Roselyn
It was still dark outside but I could see a small part of the sun rising.
I stuffed some of the extra clothes that Iris had given me into my bag, I didn't bother packing any food because it looked like we were closer to Dark Eclipse's land than I thought.
As I sat tying my shoes I was contemplating my decision to leave to Dark Eclipse's pack.
Rae expressed pretty harshly that she believed what I was doing was suicidal going back to my abusive former mate.
I countered with her that Henley's pack was doing something suicidal and that Logan wouldn't hurt me, at least not as much as them.
Or he could, I mean he's done it before, okay I need to get him out of my mind.
The important thing was that I was turning myself in to protect my friends, I couldn't hide anymore, it was killing everyone around me.
I needed to embrace who I was, the princess of an abusive king and mated to the Blood Alpha.
Yikes.
I threw my black cloak on placing my hoodie over my head to cover my face, saddling my bag over my shoulder but underneath my cloak,
I stepped out of my tent. The bonfire in the middle was no longer burning, the noises were filled with crickets and small snoring.
I began to tip toe across the ground until I reached Iris's tent which was next to Henley's. I giggled that Henley probably wanted her tent nearby his to make sure she was okay.
I had written Iris a note explaining all that's happened since the day I left the kingdom. I wrote how deeply sorry I was for getting her disowned, and now leaving her again but that this was for the best.
I had debated whether leaving the note outside her tent but it was a little windy so the note could've gotten swept away. Plus if I left it in her tent she wouldn't even hear me, she's a heavy sleeper.
I opened the curtain to her tent and stuck half my body in as I placed her note on her bag but something was off. I couldn't hear her snoring and her snores were loud.
I crept up to her sleeping pack, pulled back the covers and gasped.
She wasn't there. I looked around her tent but nothing seemed to be missing, this was strange. Maybe she was in Henley's tent.
I walked to Henley's tent and softly opened the curtain and his tent was empty. The swords that laid next to his sleeping bag were gone which meant... oh no.
I raced out of his tent when I bumped into someone. I ran into one of the women pack members.
"I am so sorry miss Rose." She apologized.
"No worries. Um, have you by chance seen Iris, or Alpha Henley?" I asked nervously.
My stomach was flipping upside down.
What if they had left? Took all the fighters to go attack Dark Eclipse, left without telling me.
"Alpha Henley and Iris and the warriors all left." She smiled.
I stuttered. "Th-they left...?"
She nodded. "To go attack Dark Eclipse."
I immediately dropped bag and began running. I ran into the direction of the Dark Forest as fast as I could.
This was not happening. This could not be happening.
They said that we would discuss it in the morning but that was all a trick. I quickened the pace of my legs following their scent, it was a little fresh but starting to fade.
I needed to get there before they started their attack, or I could find Logan first.
I followed the river that traveled through the forest, I didn't bother stopping before the entrance my mind was too focused on how I could prevent this.
I ducked under branches, leaped over logs and hopped from rock to rock. Even though the sun was now in full view it was still dark in the Dark Forest.
I came to a halt when there were boulders stacked upon each other blocking my way. I began to climb it when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
'Rose.' Rae warned and I heard a screech noise.
I turned around to once again see another red boar growling at me with its beady red eyes.
I jumped off the boulder and got in a fighting stance, I didn't have any weapons so I had to use what was around me. The boar made another screeching sound and charged at me.
I looked around and grabbed a log from the ground and waited holding it half way on the ground.
I counted myself in my head. '3. 2. 1!'
Swinging the log with all my strength as the boar leaped into the air, I smacked him.
The boar flew into a tree stump, it stood up and I was ready for another attack but it screeched and ran back in the direction it came from in fear.
I defeated my first monster! I climbed over the boulders and jumped down on the other side doing a front roll to soften my landing.
I began running once again, I made a right turn and smiled as their scent became fresher. I stopped myself when I could see the vast green meadow through the bushes.
I was at the border of Dark Eclipse and the Dark Forest. Just being a few steps away from the border gave me the shivers. The memories I had here flooded my mind as I began to feel uneasy.
I peeked through the bushes, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The pack houses stood in the distance with the rotations of Logan's pack members patrolling.
It was like a normal day so where was Henley's pack? I tried to feel Logan's presence since I was on his land but I didn't feel anything.
'Logan isn't here.' Rae said confused.
So where was he? Did they know that he wasn't here?
I heard a twig snap and something fall, I turned my body to face what that noise was but nothing was there. I heard it again but from above and looked up into the trees.
I gasped it was Iris! Iris was climbing up a tree and placed herself on a tree branch.
She didn't notice me and send out hand signals to shadows that emerged from hiding. Henley and his men emerged and followed Iris's hand signals and began to get in position.
Some of them had swords, some had knives and some had small bombs in their hands. I sighed in relief that I got here before they attacked but I needed to stop them.
My best chance of stopping them was Iris.
I snuck underneath the bushes to not be seen by Henley's pack and began to climb Iris's tree. Surprisingly climbing the tree was easy however balancing on the branch part was hard.
Iris sat sideways on the branch her bow and arrow on her lap as she used her binoculars. I took my cloak hoodie off my head and cling to the base of the tree as I stretched my leg out on the branch.
After standing on the branch leaning on the stump for support I called out to my friend.
"Psst. Iris!" I whispered yelled. She whipped so fast with her bow notched I yelped and almost fell off the branch.
Her eyes widened. "Roselyn?! What are you doing here?"
She set her bow down and held out her hand, I grabbed her hand and sat on the tree straddling it.
"I could say the same thing about you." I replied, "I thought we agreed to wait till morning to discuss this."
She bit her lip. "I know and I'm sorry for lying to you. But I knew you would never agree to this so I figured we could attack and get back without you knowing."
