I ran in silence towards the village with Alpha Rivers beside me.

"It's been weeks," I said eventually, breaking the quiet, "Where did you go?"

He looked down at me, a sly smile creeping onto his lips, "Why? Did you miss me?" 

"No," I said sharply, "But how could you just vanish like that? It's unsettling."

"I had things to do," he replied shortly before the silence resumed until we reached the edge of the village.

"How many of them are there?" he asked.

"Fourty. There are two villages and a few lone houses around the territory," I said.

He nodded, "My men will round them up."

I clenched my jaw, "Pheonix men," I said, "The same ones who have killed their friends and family members? There are kids in those houses who are orphans because of them."

"We can leave them to die if you'd prefer?" he asked, "Or you can round them up yourself and have your most vulnerable pack members wondering through a warzone unprotected."

I bit my cheek.

Irritatingly, he was right.

"Good," he said sharply, "Now get in one of those houses and stay there until I get back with my men."

I gave him a sarcastic smile, "I think I'll keep working to protect my people, thanks. I don't need you to tell me what to do."

His face hardened before he let out a frustrated sigh, "Just try not to get yourself killed, babe," he grumbled before turning his back on me and marching off.

Just as he went out of my sight, August, the same Nightingale soldier from earlier, appeared in the village.

"Miss Brynn," he said, panting heavily, "I saw one of them follow you and wanted to check you're okay."

"He was killed, don't worry," I said.

"The situation at the border is getting worse. I don't know how much longer we'll be able to hold them back."

I swallowed.

If Alpha Rivers was getting his men from his pack he could be hours.

I nodded, "You get the arrows to the border and then come back to help me round up the civilians in the grain store barn. Alpha Rivers is fetching some of his men but I fear he'll take too long and I can't have our most vulnerable people strewn around unprotected."

We both then sprinted off in opposite directions. I clutched my bow and kept my eyes peeled for any threats the entire time I spent helping the elderly, young and disabled head to the barn where we kept the grain on the edge of the Southern village. It was hardly a fortress but it had bolts and sturdy doors to keep the wild animals out. Hopefully that would be enough before Alpha Rivers returned.

It took over an hour but August and I eventually got all forty of the civilians from all over the pack huddled silently amongst the sacks of grain. Yet we still awaited Alpha Rivers' return and I was already beginning to get anxious.

I was standing guard at the door as August patrolled the forest around us. He said that we'd bought ourselves more time by supplying our soldiers with new arrows but the sounds of the battles going on around the territory still felt closer with every minute so I was prayed to the Goddesses that Alpha Rivers would get to us before they did.

But of course, we weren't that lucky.

"Miss Brynn, on your left!" August shouted from somewhere in the forest.

I looked to the side, spotting a knife-wielding man sprinting towards me. His eyes were aglow and his fangs already withdrawn but I had fast reactions and in seconds he had an arrow in his heart as his eyes drained back to a dull grey.

"We have to go to the Pheonix territory now," I said, "Screw Alpha Rivers. He's too late."

August didn't question and followed me into the grain store as I ushered everyone out.

"Where are we going, Miss Brynn?" an elderly woman asked.

I swallowed, "To Pheonix. Alpha Rivers has offered us refuge there."

"Alpha Rivers?" she repeated, her face paling.

She had a young baby in her arms, maybe a great-grandchild, who she held tighter in her withered arms.

I nodded, "You have every reason not to trust him. But he's with us now and he is our only chance of survival."

She was still reluctant to leave the barn, all the other civilians now gathered behind her, listening eagerly.

"...Do you trust him?" she asked.

Tobias and Rose believed in leading the pack with honesty. I could easily have lied to my people in that moment to encourage them along. It would have been with the good intention to get them to safety, but I had to stick to the Nightingale principles.

I forced a smile, "We have formed an alliance between our packs and I trust that he will satisfy it until our shared enemy is defeated. What he does after the threat has passed...I don't know. But I do know that it won't matter if we stay here and wait to die."

"He's taken dozens of Nightingale lives. How do we know we aren't walking to our deaths?" she asked.

"Miss Brynn!" August called from outside, "There's more of them. They're only a couple of hundred metres from us."

I clenched my fists, looking over my shoulder into the forest.

"He won't hurt you," I said, hardly able to look into her eyes, "I trust him. And we really need to go."

She didn't believe me, I could tell. But she saw the panic on my face and nodded her head before leaving the barn, letting the others follow her.

"Find Alpha Brynn on the Western border," I ordered August, "Tell him we need soldiers and now."

He nodded and sprinted off before I ushered the civilians through the forest as fast the group could move, trying to keep them silent. But with the crunch of leaves under our feet and the occasional gurgle from a small baby, it was impossible.

We'd only got three or so miles when, I suddenly stopped, hearing a rustling in the bushes.

I exchanged glances with the elderly woman at the front of the group.

"Get back," I whispered and she huddled everybody together behind me, holding the children close.

I held the string of my bow taught, aiming into the bush and ready to shoot at the first confirmation of threat.

