My body swayed heavily but from what, I don't know. Wherever I was, my arms were restrained painfully over my head. I couldn't lift my head to look at my surroundings so I sagged, now staring at my lap as my eyes forced themselves to focus and clear away the haze.

As they did, I noticed I was covered in a bloodstained sheet in which I'm guessing was a large tunic of sorts.

Why is it so bloodied?

Just as the question crossed my mind, warm liquid trickled down the side of my face and down the bridge of my nose; dipping with agonizing speed onto my 'tunic' and thighs.

My blood? Why am I bleeding?

Then it hit me. The flashbacks from the attack hit me like vertigo.

It had been one autumn since the Battle of Avonbeg. No one had heard from Olufemi or even caught wind of Calder and his pack's movements.

It wasn't until a week before the attack, wolves ambushed one of King Garrick's patrols on our territory. It was unclear if it was from a neighboring pack or skelmar but it was shown as a declaration of war.

A betrayal of high regard.

A peace treaty demolished.

The only warning we got after that was an army. The King never received our letter for our courier was also ambushed and hanged on display for everyone who passed him to see as was the others.

By time Evenora was able to preform the magic it would take to send a letter, it was already too late for the King's army was on their way. Even though it was sent, it had nowhere to now go.

By time they reached our village, it was far too late. The most we could do was assemble and meet the army head on with our own.

Every warrior, shieldmaiden, werewolf, lycan and other race, littered the clearing, trying to keep the army far enough away from the village so that those mothers and nursemaids who had children, could flee from the opposite side, away from the appending chaos.

Once both were facing each other, Alistair, Gavrill and I shared a worried glance as we approached the center of the clearing.

The King met us along with his, I assume, Advisor and Calder.

"Alistair Lejos, Alpha werewolf to Dark Wood, have taken the kindness I have given for your kind and destroyed it by slaughtering my patrol like wild game," King Garrick boomed.

"Your majesty, I assure you, under the Gods above, we did no such thing," Alistair said calmly but his own resolve was teetering upon it's edge.

When the King said nothing, I took a breath and stepped forward, bowing.

"Your majesty, sire, what the Alpha says is true. It was not us who attacked your men. Even our own men have been blatantly ambushed trying to send word to you of the matter."

Keeping my head lowered, King Garrick moved his horse to stand in front of me, pulling my chin up with a gloved hand to face him.

"State your name, rank and species, woman."

"Noir Lejos, mate to Alistair Lejos and Luna to Dark Wood. I'm a halfbreed, much like my husband," I said.

Alistair and I had become unionized moons after the battle with Calder. Still, hearing me claim his name in such a situation brought me pride but also fear for I felt I might have overstepped.

"My Lord, if I may," Calder interjected which resulted in an unexpected growl from me which caused the King to remove his hand from my face.

"This pack has brutally attacked members of my own pack, myself included and disrespected you by attacking and slaughtering your soldiers. This one in particular is dangerous. If we do not kill her, might I suggest imprisonment?"

Fear rolled down my spin and into my gut followed by Alistair's.

How could the King believe this nonsense?

After a moment, much too uncomfortable for anyone's liking, the King once again spoke.

"I've heard all about the rampaging, murders and attacks that has stained this pack's once stainless reputation due to your wife. I will make a deal with you though that I think will benefit us all, Alistair."

When no one spoke, the King continued.

"In an exchange for mercy on yourself and your pack, you will hand over this woman."

Fear.

Anger.

Hurt.

Emotions hit me like a ton of cobblestone as I shook under the lies and the deception before being yanked back into a hard chest.

"No. If you want her, you will come through me," Alistair shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"And me," Gavrill spoke up with equal measure before the entire army erupted into angry shouts.

"Very well," was all the King said before retreating back to his own army, his advisor and Calder in toe.

"Running back to our own army, Alistair spun me around, crashing his lips into mine.

"Whatever happens, survive. I will find you," was all he said before the warhorn cleaved through the chaos.

Evenora was struck down and vanished. When I saw that Triaa was in trouble, I shifted, letting Faelen take over before a voice over the madness caught Faelen's attention.