I rubbed my head. "I forgive you Iris but this is dangerous."
Iris waved me off. "I know you've expressed your doubts but we got this. Have hope."
Iris checked through her binoculars again and I looked down at the pack. They were intensely talking in their positions waiting for the perfect moment.
I needed to stop them. "Iris, Logan isn't even here. So there's no reason to attack."
Iris raised her eyebrow. "Logan? How do you know the Blood Alpha's name?"
Crap. Think. Think. Think.
"I know all the Alpha's names from the werewolf catalog, from the library." I lied.
That book was kept in my father's council meeting room, not in the library, he would document changes in it when packs united or separated.
Iris made an 'o' face. "How do you know he's not here."
Before I could respond she kept talking.
"If he's not here then that works more in our favor! This is great news." Iris exclaimed and pulled out a walkie talkie.
'Henley, Blood Alpha isn't here, his land and pack are left unattended.' She spoke into the walkie talkie.
Henley responded. 'That's great news, how do you know?'
'Rose told me, she's here.' Iris beamed at me.
'Yes, okay she can help you-" I grabbed the walkie talkie from Iris.
'Henley, we all need to get out of here. It's a trap.' I basically shouted into the walkie.
'No, it's not!' Iris snatched the walkie back.
I heard shuffling on Henley's end before he spoke up.
'We don't have time to fight. We are attacking in 2.' Henley confirmed and Iris shut the walkie off.
I grabbed her binoculars and threw it off the tree.
"Rose!" She called out, "I needed those!"
"Iris your not listening to me, even if he's not there, his men are still vicious and can hold their own." I explained trying to get her to reconsider.
Iris rolled her eyes. "Look, here or not we are still going to win, we have the element of surprise. His pack will be distracted I'll sneak in grab the moonstone and we are out of here."
I shook my head. "You'll definitely be caught. He keeps those well-hidden you won't even make it past the first line of defense."
Iris's eyes widened. "Rose how exactly do you know this."
I swallowed. "I...um the king told me."
She snorted crossing her arms. "You and I both know the king never paid attention to you let alone give you pointers on packs. So I want the truth."
That stung but she was right the king acted like I didn't even exist most of the time so why would he teach me the packs ways.
This was it. I had to tell Iris my connection to Logan, it was now or never.
As I opened my mouth to expose myself the horn blew. The horn rang throughout the forest shaking the leaves of the trees catching Iris and I's attention.
Next, the sounds of battle cries and shouts filled my ears and I knew the battle had started. I looked past the trees and saw Henley leading his pack.
"Crap." Iris hissed grabbing her bow and notching it.
Hanging on the tip of the arrow attached was a bomb to explode when it came in contact with the ground.
"Iris don't!" I called out and jumped on her.
We struggled to balance on the tree branch while fighting over the bow.
"Let go!" She screamed as we wrestled aiming the arrow all over the place.
I heard a 'zip' noise and found in my hand an empty bow.
We accidentally shot the arrow directly beneath us which meant the bomb would detonate under us.
Iris and I both looked to where the arrow soared and it was like time moved in slow motion.
My breath hitched as the tip of the arrow made contact with the ground and KABOOM!
Fire rose up from the birth of the bomb, the heat overwhelming as I expected us to be shish kabob but instead made us fly.
I flew back and I watched as Iris flew in the opposite direction.
The impact zapped me flying back first into another branch hearing a crack in my spine as I flopped on my stomach.
My head had smacked straight into a rock and the dirt that was blown up poured on me like a thunderstorm.
My ears ached with buzzing sounds and I tasted blood coming from my head again.
Dang I just can't catch a break.
Where was Iris? Please Moon Goddess, tell me that she survived.
I tried using my arms to get up but I felt a sharp spasm fill my back and I yelped back down.
'Rose! You fractured your spine and ribs are broken!' Rae yelled.
I flinched as my breath became shorter and shorter.
'Of course, I did.' I murmured.
'You're going to have to shift.' Rae ordered.
'What? Why?' I exclaimed, my shifting skills aren't good.
Rae and I can never agree to shift nor able to give up control without fighting.
Rae swayed in my head getting ready. 'I can't heal you in human form, I am only able to heal you if you shift.'
I hesitated but she was right. I closed my eyes and pictured my white wolf with my silver crescent moon on my head.
Cracks of my bones, hands morphed into paws and my fur sprung out. I stood on all fours my white paws glistening on the dirt and I felt my spine realign with itself.
I took a nice deep breath and the pain was no longer there and the blood from my head had stopped.
'Now let's go save our people.' Rae smiled and I ran fast out of the smoke and fire
This was the first time Rae and I had shifted and I had control. I dashed through the ruins searching for Iris, I spotted her hand underneath a tree.
I gasped she was unconscious bleeding from her chest and head, I grounded my paws into the grass using my head to push the tree off her.
I nuzzled her head with my snout but she didn't move. I couldn't carry her by my teeth or drag her. I closed my eyes shifting back to my naked human form.
I took the cloak off from around her and hooked it around my neck. I hoisted her up on my back wrapping her arms around my neck and rushed out of the burning forest.
We made it out of the forest just before another explosion happened erupting into only more fire. I set her softly on the grass breathing out the smoke that filled my lungs.
I sat on my knees cradling her head whispering for her to wake up when I felt a presence. I swallowed looking up seeing Iris and I were surrounded by Henley's pack and Dark Eclipse.
They stopped from their fighting to just stare at us, Henley's pack had worried expressions. Dark Eclipse's expression was pure shock, I saw a figure push through the middle of the circle to take the picture in.
I met his eyes and right then I knew everything would be okay. His protective expression reassured me that we were going to live, especially Iris.
"Luna." He spoke.