2 - Captured

"Run!"

Naya's heart sank as her companions shouted, scattering in accordance with their training.

A chill ran down Naya's spine as she glimpsed the source of the attack. It emanated from the Southern border's tower, confirming her suspicions. Their map had proven outdated, and the landscape had undergone significant changes. According to the map, they should have encountered only one tower, but in reality, another had been erected. Each tower boasted around fifteen guards or so. Now, they had spotted Naya and her group trespassing on their turf.

Swearing under her breath, Naya sprinted and rolled, seeking refuge behind a towering, thick tree.

"Hurry! Locate those intruders! Chief Martin's arrival is imminent! Don't let the rogues slip away!!"

Naya's blood ran cold, remembering her father's warnings.

"The Main Land is vastly different from our home. It's twenty times larger in size. While the warriors guarding these borders may hold lower ranks, considering their distance from major pack territories, they still outnumber your group. The first border you cross will determine whether you and your team can execute this mission as we've hoped. Remember, if you sustain injuries that render you immobile or are captured by these people, it's over."

Naya clenched her teeth.

An arrow whizzed towards her hiding spot. Reacting swiftly, Naya ducked, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade that struck the tree trunk above her.

"Captain," a man stationed by the adjacent tree called out.

Naya glanced at him and recognized him instantly, despite his face being concealed. It was Billy.

He panted heavily as he conveyed a message using quick hand signals, relaying information from the others.

Naya comprehended the message, and in hurried steps, they retreated deeper into the forest, navigating through dense underbrush and thorny paths until they reached a spot near the lake.

"Captain!"

Naya arrived at the designated spot with Billy. She caught her breath while scanning the area, her brows furrowing. "Where are Kevin and Sage?" All of them were beta warriors, a group of two females and five males in total. Naya and Sage were the only women who had successfully completed the rigorous training to become members of the Midnight Seven, their elite team.

Wide-eyed, they exchanged anxious glances.

Naya bit her lower lip, sighed, and turned around, preparing to retrace their steps.

"W-Wait, captain! It's too risky!" One of them exclaimed.

Naya fixed a cold gaze on him. It was Orvyn, their group's most skilled archer. Her voice was icy. "That's what we all signed up for."

Dangerous circumstances weren't sufficient to deter them. They couldn't afford it.

Orvyn hurriedly followed and gripped her shoulder. "I mean, it's too dangerous for you to go alone. We'll go with you, Captain. Let's find them."

Naya surveyed her team and sighed. Simultaneously, a thunderous, bellowing voice echoed from the distance. "Find them!"

Naya furrowed her brow and cast a chilly glance in that direction. "Let's go."

Everything unfolded at a lightning pace. Fortunately, they located Kevin and Sage before nightfall. The group didn't pause for rest, pushing forward until they reached the next border. It was still a good distance from the main territory of the Crimson Stone Pack, but it was the path leading them there.

Their mission was clear: they needed to cross it.

However, Naya had underestimated the strength of these packs—or, to be precise, the people assigned to guard the borders.

With wide, alarmed eyes, she watched as Kevin, the youngest member of their team, faced an assault from two guards simultaneously. They hadn't transformed into their wolf forms, but they wielded weapons: a knife and a spear.

They forced Kevin to kneel on the ground, removed his mask, and demanded angrily, "Talk! Where did you come from? Why did you trespass onto West Wood Pack's territory? Who sent you here?! Tell the truth!"

West Wood Pack. Naya had heard of it before; it was undoubtedly one of the major packs on the mainland.

A cold sweat coated her back as she witnessed the guard kicking Kevin in the back, shoving him to the ground.

"Are you a rogue? Answer me!" The guard stepped on Kevin repeatedly, causing him to groan. But Kevin clenched his teeth and glared into the distance, refusing to reveal anything.

"We need to help him," Sage said, her eyes filled with worry and pain.

The members of the Midnight Seven hid from a distance.

"But if we intervene now, those other folks might summon reinforcements," Jeffrey remarked with a deep frown.

"If we leave him be, they'll kill him," Billy commented, echoing Jeffrey's expression. He turned to Naya. "Captain, what should we do?"

Naya's heart raced, and the blood in her veins ran colder and colder. She clenched her fists and said sternly, "Wait for nightfall to deepen. We'll rescue him once the guards thin out."

