Hope.
15
ALPHA SABLE
The forest floor feels alive beneath my paws as I lead my pack through the dense undergrowth. Even in wolf form, I can smell the acrid tang of smoke and ash from the recent battles. The war between the Storm Eagles and Haven’s Heart has scorched parts of our territory, turning lush woodland into blackened scars.
Three days have passed since the public confrontation at the aerie’s execution platform. With the shifter world in upheaval, I watched with growing concern as Viktor systematically rebuilt his Storm Eagle clan authority. He dismissed the council’s concerns as “ground-dweller deception” and accelerated his plans for the Dire Wolf alliance. Half the clan still follows him—some from fear, others from genuine belief in his vision of Storm Eagle supremacy. The window for peaceful resolution has closed.
Behind me, twelve of my most trusted wolves move in perfect formation—silent, deadly, and completely loyal. We’ve been tracking a group of Dire Wolves for three days, following their unmistakable scent of decay and blood. These aren’t our kin;they’re Viktor’s new allies, and they’ve been encroaching deeper into neutral territories with each passing day.
I pause at a stream crossing, lifting my nose to catch the wind. The Dire Wolves’ scent is stronger now, mixed with something else—human blood. My hackles rise instinctively. Dire Wolves don’t take prisoners; they hunt for sport.
A soft whine from Ash, my beta, alerts me to movement ahead. I signal the pack to spread out, flanking whatever lies beyond the ridge. As I crest the small hill, the scene below freezes my blood.
A Haven’s Heart medical wagon lies overturned in a small clearing. Bodies are scattered around it—guards, a driver, and what appears to be medical personnel. The Dire Wolves have already moved on, leaving only carnage behind. But there’s movement—someone is still alive.
I shift forms in a fluid motion, fur receding as my body straightens into human form. My red hair falls loose around my shoulders as I signal the others to maintain wolf form and establish a perimeter.
“Check for survivors,” I command, my voice rough from days spent as my wolf.
Ash shifts beside me, his lanky human form materializing as he nods and moves toward the wagon. The rest of the pack circles the clearing, noses to the ground, ensuring the Dire Wolves aren’t lying in wait.
I approach the nearest body—a woman in a Haven’s Heart medical uniform. Dead, her throat torn out. The wagon bears the same insignia I’ve seen on supply runs to the northern settlements. This was no random attack; the Dire Wolves targeted medical personnel specifically.
“Sable!” Ash calls from behind the wagon. “We’ve got a live one!”
I hurry over to find him kneeling beside a man half-hidden under the overturned vehicle. The survivor wears a Haven’s Heart uniform, but the insignia marks him as a scientific staff, not military personnel. Blood soaks his side where claws have ripped through his protective gear.
“He’s barely hanging on,” Ash says, already applying pressure to the wound.
I kneel beside them, examining the injury. “Dire Wolf attack, but they didn’t finish him. Why?”
“They were interrupted,” the man gasps, his eyes fluttering open. “Storm Eagles… fighting among themselves… one group attacked the Dire Wolves.”
My pulse quickens. “Eagles fighting Eagles?”
“Golden one… against the silver-streaked one.” His breathing grows labored. “The silver one grabbed Doctor Ashford. Said she was key to his plan…”
Elena Ashford—the scientist who’d been captured by Viktor. We’d heard rumors of her escape with the Storm Eagle leader, but nothing confirmed until now.
“Where did they take Dr.Ashford?” I ask, leaning closer.
“I heard them mention ancient ruins… southern mountains. And Viktor’s war camp at Black Ridge.” Blood bubbles at the corner of his mouth. “They found something… needs protection. All clans… in danger.”
His eyes roll back as his body goes limp. I press my fingers to his neck, feeling for a pulse. Still there, but fading fast.
“We need to get him to a healer,” I tell Ash. “Now.”
“Our territory is closer than any Haven’s Heart settlement,” he reminds me, already fashioning a makeshift stretcher from broken wagon parts.
“Then we take him to Mother Willow.” I glance around the clearing, noting the patterns of the attack. “This was planned—the Dire Wolves knew exactly where to strike.”
Ash nods grimly. “Viktor’s intelligence network is better than we thought.”
“Or he has a traitor in Haven’s Heart.” I help secure the wounded man to the stretcher. “Either way, we need to find out what Dr.Ashford discovered that’s so important.”
We move quickly through the forest, four wolves carrying the stretcher while the others maintain guard positions. The sun climbs higher as we travel deeper into Northern Forest Clan territory—my territory. Unlike the Storm Eagles with their mountain aeries or Haven’s Heart with their fortified settlements, we wolf-shifters live in harmony with the land, our boundaries marked by scent rather than walls.
