Chapter 244
Two weeks later
SONIA’S POV
The sound of laughter and music echoed through the courtyard, a rare joy rippling through the pack like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. It was the mid–month festival, a time to celebrate the dead, injured and battles we had won, the lives we had saved, and the resilience of Bloodmoon.
For a few hours, we allowed ourselves to forget the weight of Lorena’s looming threat. And I was so happy because Cade is awake, not fully recovered but he’s strong enough to wage a sword.
But even as I stood among the crowd, a glass of juice in my hand, I couldn’t shake the unease that had settled deep in my chest. The smiles around me were genuine, the laughter infectious, but I felt like an outsider in my own skin.
Sonia
1 turned to see Ivy approaching, her emerald eyes warm but watchful. “You look like you’re ready to sprint into the forest,” she said, her tone teasing but faced with concern.
1 forced a smile, though it felt thin and brinle. “I’m fing.” 1 lied
“You don’t look fine,” she countered, her voice softening “What’s on your mind!”
1 hesitated, my gaze drifting over the crowd. Ramon was speaking with Cade near the bonfire, their expressions lighter than I’d seen in weeks. Warriors danced with their mates, pups darted through the crowd with laughter ringing out like music,
“It’s 100 quiet,” I admitted, my voice low, “Too perfect.”
Ivy frowned, her playful demeanor fading. “You think she’s going to strike?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “My pregnancy instinct is somehow trying to send me a signal. But Lorena doesn’t rest. And she doesn’t let her enemies rest either.”
Ivy nodded, her hand brushing against the hilt of her dagger. “I’ll keep my eyes open”
The festival continued into the evening, the bonfire roaring high into the night sky. For a moment, I let myself breathe, let myself take in the beauty of the celebration. Elise and Elijah were safe inside of my stomach. Ramon caught my eye from across the courtyard and gave me a small smile, one that warmed my chest despite the uncase still gnawing at me.
But the moment of peace was shattered in an instant,
shocked
A piercing howl ripped through the night, the sound chilling and full of malice. The music stopped abruptly, the laughter fading into sh silence.
My blood turned to ice as I saw the
saw them, shadows emerging from the forest, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Rogues.
“Get the pups inside!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the panic as the crowd erupted into chaos.
The rogues surged forward, their movements swift and coordinated. Warriors scrambled to form a defensive line, their claws gleaming in the firelight. I reached for my dagger, my heart pounding as the first clash of clawa, fangs and blades echoed through the courtyard.
“Sonia! Ivy!” Ramon’s voice cut through the noise as he sprinted toward me, his sword already drawn. “Stay close to me!”
I nodded, but Ivy was not by my side, she was fighting at the other end, in her wolf form my grip on my dagger tightening. Together, we charged into the fray, our movements synchronized like a dance we had practiced a thousand times.
The battle was chaos. The rogues fought with a ferocity that bordered on madness, their attacks relentless. I fought alongside Ivy and Ramon, the three of us carving a path through the melre.
But for every rogue we struck down, two
two more seemed to take their place.
“This isn’t a raid,” I shouted to Ramos as we fought back–to–back. “This is a statement.”
He grunted in response, his blade slicing through a rogue who lunged at him. Then let’s make one of our own
//a
11:04 AM
Chapter 244
The words were meant to bolster my resolve, but the sheer number of attackers made it hard to believe we could hold them off
And then in the midst of the chaos. I saw her.
Lorena stood at the edge of the courtyard, her figure silhouetted against the glow of the bonfire. She was calm, poised, her eyes sweeping over the battle with the cold calculation of a predator.
For a moment, our eyes met, and my chest tightened. There was no rage in her gaze, no fury. Only satisfaction.
“She’s here,” I said, my voice trembling.
Ramon turned, his eyes narrowing as he spotted her. “Go,” he said, his voice firm. “I’ll hold them here.”
“No.” I said immediately, the thought of leaving him in the middle of this chaos unbearable.
“Sonia,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “She’s here for you. Finish this.”
I broke away from the fight, my eyes locked on Lorena as I made my way toward her. She didn’t move, didn’t flinch, even as I closed the distance between us
When 1 finally reached her, I didn’t hesitate. I swung my dagger, aiming for her throat. –
But she was faster.
Lorena sidestepped the attack with an almost casual grace, her hand shooting out to grab my wrist. “Is that any way to greet an old friend shared a man, remember, she asked, her voice dripping with mockery.
“You’re no friend of mine,” I spat, twisting out of her grip and lunging again.
We once
“And the twins pup you’re carrying?” She asked, with mockery tone. With this. Our blades clashed, the sound ringing out like a bell. She was strong. her movements precise and deadly. Every strike she made felt like a test, as if she were toying with me, pushing me to my limits.
“You’ve grown stronger,” she said, her tone almost amused. “But you’re still too emotional. That will be your downfall”
1 gritted my teeth, refusing to let her words get under my skin. “And you’re still the same coward your dirty work.”
you’ve always been, hiding behind others to do
Her expression darkened, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of anger in her eyes. “You don’t know anything about me,” she hissed, her blade slashing dangerously close to my side.
“I know enough,” I said, blocking her attack. “Enough to know you’ll never win,
The fight dragged on, each strike and counterstrike pushing me closer to exhaustion. But 1 couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when she was so close. Finally, I saw an opening. I feinted left, then drove my blade toward her chest.
Lorena’s eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought I had her. But she twisted at the last second, the blade grazing her arm instead.
She stumbled back, blood seeping through the tear in her sleeve,
“You’re better than I expected,” she said, her voice cold. “But this isn’t over”
Before I could stop her, she whistled sharply. The rogues began retreating, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as they had appeared
I started after her, but Ramon’s voice stopped me
“Sonia!” he shouted, his tone urgent.
I turned to see him cradling Care, who was bleeding heavily from a gash across his chest.
By the time I reached them, Cule was already healing but was unconcious, his breathing shallow. My heart clenched as I knelt beside him, pressing my hands against his wound to stem the bleeding but it was healing, but slowly, since he was still recovering from the last attack.
“He’s going to be okay” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else. “He has to be.”
Ramon placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but comforting. around us.
“We’ll
get him to th
im to the healers,” he said, his voice steady despite the chaos
11:00AM c c .
Chapter 211
I nodded, my
y gaze lingering on Cade’s pale face. “This isn’t over,” I said quietly, my jaw tightening with resolve. “Lorena’s going to pay for this. For all of it
Ramon didn’t reply, but the look in his eyes told me he felt the same.
As the sounds of the battle faded and the moon hung heavy in the sky, I knew one thing for certain, the fight for Bloodmoon was far from over.
As Cade was carried away alongside warriors that was injured but then one of the injured warriors whispered, “They said this was only the beginning.”
