Chapter 10

Aila Coraline

Growling and shouting greeted me when I reached the border to the north farm. From a distance, I could see an ongoing fight. I wondered if my father had gone there to rescue the rest.

There hadn't been much rogue activity for a while. The borders were monitored, and watchmen were stationed on every side. How did they manage to get past the border when there were watchmen at every point?

"Coraline! Finally, you're here. Go check on your mother!" Anastasia yelled at me when she saw me.

The first line of defense was already in the field, trying to stop the rampage. Zayn and the rest were also heading there as we arrived.

"Mother!" I called as I entered the house.

I couldn't find her anywhere. I checked all the rooms, the kitchen, even the basement, but she was nowhere to be found. Where is she?

Panic started to rise within me. I tried to stay calm and think rationally, but every second that passed made it harder. I took a deep breath and retraced my steps, looking for any sign of where she might have gone.

"Mother! Where are you?" I called out again.

I ran back outside, scanning the area frantically. The chaos of the battle outside made it difficult to focus, but I had to find her. My heart pounded in my chest as I ran toward the barn, hoping against hope that she might be there.

Just as I was about to enter, I heard a faint sound coming from the small shed behind the barn. I sprinted over and yanked the door open.

"Mother!" I cried out in relief.

She was there, putting all our farm animals to safety. Despite the rogue attack, she was focused on protecting the animals. She could have left them in the field, but I appreciated her efforts.

"Heavy fighting is going on in the greenery. You should go back to the house and stay in the basement. It's safer there," I told her.

She looked hesitant. My mother was a good fighter, but ever since she developed cancer, she became weaker. Though she survived it, her strength wasn't as strong as before.

"What if they kill our animals?" she asked worriedly.

I shook my head. "They won't. We'll stop them before that happens. You need to go to safety."

It took her a minute, but she finally followed my advice. After making sure my mother was in the basement, I rushed over to where the fight was happening.

There was a lot going on as I got nearer. Most of them were already in their wolf forms, fighting as if we weren't of the same kind. Werewolves.

"These sick bastards have nothing else to do but cause chaos," Savannah commented, disgusted at the sight.

"We should help them," I replied.

My wolf rolled her eyes, reluctantly compelled to follow me. She hates blood. She hates fighting in general. I do too. But we are born to fight, we are born to do this.

I let out a deep breath and surrendered to the transformation. My body elongated, fur sprouting from my skin, and my senses sharpened. The pain was brief, quickly replaced by the raw power and agility of my wolf form. My vision was clearer, my hearing more acute, and I could smell the metallic scent of blood in the air.

Savannah and I lunged into the fray. I targeted a rogue who was about to pounce on one of our pack members. With a swift movement, I sank my teeth into its hind leg, pulling it back and away. The rogue snarled and tried to twist free, but I tightened my grip, using my weight to pin it down.

More rogues appeared, but we were relentless. I leaped at another, slashing with my claws and knocking it to the ground. The rogue struggled, but a quick bite to the throat ended the fight.

The chaos around us was deafening, growls and yelps echoing through the air. But we fought on, determined to protect our home and our loved ones. One by one, the rogues fell, their numbers dwindling.

Finally, the last rogue lay defeated at our feet. I glanced around, seeing the pack members regrouping, some tending to their wounds, others checking on the fallen.

When the battle finally ended, I remained in my wolf form, panting heavily from the exertion. My mother arrived shortly, handing me a towel and wrapped it around me, allowing me to transform back to my human form comfortably.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her hands gently checking my body for injuries.

"I'm fine," I assured her, examining myself. I didn't have any severe wounds, just a few scratches, which was normal. There were small cuts on my neck and stomach that would heal within a few days. My wolf always helped with my healing, so it wasn't a problem.

"I haven't seen father. He didn't come here?" I wondered aloud, scanning the area for any sign of him. For sure he knew there was a rogue attack. It would be weird if he didn't; he's the Beta, after all.

"He went to Moonlight Pack with the Alpha earlier today. He probably doesn't know about the rogue attack yet," my mother explained.

I see. I didn't even know he went out. He never tells me any of his agenda, not that I'd ask. Still, I'm content that he informs Mom about his whereabouts.

After the rogue attack, I stayed at our house to help the omegas clean up the mess and burn the rogues' bodies. It still puzzled me how they managed to enter.

"Could there be a traitor?" I asked Anastasia.

She glanced at me with a furrowed brow. "I don't know. It's not impossible. But who?"

She knew as well as I did that the borders were well-guarded and surrounded by fences over 8 feet high. It was hard to believe we were infiltrated and only found out when they reached the north farm.

"Do you know who was assigned to the border?" I asked.

Anastasia shook her head. "My mate never tells me anything related to his job. I don't know, Cora."

I know her mate is a dignified person; otherwise, the Alpha wouldn't have trusted him. But sometimes, I feel like he's full of secrets. I've met him a couple of times, but I rarely talk to him. He's cold and distant most of the time, so I wonder how Anastasia manages to handle him.

"You can't ask him?" I asked, curious.

She heaved a sigh and shrugged. I know she hates to be nosy, but aren't partners supposed to know about each other's activities? It's a way to build trust. Well, I'm not entirely familiar with how relationships work, but shouldn't it be like that?

"We will only fight if I get my nose into his business. I'd better not," she said.

"It just seems strange, you know? We need to figure out how those rogues got in."

"Why still? The fight already ended. What reason is there for us to research?" she suddenly sounded annoyed. "Let's forget this happened, Cora. What matters is we're all fine. The number of deaths did not surpass our fingers."

I could see her point, but something didn't sit right with me. Death, whether it’s one, two, or ten, is just the same. People died. It doesn’t matter how many or how few. "I understand, Anastasia. But if they managed to get through once, they could do it again."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I get it, but can't we just have a moment of peace? This constant vigilance is exhausting."

There’s no need for her to be angry. I’m just being concerned, especially since it happened in our place. So, why is she annoyed? Could it be that she’s trying to protect something deeper? I tried to shrug off the negative thoughts creeping into my mind. It can’t be.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that we all deal with grief differently. But her reaction felt off, almost as if she knew more than she was letting on. Was she hiding something?