continued to shudder and shift around them too deliberately to be the wind. It felt like something was stalking them, pacing just out of reach.
And that silence was worse than any growl.
Suddenly, the air changed.
The rustling trees weren't just trees anymore. They were cover.
From the shadows, dark figures emerged rogues. Fast, fierce, and foaming at the mouth. They moved with purpose, surrounding Leo's pack from both sides. Aliyah's heart skipped. It was an ambush.
Leo immediately let out a warning howl, his powerful Alpha form growling low as he moved to the front.
Then, from behind one of the thicker trees, Garrick stepped out calm, confident, and completely out of place.
Aliyah froze. "Garrick…?"
Bayle, who had been unusually alert moments before, now wore a smug grin. He wasn't surprised. This was his plan from onset.
Garrick's eyes scanned the group and landed on Leo. "You really thought Alpha Dominic would let you walk away with her that easily?"
Leo's growl deepened. With a shimmer of shifting bone and fur, he stood tall in his human form, muscles tense.
Aliyah's heart dropped.
Leo stepped forward, his eyes locked on Garrick. "You?" he asked, voice low.
Garrick smirked. "Dominic sends his regards."
"You're a coward," Leo said coldly.
"And Alpha Dominic is smart," Garrick replied smoothly. "You were guests in his pack he wouldn't risk his reputation. But here?" He gestured to the trees around them. "Here, it's just rogues doing what rogues do. No questions asked."
Bayle chuckled darkly beside him, shifting out of his wolf form just long enough to speak. "This is your last breath as Alpha, Leo. I'll make sure of it."
Aliyah's blood boiled. She looked between Bayle and Garrick of course. Bayle's strange behavior, Garrick's cryptic farewell, Dominic's cold smile. It wasn't random. It was orchestrated.
The betrayal struck harder than she was ready for.
Leo stood firm, his wolves tight around him just six now, with Bayle among the enemy. His voice was steady, sharp as steel.
"Then come and try."
Then, without hesitation, he shifted back fur rippling, muscles coiled for war.
They were outnumbered, the rogues circling like vultures. But Leo didn't flinch.
Not an inch.