Tobias' face was ashen, his breath labored as he leaned against the doorframe, panic dancing in his eyes. The smell of sweat and fear rolled off him in waves, cutting through the staleness of the room.
"They're onto us," he repeated, his voice tight with urgency. "They're closing in, Kael. We need to move, now."
I felt my heart hammer in my chest. Tobias was one of the strongest members of the pack before everything went to hell. If he was afraid, that meant things were worse than I thought.
Aria stood up quickly, her chair scraping the floor with a screech that seemed too loud in the tense silence. "How did they find us? I thought we covered our tracks," she said, her voice sharp, but her hands trembling slightly.
Tobias shot her a dark look. "They've been tracking us with more than just tech," he said. "They've got... something else. I don't know what, but it's picking up our scent, our energy. It's like they've weaponized their own werewolves."
I froze. "Hybrids," I whispered, the word heavy and vile on my tongue.
Tobias gave a grim nod. "Yeah. And they're not playing around."
For a second, the room felt too small, too claustrophobic. My mind spun as I tried to process the reality of what he was saying. Hybrids—creatures made in a lab, a twisted mockery of werewolves, stronger than any natural-born. We had seen the experiments, heard the rumors, but now... now they were here.
Aria's voice cut through the suffocating silence. "We need to get out of the city," she said, grabbing a small bag from under the table and shoving a few essentials inside. "If they have hybrids tracking us, they'll be relentless. We won't be able to hide."
I nodded in agreement, but something in Tobias' eyes made me pause. "What is it? You're not telling me everything."
He hesitated, his gaze flicking between me and the door, as if he were weighing whether to say what was on his mind or bolt. Finally, he spoke.
"They're after more than just you," he said quietly, avoiding my gaze. "They're going after the remaining packs. I heard them talking. They have names, locations... They've already hit two packs on the outskirts."
My breath caught in my throat. This wasn't just about me. This was a full-scale extermination.
"They're wiping us out," I muttered, my fists clenching at my sides. "One by one."
Aria's movements slowed as she took in the gravity of his words. She glanced at me, her expression one of determination. "Then we can't run forever. If we don't fight back, there won't be anyone left to save."
I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. Running had been our only option for so long, but now... now there was no choice. If we didn't strike back, if we didn't take the fight to them, it would all be over.
Tobias stepped forward, his eyes hard. "There's more. I found something. Information that could give us an edge."
I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of information?"
"Schematics," he said, pulling a small data chip from his pocket. "One of the main labs where they're keeping the hybrids. I stole this from a government convoy before they caught on to me."
Aria snatched the chip from his hand, turning it over in her fingers. "This could be what we need," she murmured. "If we can break into the lab, destroy their work..."
"They'd lose their biggest weapon," I finished, a plan forming in my mind. "But how do we get inside without getting torn apart?"
"I know a way," Tobias said, his voice low. "But it's a suicide mission if we don't have enough firepower."
I locked eyes with him, the weight of his words settling on my shoulders. A suicide mission. We were already walking that line. But what choice did we have? If we didn't risk it, there wouldn't be anything left to fight for.
"Then we get firepower," I said, my voice hardening. "And we take them down."
---
We didn't have much time. Within minutes, the three of us were out the door, moving swiftly through the city streets under the cover of night. The oppressive hum of the city seemed to fade as we left the dense urban core behind, replaced by the eerie silence of the industrial district.
Tobias led the way, his movements sharp and purposeful. Aria stayed close, her eyes darting around nervously, always alert. I kept my senses on high, my wolf instincts sharpening the further we went. Every flicker of movement in the shadows made my pulse spike. They could be anywhere. We had to move fast, and we had to move quietly.
The night stretched on, each second an eternity as we navigated the sprawling maze of abandoned buildings and factories. At some point, Tobias stopped, motioning for us to follow him into a dilapidated warehouse. Inside, the place was dark and empty, save for a few crates and rusting machinery. The scent of oil and decay hung heavy in the air.
Tobias led us to a small room at the back, where a single overhead light buzzed weakly. He shut the door behind us and turned to face me.
"This is where we gear up," he said, pulling open a metal crate. Inside were weapons—high-powered rifles, explosives, knives, and gear I hadn't seen in years.
"Where did you get this?" I asked, picking up a rifle and inspecting it.
"Contacts," he said vaguely. "People who know how to stay under the radar. We'll need every bit of this if we're going to take that lab."
I nodded, slipping a knife into my belt and strapping on a set of body armor. Aria did the same, her movements methodical but tense. The gravity of what we were about to do weighed heavy on all of us.
"Alright," Tobias said, loading a rifle and slinging it over his shoulder. "We move at dawn. They won't be expecting an attack in daylight."
I frowned. "Daylight? That's risky."
"It's our only chance," he said. "Night patrols are heavier. They'll be caught off guard during the day, thinking we wouldn't dare attack when they can see us coming."
He was right. It was a gamble, but it might be our best shot at catching them off guard.
"We hit hard, we hit fast," I said, locking eyes with Aria. "We get in, destroy the lab, and get out. No hesitation."
She nodded, her jaw set. "We don't stop until we've torn them down."
---
We spent the rest of the night preparing. The air in the room was thick with tension, the silence punctuated only by the sound of metal clinking as we loaded weapons and strapped on gear. My heart was racing, but my mind was focused. There was no room for doubt. Not now.
By the time the first light of dawn began creeping through the cracks in the warehouse walls, we were ready. The final moments stretched into infinity as we stood at the door, each of us bracing for what was to come.
"This is it," Tobias said quietly, his voice steely. "Once we start, there's no turning back."
I met his gaze, then looked at Aria, whose eyes were burning with resolve. "No turning back," I repeated.
We stepped out into the dawn, weapons in hand, and moved toward our target—the lab that held the key to our survival, and the beginning of the end for those who hunted us.