The forest was too quiet. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath around the scent of blood. Atasha clutched her niece's trembling hand tighter. Maya's tiny fingers were ice-cold. Her big brown eyes, usually full of life, now stared hollow ahead, too shocked to cry anymore.
No five-year-old should ever have to survive this. They had been running for three days, two nights. No sleep. No food. Just the clothes on their backs.
The Red Moon Pack had turned on them the moment Levi, Atasha's older brother and the pack's Alpha, died. At first, they came with soft voices and fake sadness. They pretended to mourn with her.
Then came the offers….
"You need a strong mate now, Atasha. For the sake of the pack."
But she saw through it. Their sympathy was a mask. They were hungry for power. And they saw her as a prize. And the worst of it was that they wanted her niece to die.
So she ran…
She hadn't even asked for help. Even the people she once trusted, she couldn't risk dragging them into this. She wouldn't let anyone else die because of her.
It was just them now.
Just forest. Mud. Cold. And every snapping branch making her flinch, unsure if it was her own step or someone following them.
Maya stumbled beside her, her little feet raw and her cheeks pale.
Then came the question, soft as a whisper, "Are we going to die?"
Atasha stopped. Slowly knelt in front of her. She cupped Maya's face in her trembling hands, trying to keep her voice strong even when she was anything but.
"No," she said. "Not if I can help it. Do you hear me? I will protect you. Always."
Maya nodded, even though fear still filled her eyes.
Atasha hugged her close, letting Maya bury her face against her chest. But her body ached. Her legs burned. And her heart? It wasn't just tired, it was breaking. She had just lost her brother, and now her niece's life was in danger. She was the only one left to keep Maya safe.
"We must not stop. Let me carry you," she said with a reassuring smile. Maya nodded.
Then Atasha heard them before she saw them, low growls rolling through the trees like a coming storm. Her instincts screamed run, but it was too late. They had already caught up.
She shoved Maya behind her just as the first werewolf broke through the treeline. Then another. And another. Five of them. Maybe more.
"You don't need to fight me, Atasha." The voice stopped her cold. Smooth. Familiar. From the shadows stepped Mauro. Her brother's Beta. Once Levi's most trusted second-in-command. Now just another contender.
"If you come willingly," he said, "I can protect you. Make you my Luna. The pack won't question it. And Maya… Maya will be safe."
Atasha's wolf stirred beneath her skin, both furious and heartbroken. She shook her head slowly, stepping in front of her niece.
"I don't need your protection," she spat. "And I'll never be your Luna."
"You think you can keep her safe out here?" His voice sharpened. "Alone? Surrounded by traitors?"
"I'd rather die fighting than hand her over to any of you," Atasha growled, her breath ragged.
Mauro's gaze hardened. "You don't even know why they want her gone, do you?"
She clenched her jaw, every muscle screaming with tension. "I heard enough." Her voice cracked. "Said Maya would ruin everything. That the only way to secure the line was to… remove her."
Even now, saying it felt like poison on her tongue.
"She's just a child," Atasha spat. "She's not a weapon," Atasha said fiercely, "she's a girl. My blood. I'll burn the pack to ash before I let you touch her!"
Behind her, Maya whimpered. Atasha felt the fear radiating from the girl and the growing hunger of the wolves watching them, waiting for an order
Mauro's eyes lingered on Atasha for one beat too long, like he was weighing something… then he turned to the other wolves.
"Take Atasha by force," he ordered coldly. "But make sure to bring her to me alive."
His gaze darkened. "The girl, you can kill her."
Maya gasped. Atasha froze.
Then the forest erupted.
Claws tore through the silence. Shadows lunged from the trees. She screamed, shifting mid-leap, white fur as snow flaring beneath moonlight. Pain seared through her limbs but she didn't stop. Couldn't. Her wolf form was smaller than theirs, leaner. Built for speed, not war.
Maya cried out behind her, and that was all it took. Atasha flung herself into the fray with teeth bared and fury blazing. With a snarl, she lunged, sinking her teeth into the closest attacker's shoulder. He yelped, staggered back. Another wolf caught her in the ribs, sending her skidding across the forest floor. She got up anyway.
Her heart hammered, her vision blurred, blood dripping from her flank. Still, she stood between them and Maya. A final strike sent her crashing into a tree, her legs barely able to hold her weight. The world tilted. The wolves circled.
Then-
A savage growl ripped through the clearing like a blade of thunder.
They froze.
From the shadows stepped a massive gray wolf, fur streaked with ash and silver, eyes burning gold with fury. Power radiated from him like heat from the sun. He didn't hesitate. He charged.
Teeth and claws and pure, violent dominance tore through the attackers one by one. He moved with lethal grace, ripping into the wolves as if they were nothing but leaves in a storm.
They fled. Every last one.
Atasha collapsed beside Maya, her wolf form trembling, gasping.
The gray wolf turned to her. Moved closer.
And in that moment, the scent hit her - deep, earthy, addictive. It settled into her bones, warm and familiar and impossible.
Her wolf, Ash, stilled, 'Our Mate!'
She shifted back, skin replacing fur, blood painting her arms and legs. Her knees gave out, and he caught her before she fell. She looked up into a face both dangerous and beautiful, eyes locked on hers with a wildness she recognized.
"Please," she whispered, her voice barely breath. "Help us…"
Then everything went black.