They were getting close. Uncomfortably close.

Their heavy footsteps vibrated the ground as their hushed whispers became clearer and clearer.

I clutched my bow, Lou gripped his knife and every Pheonix soldier I could see, held his breath ready to spring into action as soon as Alpha Rivers gave us the signal.

We were all hidden, still and silent. They wouldn't know we were here until they were close enough to catch our scents at which point we'd lose the element of surprise. But Alpha Rivers held out and my anxiety only rose.

When I peered around the wall of the bridge that I took cover behind, I could see figures emerging from the forest. They were all hesitant and careful, clearly surveying the surroundings and looking for any sign of us.

I was crouched on one knee, my skin digging into gritty stone floor as the other leg began to cramp.

I was ready and dying to attack.

Come on, Alpha Rivers.

What are you waiting for?

They inched closer, weapons wielded as they crept step by step, constantly pausing to look around. We were completely surrounded but there was ten of them and seven of us left.

We stood a chance.

Well, that's if we ever attack instead of sitting here cramping up and waiting for them to catch our scents.

"Maybe they've fled," A voice said a few moments later, "Like sheep."

There was a pause, "Something's not right. This is Alpha Rivers we are talking about."

Maybe he was delaying for the sake of our back up, maybe he was waiting for them to drop their guard after convincing themselves that we weren't here.

Whatever his reason, I'm not sure I could take much more anticipation. I could go against his orders and shoot before his signal but I knew his men were too disciplined to follow my lead and I would be alone. It would decimate the plan. So I held the lump in my throat and ignored the sickness in my stomach, fixating my attention on Alpha Rivers instead.

"Maybe you're right," the second said, "They would have attacked by now if they were here."

It was then, as the swords and knives began to be lowered and the enemy soldiers stood up straighter, that Alpha Rivers finally slowly raised his right hand.

They began to turn their backs on us, gathering to discuss their next move.

And then in an instant, Alpha Rivers gave the quick flick of his wrist - the signal to unleash everything we had.

I drew my bow and fired it straight at the closest man.

He dropped straight to the ground, the arrow delved deep inside his chest.

We had a three-second head start before Alpha Kane's men fought back. First, they all had to snap their eyes to their lost soldier, process why he was on the floor, push away their emotions and then act. In the meantime, Alpha River's men were attacking with enormous skill.

The skill of the Pheonix pack army was once again working to my advantage. I watched their aims and strength and fearlessness and ruthlessness with a hopeful heart and wondered how on earth the Nightingale pack ever stood a chance against them. They were totally unmatched.

Within a few seconds, Lou had launched his knife straight into the throat of one of them, Alpha Rivers had hit the heart of another and Miles and April were both engaged with an enemy soldier each, their burly arms and sheer power indicating a definite victory.

I shot another arrow and hit another. He dropped to the ground, clutching his throat where blood spurted out before becoming as lifeless as his three other fallen comrades.

Four down, six to go.

I glanced around looking for my next target only to see Flynn struggling. One of Alpha Kane's men had him up against a tree as he tried to bring his knife to his throat. Flynn desperately tried to hold it back but it slowly got closer and closer to his neck as the enemy soldier over powered him. Flynn was tall and slender making him an excellent runner but the trade of was that he wasn't as muscular as the other soldiers and that left him struggling.

I raised my bow and inserted an arrow before pulling back the string and closing one eye. I shot but for whatever reason, maybe because I took too long to aim, maybe because he saw me from the corner of his vision, the soldier dodged my arrow and Flynn's slight distraction ended in the knife finally cutting his throat.

My stomach lurched as he dropped to the floor but the adrenaline coursing through me gave me strength. I pulled another arrow out and shot again, this time perfectly hitting the soldier who was running towards me, stopping him in his tracks within a fraction of a second.

Five down.

I glanced around just in time to see Alpha Rivers kick one of the remaining men in the stomach, sending him flying back into a tree where his neck cracked and bent in an unnatural position. Lou had just finished off another and Miles and April had both won their fistfights.

Nine down.

"There were ten," I said looking anxiously around, "I counted them and there were ten," I repeated.

Nobody had much time to dwell much on the missing soldier because just as I finished my sentence, a fleet of Alpha Kane's men began to emmerge from the trees.

"Onto the bridge," Alpha Rivers barked.

They were all on one side of the road which could only be crossed by either using the bridge or by climbing all the way down the cliff and back up the other side. What was left of our patrol, gathered on the bridge, creating a sturdy formation and only a small range of angles we could be attacked from.

But with Flynn and Eli dead and still no sign of Asher with the backup, there were only six of us left to fight at least a dozen of them.

They began to launch their knives and arrows at us and we launched ours straight back. But we couldn't hold them back, they closed in towards us until we had retreated almost to the other side of the bridge. I focussed my aim on the soldiers who's artillery shaved the closest past our ears and those with the most power in their throws. But after a few minutes, they were so close even the worst aims could hit any one of us any moment.

