Elara

Elara's pov

The scent of damp earth and rot filled my burning lungs, but it was the metallic tang of rogue wolf on the wind that truly terrified me. I clutched the two small bundles tighter to my chest, my heart hammering against my ribs. Branches whipped against my face, tearing at the fine silk of my nightdress, but I barely felt the sting. All that mattered was the impossible weight of the two tiny, precious lives I held.

They were Onyxclaw royalty. And right now, they were prey.

I tripped over a massive, exposed root, gasping as I nearly dropped them. I recovered just as a terrifyingly close howl shattered the relative quiet of the Hindlands Woods. It was the call of the lead rogue, and it was filled with savage bloodlust.

They were catching up.

I looked at the babies bundled in my arms. I couldn't carry both of them any further without us all getting caught. I had to choose. The thought made me physically sick, a strangled sob escaping my throat. My beautiful, perfect twins.

My gaze fell upon a colossal, ancient oak stump nearby. It was hollowed out, dark and weathered by time. Please, Great Wolf, forgive me, I prayed, my hands trembling violently as I kneeled. I separated the bundles, pulling the slightly smaller one closer. My beautiful daughter.

I gave her one final, devastating kiss on her tiny, sleeping forehead. Then, I wrapped the soft, hand-embroidered blanket securely around her, making sure the name was tucked in tight. Tallulah. My warrior princess.

I gently placed her deep inside the dark cavity of the stump, tucking her away as far as I could. With frantic hands, I gathered handfuls of wet leaves, rotting bark, and fallen branches, stacking them to conceal the opening completely. Stay silent, my love. Live.

The rogue’s howl sounded again, closer still. I scrambled back to my feet, clutching the second bundle - my son - against my hammering heart. I needed a second hiding place, quickly. Just a few metres away, a massive, thick rhododendron bush offered dense cover. Its heavy, dark green leaves reached nearly to the muddy ground.

I hurried over and found a small, protected hollow near the centre base of the bush. I nested my son inside, making a silent promise to return before I covered his hiding spot with leaves and natural debris. I backed away, my eyes blurry with tears, forced to trust the woods to keep my secrets.

Just as I stood, a loud snapping of a twig echoed from behind me. Footsteps. Fast and heavy.

I didn't hesitate. I spun around and ran in the opposite direction of the bushes, towards a dense thicket, making as much noise as possible. I would lead them away. I would be the decoy.

But I had only gone twenty metres before I was stopped dead in my tracks. A massive black wolf exploded from the brush directly ahead, skidding to a halt on the muddy trail. His amber eyes were twin pools of malicious intent, and thick drool dripped from his bared fangs. He snarled, a deep, raw sound that vibrated the very air, and took a step toward me. I knew then that my run was over.

---

Zoriya wiped the sweat from her brow, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes. The morning run through the Hindlands Woods was her only escape, the only time she wasn't Zoriya the omega, but just Zoriya. This section of the woods, technically unclaimed territory, was always a little unsettling, but the crisp morning air felt clean.

She was about to double back when she heard it. A faint, thin cry cutting through the music of the birds. She froze, her breath catching. It sounded… wrong for the woods.

Zoriya followed the sound, her steps cautious. It was coming from a massive, ancient oak stump. To her surprise, the stump was practically buried under a fresh pile of branches and leaves, as if someone - or something - had tried to hide it.

The cries grew louder and more desperate. Shoving the debris aside, Zoriya gasped.

Tucked deep inside the dark hollow was a tiny baby. Zoriya’s maternal instincts screamed, and she reached in without thinking, gently lifting the infant into the morning light.

It was a beautiful baby girl, her face scrunched up as she wailed in distress. The poor thing was shivering, wrapped tightly in a blanket that was soft to the touch. Zoriya’s gaze drifted to the edge of the fabric, where a delicate, hand-stitched script caught her eye. Tallulah.

Zoriya spun around, her eyes scanning the dense undergrowth for any sign of a mother, a pack member, anyone. The silence of the deep woods was absolute. There were no tracks, no scents of any other wolves, just an oppressive, unnatural quiet. She couldn't leave a baby out here, not with rogues known to prowl.

Zoriya looked down at the tiny, screaming girl named Tand made her choice. Clutching the baby protectively against her chest, she turned and sprinted back towards Lightmaw territory, already knowing her life had just irrevocably changed.