Chapter 4 4

Amelia's POV

As I pushed north, a dozen thoughts crowded my head like ghosts. If I failed to stop Alpha Denary, would my fate end like my mother's.

“No.” I shook the thought free as if it were a hand trying to drag me under. I would never let that happen. How could I stand before her in the afterlife if I let the Pack fall? I had to succeed. I must.

Mother had traced these maps with me until the ink blurred on the paper; I knew the northern lands the way others knew the lines on their palms. Tonight, however, the forest was darker than I had imagined, I moved silently through the forest path, my bow strapped across my back and a quiver of arrows at my hip.

Hours had passed since I'd left the Packhouse, and the moon was now casting silver light through the woods. My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced myself to remain calm. One mistake, one careless sound, and Denary's scouts would find me before I found him.

When Denary's camp came into view across a clearing, tents were arranged in precise military formation. Guards patrolled the perimeter, their eyes scanning the darkness. I counted at least fifty men, maybe more.

My fingers trembled as I notched the arrow. This was madness. What was I thinking coming here alone? Doubts clouded my mind. But the image of my Pack, of innocent families slaughtered in a senseless war because of my father's failures, fueled my anger.

I couldn't let that happen. Not again.

I climbed a nearby oak tree, positioning myself with a clear view of the largest tent at the center of the camp. If Denary was anywhere, he would be there.

Time crawled as I waited, every muscle in my body tense. Guards changed shifts. Men laughed around campfires. And still, I remained frozen in place, arrow ready.

Then, finally, the tent flap opened.

A man emerged, tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair that fell to his shoulders. Even from this distance, I could see the power in his movements, the confidence of someone who had never known defeat. His presence commanded attention, and the men around him straightened instinctively.

He must be Alpha Denary.

My breath caught in my throat. I had heard stories of his brutality, of entire Packs wiped out by his armies. But I hadn't expected him to look so... human. His looks didn't match my expectation of him.

I shook my head, dispelling the thought. He was a threat to my Pack, and that was all that mattered.

I drew the bowstring back, my aim steady despite the pounding of my heart.

Denary paused outside his tent, speaking with a man I assumed was his Beta. They stood directly in my line of sight. Perfect. I shifted my grip, breath steady, eyes narrowing as I aligned my aim with his chest.

One shot. That’s all it would take to bring him down.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I tightened my grip. I whispered a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess—I couldn’t afford to miss. Before doubt could creep in, I released the arrow.

It sliced through the air like a whisper of death.

Denary’s head snapped up just in time, his instincts kicking in. His hand shot out to catch the arrow, but too late. I’d been clever enough to release two. The first was the bait. The second—my kill shot. A cheap hunting trick, who would have thought it would work on an Alpha?

I couldn’t help the small, grim chuckle that escaped me. That one would wound more than just his chest—it’d bruise his pride.

His eyes went wide as the second arrow struck him, burying deep into his chest. He staggered backward, gasping, disbelief etched into his face as his hand clutched the shaft.

Chaos erupted instantly.

“Attack! We’re under attack!” A guard shouted. Swords hissed free. Torches flared to life, and shadows danced wildly across the camp as chaos spread like wildfire.

“Find the intruder!” Denary’s roar ripped through the night, raw and with anger. The power in his voice sent a tremor down my spine. Even wounded, his authority cracked through the air like lightning.

His gaze snapped toward the trees—toward me. His eyes, wild and glowing, locked onto the direction my arrow had flown from.

“Shit,” I hissed, heart leaping into my throat. I scrambled down from the tree, branches clawing at my skin as I hit the ground running.

Behind me, shouts multiplied. The Beta’s voice boomed with orders, and the pounding of boots echoed through the forest.

They were coming, and I wasn’t sure if I could outrun them.

Branches whipped against my face as I ran, hot breath burning in my throat. The pounding of boots grew louder—closer. I risked a glance over my shoulder. Two men were tearing through the trees after me, shouting, swearing, their eyes fixed on my back.

If they caught me, death would be merciful compared to what Denary would do to me.

I had done what was necessary. For my Pack. For my people. Now, I just had to make it back to the Moon Veil pack.

