JUNE’S POV “The men from Greenfield have surrounded Rocky Vale.
Tristine and his men will be here any moment now.” September’s voice was low and urgent, carrying an intensity that sent a rush of determination coursing through my veins.
She handed me the bow and arrows and with the same swiftness she had arrived at Rocky Vale, she disappeared into the darkness.
A knot tightened in my chest as my fingers wrapped around the bow, gripping it so tightly like everything depended on them.
The moonlight provided just enough illumination for me.
I climbed into one of the rocks overlooking the narrow path Tristine and his wolves were bound to follow.
Taking cover behind the tallest rock, I waited…
Until I heard the pounding of horses’ hooves against the forest floor, drawing closer to the narrow path with every passing second.
“I sense a deer at the far end of the clearing.
Get ready to shift!” Tristine’s voice cut through the night, urgent yet steady with authority, moments before he came into view.
Tristine led the five Elite Wolves, a flowing white cloak draped over his shoulders and cascading down the back of his horse.
His Elite Wolves rode behind him, each cloaked in black, their garments shimmering beneath the moonlight.
The moment they crossed the tree we had marked, I pulled my mask over my face and climbed onto the highest boulder overlooking the path.
My long black leather hooded cloak billowed behind me as I raised the bow.
“Now!” Tristine ordered as he leaped from his horse, and I released the arrow.
His eyes flashed with a sharp golden glow as he morphed into a massive brown wolf, landing on all fours.
“Watch out!” one of the Elite Wolves shouted, his eyes widening in terror.
But he was a few seconds too late.
The arrow pierced into Tristine’s upper arm, just below his shoulder, and a deep, guttural growl rumbled from his throat as he shifted back into his human form, completely naked.
My jaw clenched as the others whipped their heads toward me.
Without hesitation, they shifted into enormous wolves immediately, surrounding Tristine.
Lord Boston’s men broke out from the shadows at the signal, crashing into Tristine’s wolves.
Snarls and furious howls echoed through the forest as they collided, tumbling to the ground and exchanging savage blows.
Tristine’s gaze locked onto me.
He stood frozen, as though he recognized me, one hand wrapped tightly around the arrow embedded in his upper arm.
But with the scent-concealing patch masking my scent, I knew he couldn’t possibly know who I was.
The fact that I had missed my target sent a surge of fury coursing through my veins.
I nocked another arrow and took aim at him, but before I could release it, September, who had just returned, grabbed my arm.
“We have to leave now,” she whispered urgently into my ear.
“We can’t risk it.
Lord Boston’s men will take care of the rest.” She dragged me away from the scene as I gritted my teeth, our cloaks billowing behind us while we leaped from one boulder to another.
The moment we reached the other side, I wrenched my arm free from September’s grip.
“You should’ve let me kill him!” I snapped.
My eyes burned, and my breathing grew heavier as the crushing weight of failure settled over me.
September stepped closer, her brows knitting together with compassion.
“You did.
The arrow was poisoned,” she replied.
Though her voice remained calm, urgency lingered beneath every word.
“There’s no way he’ll survive it.” For a moment, my heartbeat slowed as the realization sank in.
Although I had wanted him to die by my own shot rather than by poison, I couldn’t deny the wave of relief that spread through my chest.
“Now let’s get out of here before it’s too late.” As soon as the words left her lips, she grabbed my arm.
Before we could move, the sharp whoosh of a dagger sliced through the air behind us, forcing us to spin apart.
We turned immediately to find Mark standing on a rock staring at us, his golden eyes blazing.
“Now, June!
Get out of here!” September roared as she morphed into a large brown wolf and lunged at him.
I stumbled backward as they crashed to the ground, snarling and exchanging vicious blows, before turning and sprinting back toward Tristine’s mansion.
I had left the bow my father had given me behind because of the maids.
I had to retrieve it.
It was already past midnight, and I knew they must have retired.
I slipped into Tristine’s room and opened his wardrobe.
My heart swelled with both urgency and relief as I grabbed the bow and mask from the corner where he kept them.
As I turned toward the door, what I heard next made my eyes fly open.
Urgent footsteps thundered through the hallway, and for one terrifying moment, I thought I had been discovered.
“Search every corner.
She might be hiding somewhere in the mansion,” Lux ordered, his voice firm and unwavering.
My heart hammered against my ribs as the footsteps drew closer.
Then I heard him again.
“Check the maids.
See who’s missing.” A breath I hadn’t realized I was holding escaped my lips, but the fact that they had returned so quickly left me stunned.
Then the realization struck me.
“September…” The name slipped from my lips as a crushing wave of dread surged through me.
Every part of me ached to know what had happened to her, and I couldn’t stay still.
I quickly changed into my nightwear as the approaching footsteps drew closer.
Letting out a slow breath to steady my racing heart, I hurried out of the room.
“What’s going on?” I asked, searching Lux’s face as he approached our room.
“The Alpha was attacked in the woods.
He was shot with an arrow, but he’s fine!” His words tumbled out in a rush, deep lines creasing his brow.
The words hit me hard, and my fists clenched at my sides.
“Where is he now?” I managed to ask, doing my best to steady my racing heart.
“He’s in his study with Avery – one of the traitors who wanted him dead.
We’re searching for her accomplice.” My heart skipped the moment I heard that September had been captured, and I sprinted toward the study, my footsteps pounding against the floor with only one goal in mind.
I wouldn’t let anything happen to September…
not after she had risked herself to save me.
I burst into Tristine’s study and found her kneeling on the cold tiled floor.
The sight of her like that left me rooted on the spot.
Her hands were tied behind her back, and her legs were bound tightly with thin ropes that had dug painfully into her wrists and ankles.
Fresh claw marks streaked across her face, neck, and body.
Her dress was torn, and blood still trickled from her split lip.
My eyes widened at the sight of her looking bruised, battered, and broken, and a crushing weight of guilt settled deep within me.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Instead, my lips trembled, and my throat tightened.
Tristine sat at the edge of his mahogany desk, looking as healthy and strong as ever, without even a tiny scratch on his body.
His pristine white shirt seemed to mock our efforts, except for the bandaged wound on his arm, where fresh blood had already begun to seep through the white cloth.
“I’m asking for the last time,” he said, his voice low and deep, almost like a low growl.
“Why did you try to kill me, Avery?” The fury simmering beneath his calm tone was unmistakable as he stared down at September, and she curled her lips into a scoff.
have longed to drive a dagger straight into your chest for a long time,” she replied, a smug smile playing on her lips.
“It’s truly unfortunate I missed your heart.” A dry, bitter laugh escaped her throat as she stared at him defiantly.
My knees nearly gave way at her words as realization dawned on me.
The truth of what she was trying to do struck me all at once, and tears rolled down my cheeks.
But then, I refused to accept it.
No.
I just couldn’t let it happen.
“That’s not true!” I snapped.
The words left my lips, firm and unwavering, drawing every head in the room toward me.