In the distance, Shiloh screamed and when I followed her line of sight, Olcan and Hael were cornered.

Faelen howled before rushing towards them, the smell of blood, sweat and smoke, almost gagging us. Faelen crashed into a soldier, her massive jaws repeatedly biting and ripping at the mans helm before it was gone and nothing but crushed bone remained in her mouth.

Blood dropped from her jowls while her tongue flicked over her gums and teeth as she turned on others. Their fear gave opening for Hael and Olcan, immediately greeted by Eskil, to eradicate the remaining soldiers in thecircle.

Throwing her head up again, Faelen howled once more and this time it wasn't a warning but a plea for help. If Haaken or Bjarke were nearby, they would hear it and bring reinforcements.

But before the howl was finished, an arrow hit Faelen in the shoulder, then another and another.

It didn't seem to phase her until she began to shake before falling to the ground, writhing in pain. She thrashed and began foaming at the mouth; she called out but before anyone could help, Faelen vanished and I was left ***** and blooded on the ground.

My eyesight was blotching in and out of focus but I was able to catch glances at the carnage around me.

Snowball's once ivory fur was now crimson as he fought to keep Kiba safe, joined by Rayshon.

Olcan protected Fern.

Eskil and Herlief were back to back as Hael looked around in a raged panic before his eyes landed on mine.

Without hesitation, Hael ran towards me but he didn't get far as two arrows pelted his side and another in his thigh.

Much like Faelen, Hael collapsed and thrashed in pain before transforming back into Alistair.

At least he is alive.

I sighed in silent relief and hoped that the King's soldiers thought him to be possibly dead but when a man walked up to him and slung Alistair over his shoulder, I knew that was false hope.

A short time later, someone else approached me, ripping the arrows from my body before jerking me up by my hair.

"I'll see you soon, mutt," was all I heard before I was dropped again and met with darkness as a boot collided with my face.

Jolting upright, my vision was clear, well, as clear as it could be at the moment as I examined my surroundings.

A cage?

Looking to my right, I saw two men.

A wagon. I'm in a caged carriage.

With that realization I called out to River and Faelen but neither answered.

Panic began to set it.

I was scared.

So scared and the fear became crippling when I realized I was alone in the wagon.

My palms are sweaty and the adrenaline coursing through my veins was shutting down my ability to think logically. I wanted to run or beat the hell out of my captors, either would do but wouldn't happen as I was chained, dangling like meat in a market stall.

I began to thrash, pulling at the chains that held my arms over my head and screamed. I screamed profanities, I screamed for help, to the Gods, I screamed for Alistair— but nothing came except the harsh shouts from the coachmen and the soldier's walking alongside the wagon, reaching between the spaced bars now that I'm awake.

When I bit a man's hand, the wagon stopped and the creaking of a door could be heard opening then I was jerked up by my face as a man shoved a vail in my mouth, forcing a pungent liquid down my throat.

When he backed up, I didn't have time to recover from a coughing fit as a fist collided with my face, spiraling me back into darkness.

"Wake up," a voice boomed before I found myself drenched in with cold water.

Jolting forward, I hissed in pain as the metal cuffs around my wrists cut into my skin.

What the hell?

The smell of stagnant water, iron and death invaded my senses, causing me to gag before looking around to notice I was in a stone cell with the exception of iron barred gate that was closed.

Looking closer at it and through the bars, a pair of eyes stared at me from another cell, the mossy orbs glowing in the cell's obscurity.

"You wake up to notice everything but me," that voice spoke again causing me to jump to my left, the rattling of my chains echoing though the dungeon.

Looking in the direction of the voice, I could feel my anger spiking. Approaching me from the shadows was Calder.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

"What the hell do you want," I growled.

"You're still in high spirits, I see. I'm actually surprise you lived from the last time I really saw you prior to your capture," Calder shrugged.

"Why was I captured in the first place?"

"Oh. Well, remember when you killed Xanthe? Yeah, I've been spending the last season plotting on getting you," he paused, assessing my reaction. "Thus, I now have you."

