Luna took refuge behind a hut and aimed the crossbow. Her hands were steady on the weapon. She closed her eyes, and through her, we shot the bolt at Alpha Clayton. It happened so quickly that no one had time to react. The second one hit Rufus, and that was when people understood what was going on.
“We’re under attack!” Alice shouted.
Luna didn’t bother trying to hide. “Oh, are you really?” she drawled as we all emerged from our hiding spots. “Maybe it’s just that you’re finally paying the price for everything you’ve done.”
Everyone stared at her in disbelief. She was still carrying the crossbow, so it was obvious that she was the one who’d shot her father and Rufus.
“You thought I would kill my mates, didn’t you? Why are you so surprised I’d turn on my father, instead?”
“Y-You’re an Omega,” Alice stammered.
Luna rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re still stuck on that one. Get over yourself, Alice. I might not be as strong as you, but guess what? I still come from the Clayton bloodline. And you know what that means? Right now, I’m the best chance our two packs have to survive.”
Alice stared down at her fallen son, as if expecting Rufus to get up and fight. He didn’t. He wasn’t dead, but he was writhing on the ground in pain, clawing at himself, unable to breathe.
Luna’s poisoned blood had worked beautifully, just like we’d known it would. There was a poetic justice in that, in the fact that she was the one who’d ultimately ended their lives and made them pay for everything they’d done.
Alice didn’t seem to agree. “Y-You… Stop this. Fix this.”
“Why should we, Mother?” Rowan asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “You had no trouble with the idea of poisoning my mate and killing our unborn pup.”
I couldn’t help but smirk smugly. “How the tables have turned. It looks like your Alphas are dying. What are you going to do about it?”
We knew we were taking a big chance through this. The Firewolves and Wolfsbanes were all on the edge and could easily attack us. But if there was one thing that remained a constant in a pack, it was that we all needed an Alpha. Without one, a pack was lost.
The Alpha bloodlines traditionally led all the packs in the Chaos Valley, but it was possible for a challenger to replace them. The connection between the Alpha and the pack members wasn’t as strong if that happened, but it was there.
In our case, the lines were blurred, but she was still the last remaining Clayton. She’d also killed Andrea, while Rowan had destroyed many of the supplies in the healer’s hut. That meant Edgar and Rufus were on their own against the poison. And we had a different ace up our sleeve, one we didn’t intend to reveal until the time was right.
“I have no intention of doing anything more,” Nate explained. “But if they are powerful, worthy Alphas, their bloodlines alone will save them. They won’t need anything else.”
“You can’t be serious,” Albert said. He was Rufus’s sole remaining Beta, but he was no match for Rowan.
“Listen, Albert, this has gone on for long enough,” Rowan replied. “My brother’s mating to Luna was supposed to ensure our packs remained at peace with one another. And yet, here we are now, fighting over something that shouldn’t have been an issue. Why? The chaos is finally here for us, after so many years. Those of us who don’t have mates should be out there, looking for their other halves. Instead, we’re fighting a pointless war.”
“A few weeks ago, I’d have blamed myself for all this, just like you blame me,” Luna added. “But I know better than to believe this fight is about me. Firewolves and Wolfsbanes have always hated one another. And there’s been enough blood spilled already. So on this day, let the poison in our blood decide who lives and who dies. I lived. So did my pup. Let’s see what happens to your Alphas.”
“You had the healer’s aid, Omega,” Alice hissed. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be walking around now, attacking your betters.”
“Ah, yes, so I did. What a shame that she’s dead now. Oh, well. I guess they’ll have to do without, though of course, you can try to help them if you want.”
Luna’s words were like a cue. The other wolves snapped out of their trance, rushing to their Alphas’ aid. It was strange, but as they attempted to give aid to their fallen Alphas, they didn’t even look at us.
We moved out of the way and sat down against the wall of a nearby hut. Luna leaned against my shoulder and closed her eyes. She seemed relaxed but her hold on the crossbow was still very tight. I cradled her closer and made a mental vow. No matter what happened, I wouldn’t fail her again.
* * *
Nathaniel
It took less than an hour for fate—or Mother Nature—to give us its response. Edgar Clayton died in terrible pain. Toward the end, his body had kept shifting, trying to battle the poison, but it had all been for nothing.
It was ironic, because Luna had survived the wolfsbane on her own for some time before we’d made our way to Andrea. Alpha Clayton had died very quickly. I didn’t know why that was, but many Wolfsbanes were giving Luna frightened looks after that.
For us, the whole thing was almost anticlimactic. We didn’t move from the spot we’d chosen for ourselves, waiting to see what happened. Alice tried to approach us, hoping to convince us to help Rufus. But Rowan quickly sent her away, and she was forced to give up.
In the end, she needn’t have worried, because Rufus survived. A few hours after Luna shot him, he opened his eyes, though he was as weak as a newborn pup. Soon after, he fell asleep again, but he would make a complete recovery.
Once we heard about that, it was time for us to make our final move. Abandoning our weaponry, we shifted into our lupine forms and made our way to the center of the settlement.
