Alpha Rivers marched us through his territory for hours. We'd had word from the border that fleets of Alpha Kane's men had leached into the pack so our primary task was to find as many as we could and kill them.

All the patrols were doing the same thing but only the most unfortunate of Alpha Kane's men were found by us. Not only were their chances of survival incredibly low against the eight strongest men in the entire Pheonix army but Alpha Rivers fought with an unimaginable ruthlessness and violence. Throughout that day I watched him mercilessly batter our enemy far beyond what was necessary and practically enjoy watching their lives slowly drain away.

I had already known what he was capable of. I'd lived through years of his attacks on my people. But to actually see him in the act was a stark reminder of who he was - even if this time we were fighting alongside each other.

It was after chasing a group down into a valley where they met their gruesome end at the hands of Alpha Rivers and his men that we found ourselves climbing back up a steep cliff. The rock crumbled with every step, sending stones echoing down to the bottom of the valley.

I was light and nimble compared to all eight of the men but I had the disadvantage of having shorter limbs. So as I tried to reach up to the same ledge I had just watched Alpha Rivers climb to, I missed by a few inches and slipped down.

Fortunately, Lou, who was behind me, stopped my fall before I tumbled all the way down but I still ground my knee against the rock. 

"I've got you," Lou said.

I winced with pain as I looked down at my torn trousers and the blood pouring out.

"Hurry up," I heard Alpha Rivers grumble from above as he reached down and grabbed my wrist, easily hauling me up to the ledge, "We don't have time for this."

He glanced down at my knee and just sighed in frustration.

"It's not too late to send you to the fucking caves," he hissed, "Get yourself together, Esme. Show me you are fit to fight this war."

I brushed myself down, "I just lost my grip," I said.

"I don't give a shit," he replied, shoving me forward, "Just don't do it again."

I looked down to my knee again and tried to wipe some of the grit from the wound but my hand only got covered in the sticky red blood.

"Your shirt," Alpha Rivers said gruffly as he reached forward to grab the middle of my top where there was a large blotch of blood, "Did you injury your stomach too?"

"No," I said, "That's not mine," I replied.

When I'd shot a soldier with an arrow earlier, he'd fallen forwards ontop of me, the blood from his wound pouring onto my shirt.

"Good," was his only response before he ushered me forward and lifted me to the next ledge of the cliff, "The wound on your knee can wait until we make camp. I'm not hanging around in low ground like this just to treat a graze."

I climbed the rest of the cliff with Alpha Rivers close behind me, shoving me up forcefully at any slight hesitation, before he marched us on for hours more.

"We'll make camp here," Alpha Rivers announced as it was beginning to get dark, "Asher, Eli. Go and collect enough firewood to last until dawn. It's going to be cold tonight."

The two soldiers obediently nodded and marched into the forest before Alpha Rivers turned to another one of his men.

"April and Miles, find something to eat. Something with meat," he added, "And Lennon and Flynn, we'll need fresh water."

His men went about fulfilling Alpha Rivers' orders leaving just him, Lou and me in the camp.

"How is your wound?" he asked me gruffly.

"It's fine," I replied looking down at my knee.

My pants were ripped and the fabric stuck painfully to the open gash but it was hardly life-threatening.

"Sit," he ordered, clicking his fingers at a log, "Let me look."

"I said it's fine," I replied.

"And I said sit," he repeated.

I reluctantly sat down and let him crouch down in front of me.

"Unless you want an infection, that needs cleaning," he said after a quick inspection.

He then reached for the bottom of my pants and began to lift them up.

I immediately slapped his hand off me. He looked up at me with a hard glare before reaching for my pants again.

"Don't touch me," I hissed.

With that, he clenched his jaw and grabbed my pants forcefully. As I reached forward to push him away again, he grabbed my hands in his and continued to lift up my trouser leg.

I winced as the fabric peeled off the wound that it had welded to as the blood dried. Once my knee was out in the open air, he let go of my hands but held my leg as he reached for his water skin.

I tried to prize his fingers off me but he wouldn't budge.

"I'm fucking helping you," he growled, "Stop fighting me."

"I can do it myself," I spat.

He clenched down on his jaw hard before angrily throwing the water skin into my hands and getting straight to his feet, turning his back on me. I saw Lou watching him nervously as he took deep breaths but I just got on with cleansing my knee.