I aimed my arrow at one as he bent back his arm, ready to launch a knife at Lou but he fell to the ground dead before I could even shoot, an arrow already firmly in his back.

I snapped my eyes up.

Twelve men. Pheonix uniforms. Asher.

Thank the Goddesses.

With them surrounded and now outnumbered, Alpha Kane's men quickly lost the upper hand. They either fled or were killed within minutes and when it was just Pheonix soldiers and me left on the bridge, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in, my thudding heart finally able to relax.

I'd been herded to the back of the group so I saw Lou, Lennon, April and Miles do the same as Alpha Rivers prodded the floppy arm of one of the dead soldiers with his foot. They all had their backs to me and needing a moment to myself to stop my hands from shaking, I took myself to the road on the other side of the bridge and looked up to the comforting, mellow blue of the sky.

It was a moment of peace and relief.

One that was snatched as I felt the all too familiar feeling of a cold blade draw up to my throat.

"Struggle and I will kill you without a second thought, bitch," a voice growled as a hand grabbed me.

Number 10.

I immediately held my hands up, my eyes on the blade that pressed harder against my skin.

"I surrender," I said.

My words must have alerted Alpha Rivers because his ears immediately pricked up and his eyes snapped to me as his face fell. I wondered if his stomach churned like mine did as the situation sunk in, or if the hairs on his neck stood up or if he felt a dryness at the back of his throat.

He withdrew his knife once again and barged through his men, marching towards us.

"One more step and she is dead," the soldier said, pulling me closer to him.

Alpha Rivers froze, eyeing up the blade.

"You're the last of your men standing," he growled, "You won't win here. Let her go and I'll kill you quickly."

Alpha Rivers' expression was demonic.

"Hurt her and you will still die but in the most drawn-out, painful way I can think of...and believe me...I'm creative," he continued, "Your choice."

The soldier nervously adjusted his grip on the knife as Alpha Rivers slowly prowled closer. But his arm tightened around me as he cowered back. Even through his fear, he wasn't giving up.

"Drop your weapons off the bridge and instruct your men to do the same," he said pulling my bow out of my hand and flinging it away.

Alpha Rivers hesitated.

"Do it now or I will cut her throat," he added.

Alpha Rivers signalled to his men and the air was soon filled with the clanks and echos of metal hitting rocks as his weapons fell off the bridge along with those of Lou, Miles, April, Asher and Lennon.

"Let her go," He hissed.

"Get on your knees," he ordered.

"You are not going to win," Alpha Rivers replied, "It's not too late for the painless death."

"Get on your knees Rivers," the man spat, "Or this woman will die."

Alpha Rivers glared for a few seconds before he looked as if he was going to oblige. He lifted his hands up in surrender and leant back like he was going to crouch.

But his knees never even grazed the ground. It was so fast I barely saw what he did. But some how he reached for a hidden knife somewhere on his belt and in a fraction of a second, he'd straightened his bent leg, propelling the knife towards us. I flinched but it wasn't aimed for me and Alpha Rivers never misses.

It pierced straight through the chest of the tenth soldier's heart, stopping him in his tracks before he even drew blood from my throat. His grip loosened around me as he dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.

I let out a hoarse gasp of relief as Alpha Rivers marched towards me.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked grabbing my face in his hand and prizing my head up so he could examine  where the knife had been on my neck.

His mouth was slightly agape, his eyebrows sloped and his eyes flickering from side to side as he scanned me.

"I'm fine," I said, "He didn't cut me."

Alpha Rivers nodded before letting out a short, relieved sigh as he released his firm grip on me before suddenly pulling me into his arms, wrapping them both around my shoulders and resting his head on mine. At first, I stood in shock, only listening to his chest as he caught his breath but then I noticed how my my heart rate slowed and the panic of held at knifepoint diminished.

I placed my hands on his waist and rested my head on his chest as he took a deep breath in.

"I'm glad you're safe," he said softly before finally releasing me.

He turned around to where his men had gathered at the end of the bridge, Lou stood leant against the wall, looking into the trees or the sky or the floor or anywhere that wasn't the exact spot that Alpha Rivers and I stood on.

I then cast my eyes down to the enemy soldier lying, bleeding out on the floor.

Alpha Rivers followed my gaze to the dying man, gasping for his last breaths before he knelt down and withdrew his knife.

He looked down at it, completely frozen for a second, mesmerised by the sharp, blood-covered blade. His stare then fell back onto the soldier and he paused again.

"He's in pain," I said quietly.

I could see the darkness in his eyes that wanted to make that man suffer. His lips were tight, his jaw unwavering and his expression stony. But there was something else too. Something getting in the way of his desire.

He finally looked up at me, his face still hardened but his eyes showing something that could have been mistaken for compassion, "Look away, Esme," he ordered.

