Chapter 5 5

Denary’s POV

The pain came first, sharp, searing, and utterly foreign.

For years, no weapon had touched me. No assassin had ever come close enough to breathe the same air as me before death found them. But this was different.

I looked down in disbelief, at the shaft protruding from my chest. Blood pooled beneath my fingers as I grasped. Around me, my soldiers shouted, forming a barrier.

“Alpha Denary!” Jasper’s voice cut through the panic. “Stay still!”

“Find the archer,” I growled, my voice hoarse. “Now!”

Jasper nodded, sprinting toward the treeline with a dozen warriors in pursuit.

I sank to one knee, breathing raggedly, and ripped the arrow free. The wound burned, but not deep enough to kill — a warning shot, perhaps. Still, the audacity of it enraged me.

“Who dares?” I muttered, staring into the dark forest beyond the camp.

A flicker of movement caught my eye, a shadow slipping between trees, the faint glint of a bow in the moonlight.

Whoever it’s had breached the Blood Moon camp’s defenses. That alone made them dangerous.

Jasper returned minutes later, panting. “The assassin escaped, Alpha. We are still following the tracks and Andrew would arrive with news soon.”

I clenched my fists. “Escaped?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Send more scouts down there. I want the intruder alive.”

“My Lord, you need treatment.” Jasper, my Beta, urged.

His hand hovered near my arm, as though afraid that even touching me might ignite my temper. “We’ll get them. But if you bleed out, there’ll be no vengeance left for you to take.”

I turned on him, my jaw tightening. “I will not be treated while the one who dared shoot me still breathes.”

“Denary.” Jasper said firmly, stepping in front of me. “If you die now, you’ll never see their face. So, let me handle the search while you go back to the tent.”

I wanted to strike him for the suggestion but he was right, damn him. My legs weakened as another wave of pain surged through me, and Jasper caught my arm before I could stumble.

“Fine.” I bit out. “Take me back.”

He helped back into my tent but before we stepped inside, Jasper barked ordering anyone to fetch the healer. Moments later, she arrived with a satchel full of herbs and she knelt beside me without a word while Jasper rushed out to handle the search as promised.

The scent of smoke clung to the air long after the fires had been put out. I sat shirtless in the tent, watching as my blood stained the cloth in her trembling hands.

“Hold still, Alpha,” she muttered, dabbing gently at the wound on my chest.

I ignored her, my mind far from the stinging pain. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing, the moment that arrow sliced through the air before tearing into me.

The mark burned, not just my flesh but my pride.

I had been careless.

Never before had anyone caught me unaware. Never before had I tasted my own blood.

“Enough.” I stood abruptly. The healer stepped back, eyes wide.

“But, Alpha—”

“I said enough.”

I stood up wincing slightly, and crossed to the table where the broken arrow lay. The inscription mocked me as I read the words ‘A.M’. Then it hit me, this can be a clue to finding my assailant and I swore silently that whoever had done this would pay. Then, from outside, came the sharp cry of horses and the clash of steel.

I sat up immediately. “Jasper!”

He appeared at the entrance, sword in hand, breathing hard.

“What is happening?” I demanded.

“We’re under attack.”

“By whom?”

He hesitated. “From the emblem on their armor, it’s Alpha Killian of the Red Shadow Pack.”

Killian? Of course.

I pushed myself upright despite the healer’s protest. “So I’m shot by an arrow, then my camp is attacked by my sworn enemy? He must be growing bold.”

“My Lord, we are in no state to fight.” Jasper said quickly. “Should we retreat?”

“Retreat?” I glared at him. “Have you ever known me to retreat?”

He frowned, frustration flashing across his face. “If you die, there’ll be no one left to lead us.”

“Then I’ll die standing.” I said coldly. “Killian will be the one retreating tonight, not me.”

“Denary…”

“Enough!”

I swung my legs off the cot, ignoring the dizziness. The healer grabbed my arm. “You’ve lost too much blood, you’ll collapse before you even reach the field.”

I gave her a look sharp enough to cut glass. “Then you’d best finish quickly.”

Jasper sighed, knowing he’d lost this argument. He stepped out, unsheathing his sword. The healer bound my side tightly, wrapping bandages over the wound. When she tied the final knot, I rose, testing my strength.

“Stay inside.” I told her. “If anyone enters this tent, kill them, you must protect this tent with your life.”

Her mouth parted to protest, but I silenced her with a glare. “Not. One. Word.”

I took my sword from the table and rushed outside where men clashed with riders under the pale moon. I cut through the first enemy I met with one clean stroke across the throat and his blood sprayed warm across my arm. I moved through the melee like a storm and every swing burned through the bandages, but I kept on moving until I saw Killian.

He was locked in combat with Jasper, their blades sparking under the moonlight.

“Jasper!” I shouted, stepping between them as Killian’s sword nearly grazed him.

Jasper looked stunned. “You shouldn’t be here…”

“Concentrate on the fight.” I snapped, parrying Killian’s next strike.

Killian smirked. “I was beginning to wonder where you were.”

“Why? Did you miss me?” I asked through clenched teeth.

Our swords met again and again, each strike sending shocks up my arm. He was strong, but reckless. I let him believe he was winning until I found the opening on his left side then my blade cut through. He grunted, stepping back, blood darkening his armor. But not before he swung one last time and his blade caught Jasper across the shoulder causing Jasper to stumbled, falling to one knee.

Anger corsed through my vein, as his laughter filled the air, I looked down at my Willow my horse and my blood had turned her white hairs to crimson red. Blurry shapes danced around me and I fell off from my horse.

“Alpha.” Jasper yelled immediately as he ran towards me.

“Enough!” I shouted, clutching my wound. “Retreat!”

My men hesitated, but I roared again. “I said retreat!”

One by one, they obeyed, mounting horses,

dragging the injured into carriages, and retreating into the forest.

A wave of cheers erupted from my Killian’s men.

I turned to Jasper. “Are you hurt badly?”

He shook his head. “It’s not deep. But we’ve lost more than half our men. He grabbed my arms and Willow ran towards me and he helped me mount her and we ran off. Luckily, Killian didn’t chase after us.

“We should fall back, there’s no way we can infiltrate Moon Veil Pack now.”

I glared at him. “I have never retreated from a war and I won’t start now.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Look around you, Denary.”

I did and saw the bodies of both our men and theirs littered the ground. Even I could not deny the truth in what he said.

Jasper’s tone softened. “If we try to push forward now, we’ll lose what’s left.

I exhaled sharply, my hand tightening on my sword.

Then, I hissed.

“Have you found the one who shot me? I demanded.

Three men stepped forward.

“No, Alpha,” one said.

“Well do you know what he looked like?”

“We are certain that the intruder was a she wolf.”

“She?” I asked the word left a sour taste on my tongue. My grip tightened on my sword until my knuckles turned white.

“It was… actually a woman.” Andrew said. “I didn’t see her clearly, I only caught her face for a split second as we ran after her.”

A woman?