Calder took a couple of steps before closing the distance between us before grabbing a fistful of my hair, forcing me to stand.

"I'm going to break you," was all he said before he turned and slammed my head into the stone wall causing me to fall.

The sound of his footsteps and the cell door opening was all I could hear before rolling onto my side to once again be met with mossy eyes before I was taken into a numbing sleep.

When I awoke again, rays of sunlight were shining through the small barred window above my cell, giving light to the Hell I was newly placed in.

"It's good to know that you didn't die in your sleep after he bashed your pretty little head up against the wall," an unfamiliar voice came.

Looking around, my eyes landed on the cell across from mine. Behind the bars sat a man who was as close to his cell door as humanly possible with his elbow on his bent knee.

"Well, he's done worse than that before," I snipped, taking in his appearance.

From what I could see of his height with him simply sitting there, he was tall wearing only loose breeches and boots. His chest was bare but scared. His hair was dark and long; it had a single braid on each side that blended perfectly in with his hair. His beard, which looked like it was well groomed, also had a single braid.

"Liam Dahl."

"What," I questioned, confused.

"That is my name, Liam."

Standing, my assumption of his height was correct.

"Oh," I paused, assessing the introduction.

Rubbing my wrists where my chained cuffs where burning me, I sighed.

"Noir Lejos," I quipped.

"Noir Lejos," Liam responded, testing my name. "Nice to meet you Noir. You're either lycan or werewolf, I can't tell. Your scent is complicated. I, myself, am a lycan. Recently made skelmar due to a disagreement with my pack's counsel and acting without their approval."

The last part he spat with venom, more at his newfound title instead of me directly.

Looking back at me, he tilted his head to the side.

"What has a beauty such as yourself done to get caged here like some dog who disobeyed it's master," Liam asked, now resting on the bars of his cell.

I laughed dryly at this before whistling and rocking back on my heels.

"Ehhh. Long story. What you sow, so shall you reap. I don't know what his endgame is though. I'll either die, kill him or magically escape," I said, the reality of everything slowly hitting me.

Rubbing his chin, Liam stayed silent for a bit before growling.

"I had a feeling that man had a personal vendetta by the way he was talking to you. I can't stand it when men hurt women for no reason or the fact they can't take responsibility for their own actions," Liam spat, partially shifting.

"Furthermore, I heard how they got you. Wolfsbane, Ergot and silver infused arrows. When they brought you here in the state you were in, I thought they simply dropped a bloody corpse in that cell. I tried to watch over you to the best of my abilities being over here, caged. When that man did what he did earlier, waking you the way he did and hurt you, I wanted nothing more but to rip his throat out," Liam hissed, now pacing.

When I didn't say anything, Liam stopped and looked at me.

"You mentioned "mate", does that mean you're a werewolf?"

"Not exactly," I said, trying to shift into a comfortable position.

"Then are you a lycan? We imprint but you would surely know that."

"Again, not exactly," I murmured.

"Then what are you?"

Thinking on how I should answer him, I sighed.

"I'm a halfbreed. Half werewolf, half lycan and I can shift into both," I said cautiously.

"A hybrid? I've never met a hybrid," Liam barely whispered to himself. "What's that like?"

"To me it's normal so I don't exactly know how to answer your question," I shrugged, leaning back against the stone wall.

"Surely you ca—," before Liam got to finish, the sound of metal sliding across stone echoed around us as two guards and Calder approached the cells.

One of the guards slid a plate of bread, water and a meat of some sort into Liam's cage then turned to me, opening my door.

"What are you doing," Liam snarled.

Ignoring him, Calder and the two guards stepped into my cell, one holding a vial of some sort while the other had a collar and chain.

Growling, I stepped away from the men.

"It's in your best interest to cooperate, Noir," Calder smiles, taking an agonizing step towards me.

When I didn't respond, the guards stepped forward. The first to grab me was the one with the collar and chain.

"Let me go," I shouted, bringing the chain connected to my wrists up and attempted to wrap it around his neck. The other guard shoved me to the ground, bringing his partner with me.