Everyone understood her directive and nodded in agreement.

The sun faded, and the bright, full moon emerged in the starry sky.

Naya and her team sprang into action. Using the knowledge and skills acquired during their training, they incapacitated the guards surrounding the small hut.

"That's where they took him," Billy pointed out.

Naya gazed coldly at the hut. "I'll retrieve him. Everyone, meet me at the border."

Billy and Sage wore puzzled frowns. "Captain—"

"Go!" Naya interrupted and turned towards the hut. She had counted the guards earlier, and there was only one unaccounted for, the man who had acted as their leader.

Making sure the other team members had departed, Naya kicked open the door.

Inside, she immediately spotted Kevin on the floor.

Kevin, his eyes half swollen from the beating, spotted Naya and almost broke into tears.

As anticipated, another man awaited her by the side. He looked at Naya and spat angrily, "How did you—"

Quick as lightning, Naya kicked him, sending him crashing into a pile of chairs with a loud vibrating thud The man staggered and groaned as he wiped sweat from his brow and glared at Naya. "You damn rogues!"

Compared to the other guards, he appeared more formidable, Naya noted. During their battle, he managed to wrest her mask off. Naya furrowed her brow and fixed her icy gaze on the man, delivering another kick and twisting his neck until he slumped to the floor.

Naya stood there panting, then quickly moved to untie Kevin's ropes.

"Captain, I overheard the guards earlier. They mentioned something about the Crimson Stone Pack," Kevin shared.

Naya's hands froze, and she widened her eyes, her brow knitting. "They know about...Crimson Stone?"

Kevin nodded. "...I think so. I believe they're collaborating into something. There’s a cargo. I think they are sending it to Crimson Stone Pack..." He winced in pain.

"Return to the border," Naya instructed.

"Captain, what's your plan?" Kevin asked, his surprise and fear evident.

Naya looked ahead. "I have something to confirm first. I'll be back shortly. Go."

With that, she pushed Kevin towards the woods while ensuring the head guard, attempting to rise from the floor, remained subdued. Eventually, Naya produced a knife from her pocket and pressed it against one of the guards, the blade almost touching his neck.

"Answer my question. Where's the cargo you're sending to the Crimson Stone Pack?" she demanded.

The guard trembled in Naya's headlock. "I-I don't know!"

Naya's gaze grew colder. She pressed the knife further against the man's neck. "You'll tell me, or I'll slit your throat before you can transform."

The guard clenched his teeth and let out a shaky laugh. "You're a true rogue... I'm a beta. I can't shift without an alpha's order! And even if I knew where the cargo is, do you think I'd tell you? Hah, go ahead and kill me. I'd rather die than betray my pack!!!"

Naya's cold glare persisted.

Simultaneously, Naya heard approaching footsteps.

"Ha, my comrades are here! You're done for, rogue!" the guard taunted with a mocking, fearful laugh.

Naya delivered another blow, cracking the man's neck once more, rendering him unconscious.

As she glared outside, Naya prepared to flee into the woods when she halted. Around ten men wearing warrior attire similar to the guards she had subdued earlier surrounded her.

Naya readied herself for a fight.

The newly arrived warriors looked around, their gaze shifting between the unconscious bodies on the ground and Naya, their astonishment palpable. One of them squinted and asked, "What are you?"

Naya responded only with a cold stare.

In the next moment, she was fighting again. She brought down five, six, seven... until only three men remained standing in front of her.

They each let out rough, subdued breaths.

"Damn, you sure can handle yourself," one of them murmured.

Naya ignored his comment and swiftly dodged another attack, launching her own. However, she felt her heart skip a beat, her knees weakening as she tumbled to the ground.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, making her wince. Her heightened senses overwhelmed her, clouding her mind and numbing her body.

Naya bit her lower lip, struggling to move. What was this feeling? Why did it suddenly feel like her body wasn't her own? Her heart was beating too fast and wild, too. Nevertheless, she knew she couldn't stop here.

Refocusing her mind, Naya forced her body to move. With a low, staggering breath, she pushed off the ground with all her remaining strength and slowly looked up.

The three men who had gathered around her stood before her in silence. Then, in an instant, they moved aside, making way for another figure. 

They all bowed and greeted in unison, "Alpha Prince."