His frustration was not my problem.

The water cooled the stinging and it was a relief to rid myself of the grit and mud that had gathered in it but it was large and deep. The healing process had hardly even started and leaving it uncovered would only lead to more dirt getting in.

"Do you need a bandage?" Lou asked a few moments later as new blood began to trickle out of it.

I nodded and he looked briefly to Alpha Rivers before reaching into his satchel and pulling out a clean bandage.

"Thank you," I said as he handed it to me before I carefully wrapped my knee.

The other men slowly returned and soon enough we had a warm roaring fire which three rabbits cooked above.

Alpha Rivers hadn't said a word to me and only spoke to give gruff orders to his men. We all ate pretty much in silence.

When I had eaten and drunk enough I stood up and began walking into the forest away from the warm flames of the fire.

"Where are you going?" Alpha Rivers asked me.

"To urinate," I said, "Is that allowed?"

He didn't reply and I just continued on my way.

"Follow her," I heard him say quietly and one of the men stood up from the fire and followed me into the trees.

I rolled my eyes, "Clearly not," I muttered.

I turned around to see the soldier named 'Asher'. He seemed to be looking anywhere but at me and I hadn't even started peeing yet. Out of all the men at that campfire, Alpha Rivers just had to assign him with this task. The poor kid looked about sixteen, mortified at the thought of being involved in such a private female activity.

"You don't have to follow me," I said, "I won't tell."

He seemed shocked at even the thought.

"I can't disobey the Alpha," he replied.

I sighed, "Whatever."

I walked only a little further away, until I was certain only Asher would have to hear me pee, before I instructed him to turn around.

"Why is your Alpha such a cunt anyway?" I asked him as I did my business.

"Do you expect me to answer that?" he questioned.

"He's not royalty. You won't be killed for treason," I replied.

"Alpha Rivers doesn't need a reason to kill people," Asher said quietly.

"Hmm, I guess not," I said.

Out of the seven men of Alpha Rivers' men, I hadn't heard a single one of them question him all day. They followed his orders like robots and didn't dare show him anything but the utmost respect. But this attitute was reserved purely for their Alpha. Even as leader of the Nightingale pack, I received no such treatment. April still gave me dirty looks for his encounter with my fist earlier and the other men took zero notice of me. When I spoke, the only one that seemed to listen was the Beta, Lou, and he and Alpha Rivers were the only two that ever exchanged words with men.

It was lonely to say the least.

A few moments later and much to Asher's relief, I was done and we made our way back to the camp.

"Shockingly, we survived," I remarked.

"I'm taking the first shift keeping watch," Alpha Rivers said, ignoring my comment, "Go to sleep, Esme."

The men, who had now all buttoned their jackets up to their necks, were settling down by the fire. Asher headed back over to a spot on the other side of the fire leaving only one small space left -between Lou and Alpha Rivers left. In order to avoid freezing to death in the December air, I had no choice but to slip into it, sitting down closer to Lou than Alpha Rivers as I pulled my hood up over my head. I then lay down on my side, refusing to face Alpha Rivers and opting to stare at the back of Lou's head instead as I attempted to fall asleep.

I lay there for what felt like hours wide awake. My muscles ached and my eyes were heavy with exhaustion but I couldn't seem to settle my mind to sleep. The air was also bitterly cold and every time I began to drift off, an uncontrollable shiver would jolt me awake.

At some point, I rolled onto my back hoping a change in position would help. I noticed Alpha Rivers glance down at me from where he was sat keeping watch. At first, he just looked away but a few minutes later he silently picked up a stick and prodded the dying fire. He then threw another log into it sending instant warmth radiating out which at long last allowed me to sleep.

But the next morning was still a cold one. The fire had been reduced to a pile of ash and charcoal and the icy air turned my every breath to a cloud of white.

Alpha Rivers was already up, his knife firmly in its holster as he stood looking out into the trees.

"We'll continue heading North," he announced. "There's been no sign of Alpha Kane's men since the valley. They've either retreated to regroup or the guard patrols are doing an excellent job at holding them back. Either way, we are useless here."

"Flynn," he added turning back to face us, "Make sure that message gets spread. All offensive patrols are to head to towards the borders."

