Chapter 2

"The plan is very straightforward. Nevertheless, let's review it once more." Zena stated, her hands clasped behind her back as she paced to and fro.

"Understood, Commander." The army of her rogue soldiers responded in unison. She nodded in acknowledgement, then cleared her throat before proceeding.

"Once we pass this territory, we will be entering into Alpha Knox's private training grounds." She explained, "I've been observing their activities for weeks in secret and I've strategically planned out our operation."

She paused, turning around to face them, her hands still clasped behind her back. "All of you here, you are to go East of the training ground. Knox would immediately detect the scent of intruders and he and the rest of his guards who are at the training grounds would instinctively go to attack."

"His pregnant wife is always with him, watching him train. And she is our target tonight. However, I will be the one to handle her." Zena said. 'Of course, Alpha Knox won't leave his wife alone in the face of adversaries, so as expected, he'd ask some of his guards to lead her home. Most likely about two or three of them."

"So our job is to distract Alpha Knox and the rest of his guards, while you face his wife and any guards with her?" Dexter, the designated leader of these troupe of soldiers, asked.

Zena's lips lifted slightly in a subtle smirk, already savoring her imaginations of Alpha Knox's wife dead before her.

"Precisely, Dexter." She answered and then she turned to the rest of the troupe, "Is the plan understood?"

"Aye, Commander!" They all chorused.

"Alright. You're all dismissed." She said and then, the sound of bones snapping and the ruffling of unraveling fur filled the night–sky.

They all shifted into their wolf forms and with speed, they sprinted towards the east of the terrain as the plan had instructed them to do.

    Zena didn't want to shift into her wolf form yet, if not, she would be detected immediately. So, once her rogue wolves had dissipated, she turned around and continued to tread the path to Knox's training grounds.

As she approached, she could hear the sounds of snarls, growls and the collision of bodies, signifying that she was getting closer to the grounds.

Eventually, she got to the place she had memorized over the course of the past three weeks. She had been here each and every day since Knox had ordered the execution of her people.

But today, today was the day she would finally put her plans into execution.

She parted the dense bushes that blocked her path, carefully and with stealth, so as to not attract attention. And then, she revealed the scene before her—the moonlight casted onto the field, illuminating the training ground.

Zena hid behind the bushes as she observed. Knox was engaged in a controlled sparring match with one of his soldiers. The rest of the soldiers—about fifteen of them, Zena did a headcount—watched the sparring session.

Her keen gaze glided towards the left, her eyes narrowing as she spotted her target, Knox's wife. She was beneath a tree, watching as well.

As she stared at Knox's wife, it seemed like a burning flame smoldered within Zena. And the only way to extinguish it was the woman's dead body laying at her feet.

It was the only way the echoing agony of her past could be extinguished.

Why?

Because just as Knox's father had killed Zena's eight-month pregnant mother, that was the same way she yearned to hurt his daughter-in-law.

Winston had no wife, and the closest thing Zena could use to foster her revenge was his son's wife.

So, she had waited till she was exactly eight months pregnant, so that Knox and all of his family could feel the exact pain they she felt so many years ago.

And if her timing was correct, the fulfillment of her overbrewed vengeance would begin in…

Three

Two

One

Mid-strike, Knox suddenly froze, stopping his sprint to launch his attack in an abrupt halt. A foreign scent assaulted his senses and his eyes immediately widened slightly with sudden caution.

The corners of Zena's lips curled in a knowing smile as she watched, knowing that her time to strike had arrived.

A growl rumbled in Knox's throat as he tilted his head, his brows furrowing as his nostrils flared, catching more whiffs of the scent.

He confirmed it immediately. Intruders were here. Towards the East.

His worried wife had gotten up and come to him upon sensing the shift in his demeanor.

Her hands gently laid on his shoulders as she looked up at him with concern, "What's happening, dear?"

"Intruders. There are intruders here." His words immediately ignited the collective awareness of his soldiers, who had also suspected the presence of foreigners.

Knock was able to decipher the scent; these weren't just any ordinary intruders, they were the Skull Rogues.

He knew their god-damned scent anywhere. Their audacity made him livid; it infuriated him that they had the effrontery to strike despite what he had just done to five of their members.

His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tensing in anger at their persistence. It was annoying. And he couldn't wait to finally deal with them, for good.

He wanted to wipe their existence away from the face of the earth, but he was trying to curtail his anger and respect his father's decisions to navigate logically.

But those damned rogues were stepping on his buttons.

Knox swung around to face the soldiers, focusing his intense gaze on them. "Two of you, take the Luna home safely. Make sure nothing happens to her. When you get back to the palace, let the rest of the soldiers be aware of the situation because we may need backup." He instructed, pointing at two guards. "The rest of you, follow me. We're going to deal with those bastards." He seethed his last words with gritted teeth.

Lydia had a bad feeling settle in her heart upon hearing that, and deep–set worried lines rumpled her forehead. She knew something was wrong— terribly wrong, however, she couldn't communicate her feelings effectively.

"But, My Alpha, I think you should—"

"Lydia, just go home." Knox interjected. 'It's not safe for you and the baby." He didn't even give her a chance to say anything else before he stepped away.

Her worried eyes darted about, her brows tense with a concern she couldn't voice out. But she knew her husband was stubborn, so what use would there be in trying?

"Your majesty, we will be leading you back to the palace now." She heard one of the soldiers speak behind her, and she turned around to face him.

Lydia didn't want to go anywhere, the apprehension that ravaged her nerves had tripped.  She turned back to look at her husband, he was already shifting into his wolf form with the rest of the soldiers.

There was nothing she could do.

She heaved a heavy sigh of resignation before she finally faced the two soldiers again. "Alright, let's go." She accepted.

The guards nodded and led the way, going westward as they made their way back to the palace.

Zena's fingers were already twitching in anticipation and the sinister grin on her face hadn't faltered. Her plan had gone exactly as she had anticipated it would, everything was falling into place perfectly.