Chapter One - Attacked

Lena's POV

“Lena, come inside!” Alpha Atticus’s voice brought me out of my reverie. I trudged back to the pack house to continue with the discussion. 

“Hector and his warriors will guard the southern side tonight. Lena, you can keep a vigil on the western side. Felixe will lead his warriors to the eastern corridor, while Ajax and I will go north. Any questions?” 

“What if he has already entered our territory, Alpha?” asked Felixe, the Gamma of our pack. 

“That’s unlikely. Someone would have seen him if he trespassed.” I frowned at their conversation. The curiosity of knowing more about the enemy was driving me crazy.

“We’ll be on our way, Alpha.” Alpha nodded at his Beta, watching them bundle out. 

“C’mon Lucerians, we can do this! We can defeat the enemy! Let us unite and fight him!” said Hector, ushering his warriors out of the pack house. I couldn’t budge without knowing about the enemy I would face. Who was he? Why was he seeking revenge?

“Who’s Zephyrus, Alpha?” Alpha Atticus stilled and gave me a wary look, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. 

“He is the son of Alpha Dimitrios, the former Alpha of the Luceres Pack. That’s all I can tell you, Lena. For more, you have to keep your end of the deal!” 

I wanted to tell him about my conversation with Ajax, but no words erupted from my mouth. 

I knew there was a lot more to it than what he admitted. The only way to know would be to accept Ajax as my mate. Was the sacrifice worth it? It would mean giving up hopes of my freedom. For the last twenty years, Alpha Atticus kept tabs on me. I wasn’t allowed to step out of the academy and its boundaries. I had to train to save my pack. That was the reason he rescued me. Abiding by his rules was the only way I could pay him back. 

I walked out of the pack house with my warriors. There was a job at hand and I had to prove myself. However, Alpha Atticus’s words echoed in my mind as I walked towards the far west. They gave rise to questions that drove me crazy. 

So, did Alpha Atticus and his brother kill Alpha Demetrios when they overpowered the Luceres Pack years ago? Who were my parents? Were they related to Alpha Dimitrios? Or was I related to Alpha Atticus’s pack? Were my parents killed in the battle? I had no idea! It was a forbidden topic, and no one was ready to give me answers. I couldn’t recall the day, obviously! It was the day I was born! 

“We will reach faster if we run, Luna!” The voice of Viktor, the chief warrior of our pack brought me out of my thoughts. They called me so since Alpha Atticus ordered them to address me as the Luna of the pack. 

I didn’t want to run. Xara would take over completely, and it would be difficult to tame her. She would demand freedom! Freedom meant escaping far away from here to the place that beckoned me. 

“No, we will walk. Inspect your surroundings, as you go. We must ensure the enemy hasn’t encroached into our territory.” 

“Yes, Luna!” I knew Viktor wasn’t happy with my decision but I didn’t care. He might be older but that didn’t make him a better warrior than me. I had seen him fight at the academy. His right side was weak from a previous injury! 

They followed me in silence when Viktor stopped abruptly. “Luna! Alpha Atticus wants us to go back to the pack house.” 

“Why? Is something wrong?” I immediately sensed an ominous silence all around me. They knew something that I didn’t. 

“Please, can we head back?” Viktor had already started returning to the pack house without waiting for my command. I frowned, this time my mind connected me to Alpha Atticus. 

“Where is Ajax, Lena?” he demanded agitatedly through the link. 

“I don’t know, Alpha. We had an argument, and he left abruptly.” 

“Why did you have to fight with him? I’m still waiting for him at the pack house. I can’t get through to him. I’m not getting a good feeling out of this, Lena.” My mind went blank too, as a sense of dread clutched at my heart. Where did Ajax go? Was he in any danger? 

“I didn’t fight, Alpha. Ajax wanted me to cancel the Bonding Ceremony tomorrow. He doesn’t want me as his Luna. He has found his mate,” I blurted out on the spur of the moment. Alpha Atticus had to know that I would never go against him. 

“I see! Come quickly. I’m waiting!” He broke the link and we rushed back to the pack house to find Alpha Atticus pacing the lounge area. 

“Viktor, search the entire village for Ajax. I’m not getting a good feeling out of the whole thing.” 

“Yes, Alpha!” Viktor ran out with his team to do the job while I stood like a statue beside a brooding Alpha Atticus. 

“Why didn’t he tell me he found his mate? Do you know who it is?” 

I shook my head slowly. I know I should have asked him but at that time, it didn’t cross my mind. 

“He left before I could ask him!” 

A strange shuffle made us stop and look outside the pack house. My heightened senses immediately caught the scent of fresh blood in the air. There was someone out there! I rushed forward towards the main door with Alpha Atticus hot on my heels. 

“Stop or I’ll rip you apart!” I yelled as I sprang in the air to attack the shadow that had crept up the porch. It wasn’t a Lucerian! It was an alien wolf, a trespasser. 

I could feel my clothes rip as Xara took over. Her fierce form pounced on the shadow, ready to rip it apart. 

“Ajax!” Alpha Atticus’s thunderous voice reached us before Xara and I could finish the enemy off. Xara stilled, turning to look at the lifeless body of Ajax lying on the porch in a pool of blood! His torso had been ripped apart ruthlessly in a single stroke and blood gushed out into a puddle. 

Shocked was an understatement of what I felt! I hadn’t expected this end for Ajax, even though I hated him. 

The shadow pushed Xara away, taking advantage of our momentary distraction. It slipped away, merging into the darkness in a fraction of a second before we could locate it. 

Xara wanted to chase it, but I calmed her. Alpha Atticus rushed towards us like a lunatic! I could understand his state since now his condition was just like mine. We had no one to call our own! 

“Ajax! He killed Ajax!” He dropped to his knees beside Ajax’s lifeless body in a state of shock. 

I stood by him in silence, unable to comfort him in any way. A distressed, heartbroken howl escaped him, echoing around the place in the night. I knew he was mourning the death of his son while I watched him, transfixed, to the spot. 

His call was answered by more howls that seemed to encroach upon us. Yes, the pack had heard his distress call! 

It was then that my glance went to Ajax’s forehead. 

A faint message written with his blood caught my attention!

Meet me at the battlefield - Zephyrus.

“Alpha, there’s a message on his forehead!”

He opened his grief-stricken eyes and stared at the message. His body trembled with fury and he stood up with a grim look on his face.

“Gather everyone and come over to the battlefield, Lena! I want Zephyrus’ blood!” Before I could stop him, he ran, transforming into his wolf, Shadow. I knew he left to face the enemy all by himself. It was too dangerous at his age. I was sure that was what Zephyrus wanted. I mind-linked Hector and summoned him and the rest of the warriors to the battlefield. It was the valley on the other side of Astros Hill, a small eroded hill on the eastern boundary of our village. 

Our pack has used it as a battlefield for as long as I can remember. It was the exact place where Alpha Achilles defeated Alpha Dimitrios, twenty years ago. I knew the place well. I had practiced my moves there many times with my mentor at the academy. 

I ran as fast as I could. Maybe I could catch up with Shadow before he reached the battlefield. As fast as lightning, I raced towards our destination. Strangely, there was no sign of Shadow anywhere. I knew Alpha Atticus had a leg injury that restricted his movements. How did he reach there so fast? Did Zephyrus attack him on the way? 

Hector and the others joined me, and we reached the battlefield in a few minutes. The field was bathed in total darkness with not a single soul around. 

“They’re watching us!” whispered Hector as we took shelter behind Astros Hill. 

Xara was restless again! The strange scent we had encountered earlier was back! I could feel a forceful presence behind us! The presence of the enemy!

“They’re behind us, Hector!”