I pushed harder and dodged, I leapt over a fallen log. My foot almost slipped on the damp earth, but I caught myself and dove behind a tree, pressing my body against the bark, forcing my breathing to quiet.

The men thundered past me, oblivious, cursing into the darkness. I waited for a few seconds… then another… before slipping out from behind the tree.

Ahead, through the blur of trees, two carriages rolled toward Denary’s camp, their wheels grinding softly against the forest floor. I crouched lower, using the cover of the forest to remain unseen.

The air changed.

Then it hit me.

The wind carried something sharp and unfamiliar scent. My pulse spiked. The hairs on my arms rose as instinct screamed a warning.

There were more people hiding in the shadows and they were not Denary’s men.

I froze, every sense straining. I could feel them—watching. Hiding. Waiting.

Who are they?

A chill slid down my spine. Curiosity clawed at me, but survival roared louder. If I could smell them… they could smell me too.

Without a second thought, I bolted.

My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I didn’t stop the further I ran, the sounds of pursuit faded.

Hours later, the familiar scent of home drifted toward me. I had reached the tree line that marked our territory when I paused and took in a deep breath, my chest heaved with exhaustion.

When I finally burst through the Packhouse doors, the morning sun was already rising from the north. I was covered in dirt and scratches lined my arm, my dress was torn to shreds and my hair hung in wild tangled waves.

But I had made it back alive.

Father stood in the main hall with several elders, their faces grave. They turned as I entered, and shock rippled across their faces.

"Amelia?" Father stepped forward. "Where have you been?"

I struggled to catch my breath. "The northern territories. I went to Denary's camp."

Silence descended like a hammer.

"You did what?" Father's voice was barely a whisper.

“I shot him.” The words tasted like iron on my tongue. I lifted my chin, refusing to let them see how my limbs trembled with exhaustion. “I shot Alpha Denary. He won’t be attacking us now. He’ll need time to recover and by then, we can strengthen our defenses.”

The elders exchanged wary glances, something shifting in their expressions. Not anger… but something far heavier. Awe. Fear. Disbelief.

Before anyone could speak, the doors burst open.

An elder stumbled in, breathless, his steps caught between a run and a stagger. The air in the hall snapped taut as everyone rose to their feet.

“Th—the scouts just returned,” he rasped, clutching his chest. “Denary’s forces… they’ve pulled back.”

A stunned silence followed. You could almost hear the collective heartbeat of everyone in the room.

“They’ve retreated,” the elder continued, voice trembling. “They’re heading back to the Blood Moon pack.”

For some seconds, no one moved. Then Elder Tyler stepped forward, eyes wide, voice breaking with emotion.

“You… you saved us.”

Father stared at me as if seeing me for the first time. His mouth opened, then closed again before he finally found his voice.

"Amelia, what you did was reckless and—"

"And necessary." I interrupted. "You said yourself we didn't have the resources to fight him. So I removed the threat."

"She has the heart of a true Alpha." Elder Marcus said, his voice carrying through the hall. "Perhaps the Moon Goddess has chosen her to lead us after all."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the gathered Pack members who had begun to fill the hall, drawn by the commotion. I saw Hunter's jaw clench with barely contained fury, beside him Margaret lifted her chin, her nose hung in the air as though my presence offended her, she avoided sparing a glance at me.

I shaked my head slowly, they could barely contain their jealousy as everyone attention were on me.

They now called me Savior of the Moon Veil pack.

For the first time in years, I also saw something in my father's eyes that I had thought were lost forever.

"You should rest." Father said finally. "We will discuss this later." I nodded, too exhausted to argue, and made my way to my chambers. Serah helped me out of my ruined dress and into a clean nightgown.

"My lady, the whole Pack is talking about what you did." Serah whispered as she brushed my hair. "They're calling you a hero."

I closed my eyes. But instead of pride, all I could see was the look on Denary's face when my arrow struck him.

The shock and the pain I strangely felt too.

"I'm no hero, Serah." I murmured. "I'm just trying to survive."

As I finally drifted off to sleep, I thought of Alpha Denary swearing vengeance against the person who had dared to wound him and I hope he never finds out it's me.