I couldn't shift. I couldn't even partially shift and being restrained, all I could do no was lash out with my feet and fist, somewhat, before one of the men kneeled before placing a knee to my throat, rendering me motionless as the other squeezed the sides of my face, forcing my mouth open.

"STOP IT!! YOU'RE HURTING HER," Liam shouted, shaking the bars of his cell door.

He continued to shout profanities as a guard took the cork of the vial between his teeth, removed it and constrained the liquid down my throat. When I refused to swallow it, the other pinched my nose and covered my mouth, forcing me to swallow it vile concoction.

The moment I did, they immediately removed themselves as I began to thrash, ripping at my hair and throat, my screams echoing around the dungeon mixed with their laughter and Liam's protests.

The pain was increasing in waves, small lulls giving false hope of an end. Each peak robs my ability to speak. It sends me lashing out and tearing at the stoned floor. It's as though my blood has become sour or poisonous, intent of destroying me from the inside out. All I can do is writhe, the occasional scream escaping to echo off the walls.

When it became nothing more than a numbing sensation, a man bent over and unhooked me from the wall and clasped the chained collar around my neck.

Calder jerked me up by my hair and now standing, I swayed like a drunkard. I think my ears, nose and eyes are bleeding but I can't tell as my body fights against another wave of convulsion.

With a jerk, I'm choked as I'm dragged out of my cell, Liam desperately reaching through his to grab me but I can't seem to focus. All I hear is a shout and a crunch of bone before I'm forced forward onto a room that's opposite of the entrance.

...Alistair...

The clanging of metal left me unbothered as I swayed back and forth. I didn't acknowledge it as I remembered Noir being hit and her bestial form forced to retreat.

It's odd though.

That form of weaponry shouldn't of taken down a fully turned werewolf let alone lycan in the sense it did.

I couldn't get to Noir in time before I was also hit; whatever the arrows were made of having the same effect on Hael.

Where is Noir no—

I'm jarred out of my thoughts as the cage that is carrying me comes to abrupt halt. A hiss of pain comes from the witch to my left as her small frame sags helplessly.

Evenora.

Craning my neck to look at my surroundings better, it seems we had stopped for the eve. It's been three days since the unwarranted attack.

I couldn't hear Rune or Hael.

I couldn't mindlink though I doubt I was close enough to do so even without the bitter concoction they kept forcing down my throat hindering almost all my abilities.

I **worry** for my pack.

I **worry** for my brother.

I **worry for everyone and everything.

Most and foremost, I **worry** for Noir.

My mate.

My wife.

She didn't notice it yet but her scent had changed prior to the fight indicating she was with pup but I wanted to wait to mention this until later on. What a fool I had been.

I should of voiced this. I should of to—

I'm once again cut short of my thoughts when the clanging of metal pulled me from my thoughts as Evenora struggled slightly against her chains, muttering under her breath.

Snapping my head up to look at her, I immediately looked around but by this time the soldiers were setting up camp and some were even intoxicated, stumbling around like wee babes learning to walk for the first time.

"Evenora," I whispered, focusing my attention back on her.

When she didn't answer, I looked around once more before leaning forward as far as I could, the metal binding my arms creaking under the resistance.

"Evenora," I whispered again through clenched teeth.

The witch's head swayed for a moment before she looked up and to me; her eyes clouded over as if she was blind.

It seems the soldiers didn't take into consideration the fact they had captured a witch instead of another werewolf. The silver and wolfsbane not having the same effect on my captive company.

Where Evenora is in a weakened state, she isn't immobilized now that she is fully conscious which caused a blossoming hope that bubbled in my chest.

I watched as she kept her eyes on me before she placed her back against the cage, her restrained hands feeling the bars. They stopped after a moment and in a quick movement, Evenora raked her hand down one of the bars causing dark liquid to run down her arm.

"Forgive me, Alpha," was all Evenora said as she touched the carmine substance with the fingers of her other hand, she placed stained fingertips on a ring that was on her wounded hand.

"Wai—," I almost shouted.

Her head fell back and her chest heaved forward as the blood coming from her cut hand changed direction and instead of flowing freely down her arm, started going back the way it came and into her ring.

