Chapter 2: Aqueduct Falls

“Worthless pieces of shit!” a man with black hair and emerald eyes proclaimed, the fury in his voice settling like cold ice that covered the entire forest and every living creature near him.

Every wolf shut their mouth and stayed still in their place.

He's Alpha Claudius, and no one dared to answer him back.

His emerald eyes lost their shine, burning with anger as he glared at everyone, bowing their heads in shame. A small brown werewolf was whining on the ground, having been shoved hard against a giant tree trunk when Claudius shouted.

He had one rule in his land, and that was to obey his word. Every wolf was free to do as they desired, but once he gave an order, they had to obey. He refused to be disobeyed, rejected, or disappointed.

Early that morning, upon receiving news that a storm would hit their land, he had commanded various preparations to be made, but nothing seemed to be working out successfully, and it infuriated him.

Being situated on the land below, if things got out of hand and flooding occurred, they would be the ones facing the brunt of the damage. His jaw clenched along with his fists as he looked up ahead, where the cliff of the kingdom above could be seen.

‘I could never forgive them.’ That was what ran through his mind when a giant grey wolf ran in their direction before shifting into his human form behind a tree. It was a man with blond hair, tan skin, and blue eyes.

“Something must have been happening at the above kingdom. One of my men at the border just saw someone fall on the aqueduct falls,” the man said, catching his breath.

The aqueduct falls, and the surrounding cliffs served as the border between the kingdom above and the kingdom below. To prevent anyone from crossing over, shape-shifting wolves patrolled the border, and ever since the treaty had been established, no one had dared to cross the line drawn by the two kingdoms.

“I will deal with you all later. You are coming with me, Julius,” Alpha Claudius firmly stated, glaring at them all before nodding to the brunette woman at the far end of the group, who instantly tossed a bag to him.

Without further notice, the Alpha shifted into his giant silver wolf.

Together with Julius, who shifted back into his grey wolf form, they ran swiftly through the storm toward the aqueduct falls.

Julius was the Gamma of their pack and the one who led the warriors that guarded, protected, and went to war for them.

Even though he had contemplated earlier whether or not to report the incident, he had still done so despite knowing the risk of their Alpha flying into a rage. They all knew how much their Alpha detested anyone from the kingdom above, just as much as the rest of them did.

Meanwhile, the two wolves patrolling the border area remained in their human forms. As soon as they saw someone fall from the cliff, they immediately mind-linked their superior.

“Get her! Ramses!” the man said, gesturing toward the woman who had just sunk into the falls after hitting the surface of the water with intense force from the cliff fifteen meters above.

“Are you crazy? Is eating too much food getting into your head, Robert! The waves are too strong. It will be a suicide mission!” Ramses exclaimed, staring at the water where the woman's body had yet to resurface.

Their hearts pounded loudly as they debated whether or not to risk their lives to save her.

‘I better see that woman breathing when I get there.’ Hearing their Alpha’s voice inside their heads, both Ramses and Robert’s eyes widened in panic over what they had to do.

“Think! You, idiot!” Robert exclaimed, shoving Ramses toward the edge of the falls.

Ramses immediately surveyed the surroundings, thinking desperately of a plan.

He grew more anxious with every passing second, knowing the chances of retrieving the woman alive were slipping away—until his eyes widened and a smile formed on his lips at what he saw.

“Grab those vines!” he immediately instructed Robert, who followed his gaze.

Along the side of the falls and the cliff face separating the upper and lower kingdoms grew long, thick vines. Robert ripped the roots from the ground, pulling with all his strength until the vines tore free from higher up, successfully gathering several meters of cordage.

Without wasting a second, Ramses grabbed the end of the vines and tied it securely around his waist.

He looked back at Robert, who wrapped the other end around his hands and gripped it tightly.

“Are you ready?” Ramses asked, and Robert nodded.

With that, Ramses jumped into the water and dived down. He used all the strength he had to swim deeper, fighting the raging storm currents to reach the base of the waterfall where the woman had fallen. The churning water blurred his vision, but by some stroke of luck, he managed to locate her sinking form.

The woman was naked, but that was the least of his concerns at that moment. He quickly hooked an arm beneath her armpit and secured her as he swam back toward the surface.

On the shore, feeling the tug on the vine, Robert knew Ramses was giving him the signal. As the current grew fiercer, he hauled on the line with all his might until Ramses’s head broke the surface, hauling the woman along with him.

Robert helped Ramses untie the vines from his waist before lifting the woman and gently laying her on the ground.

She coughed violently, expelling the water that had entered her lungs as she gasped for air.

“Get your eyes off her, you fools!” A thunderous, domineering voice cut through the air, causing the two male wolves to avert their eyes immediately, while the woman curled in on herself, covering her naked form with her arms and knees.