I nodded and turned my back on him as he tightened his hand around his knife.

Within a couple of moments, I heard a gasp from the fallen soldier and then his last hoarse breath before there was silence.

Alpha Rivers stood up, wiping his knife clean as he looked over to Lou.

"How many casualties?" he asked, his voice returning to its usual roughness.

"Three dead, Eli, Flynn and one from the back-up patrol. And one injured from the backup patrol too," Lou said, finally bringing himself to face his Alpha. "Miles and April have gone after what is left of the Alpha Kane's fleeing men."

"You," Alpha Rivers said pointing to Lennon, "Take the injured soldier back to the camp, make sure his wounds are seen to."

He nodded and headed over to a man clutching his ankle a few metres away before he helped him to his feet and they left, leaving just Asher, Lou, Alpha Rivers and I on the bridge.

Alpha Rivers nodded before turning to Asher, "You did well to find those men and bring them back so quickly," he said gesturing to the backup patrol.

Asher was fresh-faced and eager. He was young, not long out of boy-hood and a smile tugged at his lips at his Alpha's satisfaction.

He then quickly bowed his head, "I knew how critical speed was, Alpha. And they were nearby and practically ready to fight."

Alpha Rivers paused for a split second, "Your dedication won't be forgotten," he said before his eyes quickly darted to the backup patrol.

"Which soldier is the commander?" he asked.

"He was apparently the third killed, Alpha," Lou said. "Horribly mauled. Almost unrecognisable. Considering the circumstances, somebody spent a surprising length of time beating up a man already in his grave."

"And besides a sprained ankle, none of the others in the patrol were touched?" he asked.

Asher shook his head.

"No, Alpha," Asher said, "They were lucky."

"Lucky," Alpha Rivers repeated, "I don't believe in luck."

I looked up to his face to see his eyes carefully watching the patrol.

"Oh fuck," Lou said suddenly tensing up just as much as Alpha Rivers had.

He stood up from his leisurely slouch on the wall and pulled a small spare knife from his belt.

"My army is large and it would be impossible to know every soldier in it individually," Alpha Rivers said, "But I would expect to at least recognise some of them. But I haven't seen a single one of their faces before. The only one I'd certainly know is the commander but conveniently, he has been rendered unrecognisable."

My brain began to put together the pieces and my stomach dropped. Asher's face contorted into guilt and his eyes flickered between the patrol and Alpha Rivers, probably unsure who to be more cautious of.

"Those aren't your men..." Lou said, his voice low.

"Well played, Alpha Kane," Alpha Rivers cursed under his breath, his face giving away no emotion. "Well fucking played."

"What do we do, Alpha?" Asher asked, "There's four of us and eleven of them. And between us we have a total two knives."

Alpha Rivers looked around.

"We keep our ignorance until we have a fighting chance of getting out of here alive," Alpha Rivers said, "Asher, go as discretely as possible back into the woods and find back up," he ordered, "Maybe some men that are actually on our side this time?" he remarked.

Asher nodded and slowly sloped away.

"Do you see where he threw your bow, Esme?" he asked me turning to me in the most casual way possible despite his tensed soldiers and Stoney expression.

I glanced over to the other side of the bridge. It lay on the ground a hundred metres away.

I nodded, "But I don't have any arrows left."

Now it was his turn to say 'oh fuck'.

And when one of the men from the hoax 'back up' looked up and saw us all with our eyes fixated on them and Lou's fist tightly wrapped around his knife it was my turn.

"Oh fuck," I said as he alerted the other men and they all stood up.

"There's a glimmer of hope in Asher," Lou said optimistically as Alpha Rivers withdrew his knife.

Alpha Rivers shook his head as they all wielded their weapons too and began marching fast towards us, "At least the kid might live," he said, "That's the only positive here."

"Do we run?" Lou asked.

Alpha Rivers looked at the eleven men fast approaching us.

"No," he said.

"...are you sure?" I asked as one of them launched a knife at Lou.

They were still at a distance and it missed and skidded along the floor towards us. Alpha Rivers kicked it towards me and I quickly picked it up.

"Actually on second thoughts...Lou, take Esme and run," he ordered, "I'll hold them back."

"You'll be killed," I said.

He nodded.

"But you and Lou can get out alive," he replied, "Go. That is an order."

"Yes, Alpha," Lou said, tugging my arm.

"No," I replied, shaking him off, "We should all go."

Alpha Rivers clenched his jaw.

We only had a few seconds before the men would be upon us.

"Fine. I'll be right behind you," he said, "But you're slower than them. I need to buy you a head start and then I'll catch up."

I nodded and slipped the knife into his hand. My fingers lingered on his for a split second.

He looked down at me and gave the slightest smile before I let Lou guide me away and we ran, listening to the fighting break out behind us.