It came with a glowing set of eyes emerging from the darkness and I shot immediately.

A body dropped out of the shadows revealing the dark uniform of our enemy.

"Oh shit," I cursed as ten more sets of menacing wolf eyes appeared.

I raised my bow and aimed again but they were coming for us fast. There was no way I could fight them all.

But fortunately, I wasn't alone.

As I reloaded my bow, panic coursing through my veins, a dozen more men appeared. They surrounded my people and me, blocking the attack with their powerful punches, sharp claws and sheer size and strength. Soon enough, all nine of the remaining attackers lay on the ground, their wolves draining from their bodies and their blood splattered everywhere.

I gasped as I glanced up to one of our rescuers.

Alpha Rivers. He stood tall above the corpses as his eyes slowly returned from vibrant amber to their usual brown.

He then snapped his gaze up to me.

"I told you to stay in the village," he said, in a deep tone, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"And I ignored you because you aren't in charge here," I said, bluntly, "We were sitting waiting to be slaughtered so I made a decision to protect my people."

"The decision to come out and be slaughtered here instead?" he hissed.

"You left me no choice. What the fuck took you so long?" I questioned.

He clenched his jaw and looked away from me, taking a few deep breaths, "Watch your mouth, Esme," he warned.

"I'll say what I like," I said, ignoring his warning.

"I don't have time to argue with you. As we can all see, the enemy are closing and it won't be long until the passage between Nightingale and Pheonix is infested. We need to go now."

He then looked over my shoulder to the huddle behind me, "That's all of them?"

I nodded.

He looked up to his men and gestured to them before they all began heading forwards.

"You at least have time to try a less terrifying expression," I said, stepping in front of him, "The kids here are already scared enough."

His lip twitched in irritation before he forced a sarcastic smile and roughly wiped the splatters of blood from his face.

"And your men?" I asked still refusing to move out of his way, "The last thing we need is panic and crying children to draw attention to us."

Alpha Rivers rolled his eyes and turned to his men, who all wore steely expressions and daunting demeanours.

"You heard the woman," he said, "Play nice."

In response, there were a few forced smiles and relaxed stances.

That will have to do.

I then let his men surround my people as we moved on, now in far more safety.

I walked with Alpha Rivers at the front with my people and his men following behind us.

"How are your soldiers doing protecting your border?" I asked him.

"Well for now," he said, "When the Nightingale soldiers join them, we will buy ourselves enough time to come up with a plan."

I nodded, "And do we get to know who we're fighting yet or...?"

"No," he said sharply, "I'll explain when we have got your people to safety and Alpha Brynn is here. I don't care to repeat myself."

Before I had the chance to respond, one of his men spoke up.

"Alpha," he said, "This woman is struggling."

I turned to see the elderly woman, who was carrying her great-grandchild in a sling collapsed on the ground. It was obvious she was exhausted and at an age of over ninety and having walked eight miles already, I wasn't surprised.

Alpha Rivers rolled his eyes and marched over to her.

"Be kind," I ordered as he crouched down to her level.

"I will carry the baby for you," he said bluntly, "You are slowing us down."

"No," she said, holding the tiny thing closer to her, "Her mother died at the hands of your men. She'd turn in her grave if she knew her child was anywhere near you."

"Very well," he said standing up with his jaw tightened and his face stiff and cold, "We will leave you and the child. We don't have time to waste."

He then turned on his heel and beckoned his men to walk on.

"Alpha Rivers we are not just leaving them-" I began.

"We are. She's pissed me off," he interrupted as his men walked on, herding the rest of the children and elderly with them.

"Esme, follow," he commanded.

"No," I said, "These are my people and I will decide what we do."

He turned around and looked at me with frustration.

He hated this.

Helping people.

It wasn't his thing.

Not having total control wasn't his thing either. My defiance to not leave an innocent, vulnerable woman and baby behind in a war zone seemed to come as an unwelcome surprise to him and it pissed him off.

Ignoring this, I went back to the old woman.

"Will you trust your little one with me?" I asked, helping her to her feet.

She glanced at Alpha Rivers once more before nodding.

I smiled and took the infant from her before looping my arm into hers and helping her to her feet.

"Slow the pace, Alpha Rivers," I ordered, "We're not leaving anyone behind."

He glared at me but waited reluctantly for us to catch up before carrying on at a slower speed.

"Good luck with him, dear," she said to me quietly as I supported her through the forest.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Well he's your mate, isn't he?" she asked.

My eyes widened. That wasn't something we'd announced to the pack nor was it something I wanted to get around.

"...how did you...?" I stuttered.

"I've lived long enough to recognise a couple of mates when I see it," she replied, "And besides, he's Alpha Rivers. Yet you can push him around and live to tell the tale? You must be special."

I looked up at the treetops and blinked a couple of times as I bit the side of my cheek.

"Please don't tell anyone," I pleaded, "I can't have the people of this pack knowing one of their leaders is his mate."

"Don't worry, child. Your secret is safe for me," she said, "But you can't blame yourself for fate. It's what you do with it that matters."