The sky began to bleed with the colors of dawn—lavender, gray, and crimson—casting a haunting glow over the estate. But the beauty of the sunrise held no comfort. It only marked time, a cruel reminder of the war creeping ever closer.
Elaina stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching the warriors gather. Some were wolves, towering and fierce. Others were humans with sharp eyes and steady hands. But all of them looked to her now—with respect, with hope, with fear.
Her fingers tightened around the leather hilt of her blade.
"I'm not ready for this," she whispered to herself.
"You've been ready since the day you set foot in this world," said a voice behind her.
She turned to see Kade, dressed in battle armor that still somehow managed to look half-casual. He smirked, spinning a dagger between his fingers.
"Nice speech," he added, eyebrow raised. "Very 'main character' of you."
Elaina chuckled—just barely. "Thanks. I rehearsed it in my head while having a breakdown."
"Same," he said with a wink.
But before the moment could grow light, Lucien's presence entered the field like a storm rolling in. His expression was carved from stone, his eyes scanning the horizon like he was already seeing blood.
"We move at sunrise," he said, voice clipped. "Valen's forces are stationed at the Northern Ridge. The ground there is cursed—Elaina, you can't go in alone. You'll need backup."
She nodded, tension locking her spine. "I want Daisy by my side. Her healing magic might be the only reason some of us make it out alive."
Lucien hesitated. "And me?"
Her breath caught. "You'll be leading the main charge. I trust you to hold the front."
Lucien stepped closer. "That's not what I asked."
Her voice broke. "You're always by my side, Lucien. Even when you're not."
For a second, the wall between them cracked. His hand reached for hers, squeezing it once, hard, before releasing it.
---
The March
As they made their way toward the Northern Ridge, the group moved in tight formation. Kade cracked jokes to ease the tension. Daisy hummed under her breath, channeling protective magic into their path.
"Elaina," Daisy whispered, "If things go wrong… if I don't make it back—"
"You will," Elaina cut her off. "Don't say that."
"But if I don't—promise me you'll find your happiness. No matter what happens with Lucien. Or Valen."
Elaina blinked back tears. "You're my family, Daisy. You come back. That's the deal."
Behind them, Lucien's voice barked orders, preparing the wolves for transformation. The forest was close now. Too close.
And then the ground began to rumble.
---
The Ambush
The first arrow came out of nowhere—silent, sharp, and aimed directly at Elaina's heart. Lucien knocked it away with a flash of claws just in time.
They were surrounded.
Valen's army emerged from the trees—twice the size they'd expected. Shadows cloaked the wolves behind him, and the air shimmered with dark spells.
Elaina stepped forward, magic bursting from her palms.
"Fall back to formation!" Lucien shouted. "Shield Elaina!"
But she was already moving, her body moving with ancient grace as power filled her veins. The forest trembled.
From the center of the chaos, Valen stepped forward—black-cloaked and smiling.
"Hello again, little witch," he said. "Did you miss me?"
Her heart twisted with fury. "You're done manipulating me."
He grinned wider. "Am I?"
And then—everything exploded.
The explosion shattered the ground beneath them.
Elaina flew back from the shockwave, crashing into a tree as dust and flame consumed the battlefield. Her ears rang. Her vision blurred. The world tilted on its axis.
"Elaina!" she heard someone scream—Daisy or Kade, she couldn't tell.
A pair of strong arms lifted her before she could fully collapse. The scent of forest rain and smoke hit her senses—Lucien.
"You're okay," he muttered, scanning her face, though his hands trembled. "You're okay."
"No," she rasped. "I'm not."
Because across the clearing, she saw him—Valen. Untouched. Unbothered. Smiling.
And standing beside him… was someone Elaina hadn't expected to see. A woman with golden eyes, ethereal in her beauty.
Lucien's entire body stiffened. "Lilith," he growled.
Elaina blinked. "Who is—"
"She was my first mate," Lucien said bitterly. "She died years ago. Or so I thought."
Lilith's voice echoed across the battlefield. "Did you miss me, Alpha?"
Lucien stepped forward, every part of him tense. Elaina grabbed his hand instinctively. "Don't," she said. "Not yet. That's what they want. To break you."
Lucien glanced at her—and in that one look, everything cracked open.
"I already broke the moment I thought I'd lost you," he whispered.
Elaina's heart lurched, but before she could reply, Kade's voice rang out from behind them.
"Hey, hate to interrupt the angsty romantic moment, but the death squad's regrouping!"
Elaina snapped back into focus.
"Formation!" she yelled, magic flaring around her. "Protect the wounded! We hold the line here!"
The battle resumed—spells clashing, steel against claw. Daisy summoned shields as Kade weaved through enemies, hurling daggers and sarcastic insults with equal precision.
"Elaina!" Daisy shouted. "Behind you!"
Too late.
Valen's shadow blade sliced through the air—aimed at Elaina's heart. But it never reached her.
Lucien leapt between them, taking the hit across his shoulder with a brutal snarl.
"Lucien!"
He staggered but didn't fall. "You think a little darkness can kill me?" he snarled at Valen. "You'll need more than shadows to destroy me."
Blood dripped down his arm, but his eyes burned with unrelenting fire.
Valen tilted his head. "Interesting. You're willing to bleed for her. Are you willing to die?"
Elaina stepped beside Lucien, her aura flaring gold. "No," she said. "But you are."
Together, they unleashed their power—light and darkness crashing into Valen and Lilith. The ground cracked. The trees shook.
It wasn't over.
But for the first time, Valen stumbled.