Flynn was our designated messenger. He was a tall man with long athletic legs who could run at a maintained speed I didn't think previously possible.

"Unless plans change, we'll be heading for the Northern road where the disused bridge crosses over the gulley. Find us there tonight," he ordered.

Flynn nodded before running into the woods.

"The Northern road is the only way to get horse-drawn carts directly into the territory from Alpha Kane's territory. If he wants to get supplies and weapons to his men, that is the route he'll have to take. But the road quickly slopes down between cliffs and banks leaving anyone below vulnerable. The bridge gives us the perfect opportunity to ambush from above on both sides and prevent Alpha Kane supplying his men from within or setting up a camp, therefore preventing any men that get through the guard patrols from taking long term occupancy."

Lou nodded, "And if they don't have a camp, they can't take prisoners, they can't communicate effectively, they can't coordinate a large offensive that would give us the disadvantage of being outnumbered."

"Exactly," Alpha Rivers replied, "So let's go."

He didn't hesitate to start marching. The men all followed and I dragged along behind them.

"How did you sleep?" Lou asked me.

"Shit," I grumbled, "You?"

"Very shit," he said, "Winter crept up on us quickly it appears. But we'll get used to it."

"How long do you think we'll be doing this for?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Nobody knows but this enemy is strong and will not be taken down easily if at all."

"How do you all know so much about Alpha Kane?" I asked, "I'd never heard of him and Nightingale borders Pheonix."

Lou paused, "Alpha Rivers has a history with him."

"A history?"

I looked to my left to examine his face. His jaw was suddenly all tight and he just looked at the floor.

"Don't worry about," he said with a smile, "It's a long, twisted story."

"You can't tell me, can you?" I asked looked ahead at Alpha Rivers.

"No," he admitted.

I nodded, "I understand."

It was hours before we stopped again. Alpha Rivers led the pace and he took no mercy on anyone with short legs so when he finally turned and silently gestured at his men to break, it was a massive relief.

I leant against a tree and took a deep breath before I looked around.

There was a stream a hundred yards away and I knew my waterskin had run out so I screwed off the lid and wandered off. I caught Alpha River's attention but the stream was in view and thankfully he didn't follow me. I was already tired. The last thing I wanted to do was put up with him again.

When I reached the stream I filled the skin and took a refreshing breath of the cool water. As I leant down to refill it, I noticed the bloodstain from the previous day on my shirt.

I grimaced and held it out to examine as I frowned. It was fully dry and I stood no chance of removing the stain but I could at least try to get some of the crusty blood off. So I walked down the stream a little until I was out of sight of the patrol and took my shirt off before I began soaking the patch with the stain it in the water.

I tried scrubbing and rinsing and squeezing but whatever I did the vibrant red remained.

"Good luck getting that out," Alpha River said with a laugh.

"Jesus," I said quickly standing up and covering myself as best I could, "Do you mind?"

"Nothing I haven't seen before, love," he replied with a smirk, "And you're hot. Why are you shy?"

"Just turn around whilst I cover myself," I ordered.

"You are such a Nightingale," he scoffed, "In summer an unmated Pheonix woman would happily walk around naked."

"Well it's not summer and I'm not a Pheonix woman," I hissed, "Now turn around."

"You're also not unmated..." he murmured as he slowly turned, giving me some degree of privacy to change in.

"And I'm not one to judge. I don't care if you all like to fuck each other in your spare time. That's fine. But it's not what we do in the Nightingale pack and you don't need to judge us either," I replied as I pulled my shirt back on.

"You save yourselves for your mates. I get it. How lovely. But that means that you saved yourself for me. Yet you won't even let me see your body? Explain that," he said turning around again before I could even pull my shirt all the way down.

His eyes flashed down to my chest once again before I could finally regain modesty.

"The answer to that is you're a piece of shit and I don't want you anywhere near me," I replied.

"So you plan to die a virgin?"

I shrugged, "Maybe. Maybe I'll meet someone better one day," I said knowing it would piss him off.

He gave me a sarcastic smile.

"If you're done doing your laundry, I came to tell you we're leaving. Don't make us wait," he said before turning his back on me and marching back to his men.

I followed him and we walked without another word for hours more.