The battlefield was chaos. Wolves and hunters clashed in a blur of blood and silver, the night filled with snarls, screams, and the clash of steel. The blood moon glared down like an unblinking eye, watching as fate unraveled in crimson threads.
Aria's body still hummed with the power she had unleashed, her veins tingling with the memory of shattering the silver spear. But the strength that had surged through her was fading, leaving her shaky and unsteady. She clutched at her chest, trying to breathe, even as Damien fought with savage fury to keep the hunters from reaching her.
And then she saw it.
From the shadows, another hunter moved a hooded figure carrying not a blade, but a heavy crossbow, loaded with a single, gleaming bolt. Silver tipped. The hunter's eyes locked on Aria, his lips twisting into a cruel smile.
Time seemed to slow.
"Aria!" Damien's roar thundered across the clearing, his golden fur slick with blood as he tried to close the distance. But he was too far. Too many hunters stood in his way.
The bolt flew.
Aria froze, her body still weak, too drained to call on the power again. Her eyes widened, her heart seizing in her chest as the silver arrow streaked toward her.
But it never struck her.
Lila moved faster than thought. She leapt into the air, her wolf form a blur of fur and light, throwing herself into the path of the arrow. The bolt pierced her side, sinking deep, the silver burning through her like fire. Her yelp of pain split the night, raw and gut-wrenching.
"NO!" Aria's scream tore from her throat as Lila collapsed to the ground, her wolf body trembling violently.
Damien reached them in seconds, ripping through the hunter with a fury so vicious that the man's scream was cut short before it even began. Then he was at Lila's side, shifting back into human form, his hands shaking as he tried to pull the bolt free.
But silver was unforgiving. The more he touched it, the deeper it seemed to burn. Lila whimpered, shifting back into her human body, blood soaking through her clothes, sweat glistening on her brow.
Aria dropped to her knees beside her, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Why?" she choked out, clutching Lila's hand. "Why would you...."
Lila's lips curved into a faint smile, even as her body trembled with pain. "Because… you're my friend. My sister. And you…" She coughed, blood staining her lips. "You're the future, Aria. You and Damien. The pack needs you more than it will ever need me."
Aria shook her head fiercely, sobbing. "No! Don't you dare say that! We can save you there has to be a way"
"There isn't," Lila whispered, her voice soft but steady. Her eyes glowed faintly, wolf-light flickering even in human form. "Silver kills us slow, and it's already too deep. Don't waste time trying. Fight. Survive. Make this mean something."
Damien's jaw clenched, his golden eyes bright with unshed tears. He had seen death before too much of it but Lila's sacrifice cut deep, because it was for Aria. For love, for loyalty, for a bond stronger than blood.
"Tell me you'll lead them," Lila rasped, her gaze fixed on Aria. "Tell me you'll rise, no matter what comes."
Aria's heart shattered, but she gripped Lila's hand tighter, pressing her forehead against hers. "I swear it. I swear I'll rise. I'll make them remember you. I'll make them remember this."
A single tear slipped down Lila's cheek, mingling with Aria's. Her body shuddered once, twice… and then went still. The light in her eyes faded, leaving only silence.
Aria's scream ripped through the battlefield, raw and uncontainable. Wolves turned, their howls echoing her grief, rising into the blood-soaked night like a lament for one of their own.
Damien rose slowly, his entire body trembling. He looked down at Lila's still form, then at the hunters who remained, and something inside him broke. His golden eyes blazed with fury so fierce it was almost blinding.
"You've taken enough from us," he growled, his voice low and deadly. "Now we take everything from you."
The pack roared as one, surging forward with newfound rage. They fought with teeth and claws sharpened by grief, tearing into the hunters until the clearing was painted with blood and silence fell once more.
But for Aria, silence brought no peace.
She cradled Lila's lifeless body in her arms, rocking gently, her sobs quiet now, her tears falling endlessly. For the first time, the bond she shared with Damien wasn't enough to hold her together. A piece of her heart had been ripped away, and nothing could replace it.
When Damien knelt beside her, pulling her close, she didn't resist. She leaned into him, broken, as the blood moon bore witness to a sacrifice that would haunt them both forever.
And in the shadows of her grief, Aria knew this truth: Lila had given her life so that Aria could live. And if she was to honor that sacrifice, she could never falter again.