Blood magic.

Blood magic is strictly forbidden in my pack because it usually consumes it's caster and in a lot of cases, there is a sacrifice.

Before I could voice anything further, Evenora's head snapped forward, her still 'blinded' eyes looking directly at me.

"Sacred water, flow through me to draw them ever near. As endless rivers run to sea, their path to he is clear. Their leader's love, here they will find and know his journey's end. In his heart, soul and mind, our lives blend."

When her incantation was done, a force burst through her and out, knocking me back forcibly against the cage and reached across the camp causing the soldiers closest to us to also get knocked back.

When I recovered, Evenora's body hanged limply, head drooping low as soldiers began shouting.

Before they could fully investigate, a howl erupted from somewhere to my left and seemed to crack the air, as if the very sky might split apart.

Almost immediately, more howls echoed around us from all directions. My heart beat against my ribs as I found a surge of energy. Pulling against my chains, I rammed my back constantly against the cage, rocking it.

"Bro— go—locat— ar— nea—," a voice faintly broke through the mindlink.

"Alp— hol— n—," another voice hit me which caused my adrenaline to spike further.

When the door to the cage opened, I growled at the soldier who approached.

"What do you think you're doing, mutt," the man shouted.

Growling more, I swiped my leg out, taking the solider's balance. When he fell, I wrapped both of my legs around his neck, robbing him of air before shifting my body swiftly. When I heard the bones crunch in his neck, I released him.

Shit. I don't have much time.

I jerked on my restraints, the wolfsbane infused silver burning against my flesh.

I can't break these God's damned chains in this state.

Unsure what else to do, I tilted my head back and howled.

The howl came like the prelude to a great song. At first it was a alarming, violent to the ears but after came a rolling sound that dissipated into the surrounding landscape.

In moments, I was answered by more howls, much closer than last before another soldier entered the cage but instead of going for me, he went for the limp Evenora.

I jerked against my chains as far as I could and growled.

"DO NOT TOUCH HER!"

Looking at me, the man looked indifferent before a smile crept across his face and spat on the ground.

"What are you going to d—," was all he got out before everything went silent aside from the beating of paws, a growl and a black wolf collided with the man.

The wolf pinned the solider down on the opposite end of the cage and didn't even hesitate to take his massive jaws and clamp them down on the man's throat, ridding him of life.

Herlief.

Shaking his massive ebony head of the blood and bone, he looked at me and nodded before he tilted his head and gave a quick howl before taking my chain into his jowls and ripping it from it's rooted spot.

Not looking back, he did the same for Evenora as he gently bit the collar of her top and dragged her out of the cage.

He and the witch were gone by the time I stumbled out of the cage, grunting as my body hit the ground.

When I stood, a horde of shadows cascaded over the horizon and were moving towards me with heightened speed.

A soldier approached me with a sword drawn and before I could think, my body acted on its own, slinging the chain of my restraint, the chain wrapping around the man's sword.

Jerking him towards me, another's arm snaked around my neck causing to stumble back and onto the earth.

Before the other man could bring his sword down, an ashen lycan collided with him, both slamming into the now vacant cage.

When he stood, he shifted and offered me an outstretched hand. Taking it, I stood.

Haaken.

As he brought me into a partial hug, he pulled back as we were met by Gavrill, Olcan, Sköll and Rayshon.

They also shift temporarily, helping me with my restraints. When I was free completely, I looked at them as wolves and lycans alike shredded soldiers.

"We've been tracking you. Thanks to Herlief and his connection to Evenora, we were able to pinpoint your location," Gavrill spoke before looking around.

"Where is Noir," he questioned.

Kiba approached alongside Botolph before shifting.

"Where is my sister," she questioned.

My three in command was in front of me along with my brother, Noir's sister and her two fathers.

I felt bile rise in my throat as I looked at them.

"She was taken elsewhere."

They shifted, looking at one another uncomfortably before meeting my eyes again.

"We are going to find her," was all I said as I directed my attention to the wolves and lycans that were brought and finishing up the soldiers.

With a nod, Gavrill shouted to the troops and we began a strategy plan.