Chapter 21: Into the Abyss
The woods came alive with chaos. Moonlight fractured through the dense canopy of trees, casting eerie patterns on the ground below. Shadows shifted, twisting and merging with the dark shapes darting through the forest. Growls and snarls echoed like the soundtrack of a primal nightmare, reverberating through the night air. The scent of blood and fear tinged the wind, warning of death lurking just beyond the tree line.
The Blackwater Pack had launched a full-scale assault.
Alec, one of Alexander's elite enforcers, sprinted through the thick underbrush, his lean figure blending seamlessly into the dark surroundings. His claws were out, razor-sharp and coated in silver, glinting under the pale moonlight. He moved with the precision of a predator honed by years of combat. But tonight, there was something different—a tension that coiled tighter around him with every passing second.
Rook's pack was not supposed to be here this soon. They'd barely had time to regroup after their last skirmish, and now this. A full-scale invasion? It didn't add up. Rook wasn't reckless. Ambitious, yes, but never one to make careless moves. Which meant… this attack was a distraction.
A ploy to divide and conquer.
Heart pounding, Alec forced himself to push faster, branches and brambles clawing at his skin. He could sense the battle unfolding deeper in the forest—wolves clashing, their snarls blending with cries of pain. But his instincts screamed at him to turn back, to head toward the mansion. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something crucial.
"Alexander, come in!" Alec growled into the pack's mind-link, his voice a sharp edge of urgency. "This isn't a typical attack. I think they're—"
"After Elena," Alexander's voice cut through the link, low and savage. "I know. Stay on them. Don't let any of those bastards near her."
Alec's blood ran cold. He'd been right. It was a diversion, and Elena was the prize.
Damn it.
Before he could respond, a dark blur barreled out of the undergrowth, crashing into him with bone-crushing force. Alec hit the ground hard, pain exploding along his side as claws raked down his chest. He rolled, teeth bared in a feral snarl, and lashed out. His claws sliced through flesh, and a Blackwater wolf yelped, staggering back, blood pouring from its neck.
"Wrong move, asshole," Alec spat, lunging forward. His jaws snapped around the wolf's throat, and with a vicious twist, he tore out its jugular.
The wolf collapsed in a heap, twitching as life bled out of its eyes.
But there was no time to savor the victory. More shapes were moving in the darkness, their eyes gleaming with a malevolent hunger. Rook had sent his best fighters tonight. Alec recognized them—warriors bred for violence, trained to kill without mercy. And there were too many of them.
He couldn't afford to waste time fighting here. Elena was in danger.
Snarling, Alec launched himself forward, weaving through the trees, his speed a blur of motion. He needed to get back to the mansion. Needed to warn Alexander, to—
A sudden roar split the air—a sound that seemed to shake the very foundation of the forest.
Alec skidded to a halt, heart lurching.
That sound hadn't come from any wolf.
It had come from something else.
Back at the mansion, chaos reigned.
Alexander tore through the courtyard, his wolf form a blur of dark fur and raw power. Blood coated his muzzle, his fangs bared in a vicious snarl as he ripped into the Blackwater wolves that dared cross his path. Bodies littered the ground—some twitching, others deathly still. The air was thick with the stench of blood and the acrid tang of fear.
But his focus wasn't on the battle raging around him. His mind was consumed by a singular thought:
Elena.
He'd left her unguarded, left her alone in that damn room, thinking she would be safer there. He'd been so fucking wrong. The instant he'd heard Alec's warning through the pack link, his blood had turned to ice. If Rook had even touched her—
Another wolf lunged at him, its jaws snapping for his throat. Alexander met it head-on, his massive form crashing into the rogue with enough force to shatter bones. He sank his fangs deep into the wolf's side, feeling the satisfying crunch of ribs giving way. With a savage jerk, he flung the wolf aside like a broken toy.
He didn't stop to check if it was dead.
With a powerful leap, Alexander shifted mid-air, his form blurring as he landed on two feet, fully human once more. His eyes blazed with fury as he raced through the mansion's entrance, shoving past his own pack members who were engaged in brutal combat. He took the stairs two at a time, heart hammering wildly in his chest.
"Elena!" he shouted, bursting into the room.
The sight that greeted him made his breath catch.
The room was in shambles—furniture overturned, curtains shredded, shards of glass glittering like stars scattered across the floor. And at the center of the chaos stood Elena.
She was breathing hard, her eyes wild, her hair a tangled halo around her face. But it wasn't the destruction that froze him in place. It was the blood. Thick, crimson streaks covered her hands, her clothes, splattered across her face.
A body lay crumpled at her feet—a rogue, his throat slashed open.
And Elena…
She was smiling.
"Fuck," Alexander breathed, his chest tightening with a complex mix of fear and awe. Her wolf had awakened. Too soon. Far too soon. He'd known it was coming, had felt the power simmering beneath the surface. But this—this was something else entirely.
"Elena, listen to me," he said softly, edging closer. "You're okay. You're safe now."
Her gaze snapped to his, and for a split second, he saw it—the feral gleam in her eyes, the raw, untamed power that lurked beneath her skin. It was a power that could rival even his own. A power that could destroy him.
He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Elena, it's me. It's Alexander."
She blinked, confusion flickering across her face. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the smile vanished, replaced by a look of pure horror. Her hands trembled as she stared down at the blood covering her skin.
"What… what did I do?" she whispered, voice breaking.
"Shh, it's alright," he soothed, moving closer. "It's going to be alright. Just… breathe."
But she shook her head frantically, stumbling back. "No, no, no… I—this—this isn't me!"
"Elena—"
Before he could reach her, she crumpled to the ground, her body convulsing. Panic surged through him, and he dropped to his knees beside her, heart racing.
"Hey, hey, stay with me," he murmured, cupping her face. "Elena, look at me."
But her eyes were glazed, her breathing ragged. She was slipping away, trapped in some inner nightmare that he couldn't reach.
Shit.
He hadn't meant for this to happen. He'd planned to ease her into the truth, to gradually awaken her wolf without overwhelming her. But now… now she was breaking, splintering under the weight of a power she wasn't ready to wield.
"Elena, please," he begged, his voice a raw, desperate plea. "Don't do this. Don't shut down on me."
But it was too late.
With a final, shuddering gasp, her eyes fluttered shut, and she went limp in his arms.
"No," Alexander whispered, fear clawing at his chest. "No, no, no… Elena!"
But she didn't respond.
And as he gathered her trembling body against his chest, the realization hit him like a punch to the gut.
He was losing her.
And this time, he might not be able to bring her back.