Wolves of Betrayal

Chapter : 11. Into the lion's den..

Amara’s hands trembled in her lap. She wanted to help—desperately—but the thought of doing this behind Darius’s back filled her with dread. She knew how protective he was, how much he wanted to keep her safe. And yet, part of her knew Maya was right. They couldn’t keep waiting, couldn’t keep being on the defensive. She had to be brave, had to face the past that kept haunting her.

“What if we get caught?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Maya reached out and squeezed Amara’s hand. “We won’t. We’ll be careful. We’ll move under the cover of night and stick to the shadows. And if things go wrong… we know how to get out. You’ve survived worse, Amara. You can do this.”

Amara took a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She had always been afraid—afraid of what Killian would do, afraid of making things worse for the people who had taken her in. But maybe it was time to stop being afraid. Maybe it was time to fight back.

“Okay,” she said finally, her voice trembling but determined. “I’ll do it. But we have to be careful.”

Maya nodded, relief flooding her face. “We will be. I promise.”

They spent the next hour whispering back and forth, planning their route, deciding what they would need to bring, and outlining how they would avoid detection. Maya insisted on bringing only the essentials—some water, a small knife, and a few strips of dried meat. They needed to stay light, quick, and silent.

“Meet me in the storage shed by the east wall in an hour,” Maya instructed. “We’ll leave from there. It’s less guarded, and we can slip into the woods without being seen.”

Amara nodded, her hands still shaking slightly. “I’ll be there.”

Maya gave her one last, encouraging smile before slipping out the door, leaving Amara alone with her racing thoughts. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. She was scared—terrified, actually. But she couldn’t back out now. She had made her choice, and there was no turning back.

An hour later, Amara made her way quietly down the back stairs of the packhouse, her injured leg slowing her down but not stopping her. She kept to the shadows, her breath shallow as she avoided the pack members still moving about, making sure not to draw any attention. She was terrified of being caught—not by the guards, but by Darius. She couldn’t bear to see the look on his face if he knew what she was planning.

She reached the storage shed by the east wall, her heart pounding in her ears. Maya was already there, crouched low behind the door. She looked up as Amara approached and gave a quick nod. “Ready?”

Amara nodded, though her heart felt like it might burst out of her chest. “Let’s go.”

Maya and Amara slipped out of the packhouse grounds and into the dense woods that bordered the western ridge. The forest was dark, the moon hidden behind a thick layer of clouds. It was perfect for cover but unnerving as every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves sounded like a warning. Amara’s senses were on high alert, every nerve tingling with a mix of fear and adrenaline.

Maya led the way, moving with the ease of a wolf used to these woods. Amara followed closely, her eyes darting around, her ears straining for any sound that didn’t belong. They moved swiftly but cautiously, avoiding the main paths and sticking to the underbrush. The shadows seemed to stretch and twist around them, but they pressed on, determined.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the entrance to the cave system. The mouth of the cave loomed ahead, dark and foreboding, like the gaping maw of some great beast. Amara swallowed hard, her breath catching in her throat. She could still turn back. She could still call this off. But deep down, she knew she couldn’t. She was here now, and there was no going back.

“Are you sure about this?” Maya whispered, sensing her hesitation.

Amara nodded, though her legs felt like jelly. “Yes. Let’s go.”

They slipped inside the cave, the darkness swallowing them whole. The air was cold and damp, and their footsteps echoed off the stone walls as they moved deeper into the tunnels. Amara’s heart raced, her body tense with every step. She could feel the weight of the stone pressing down on her, the walls seeming to close in.

They crept through the winding tunnels, navigating carefully, their senses on high alert. As they went further in, Amara began to pick up faint sounds—murmurs of voices, the scuffle of feet on stone. Her heart skipped a beat. They were close.

Maya motioned for her to stop, and they crouched low behind a rock outcropping, peering around it. Just ahead, in a wider chamber, a small group of Killian’s wolves were gathered. They were speaking in low, hushed tones, but the tension was clear. Amara’s breath hitched. She recognized a few of them—wolves she’d seen before in the Blood Moon Pack, loyalists to Killian.

She leaned in closer, straining to hear. “He’s planning something,” one of them said, his voice gruff. “He wants to push through the western ridge tonight. Hit them before they’re ready.”

Amara’s blood ran cold. They weren’t just probing defenses—they were planning a full-scale attack. She glanced at Maya, who nodded, her expression grim. They had to get this information back to Darius, and fast.

But before they could move, a new voice cut through the chamber—a voice that made Amara’s blood freeze in her veins. “I want no mistakes,” Killian growled, stepping into view. “We strike tonight. And I want her alive.”

Amara’s breath caught, her heart pounding so loudly she feared it might give them away. She knew they needed to leave, to run back and warn the pack. But Killian’s presence had paralyzed her, fear rooting her in place.

Maya touched her arm, giving a slight tug. “Come on,” she whispered. “We have to go.”

Amara nodded, her movements slow, her body trembling. They turned to slip back into the tunnels, their footsteps soft and measured, but the fear of being discovered made each step feel like an eternity. The weight of what they’d just learned bore down on them. There was no time to lose—they had to get back to the packhouse and warn Darius.

And they had to pray they weren’t already too late.

The darkness of the cave seemed to close in around Amara and Maya as they carefully crept back through the narrow, twisting tunnels. Their breaths were shallow, and their footsteps were almost silent, but Amara’s heart pounded loudly in her chest. She could feel the weight of every step, the cold, damp air pressing against her skin. She knew they were racing against time—racing to get back to the Nightshade Packhouse before Killian launched his attack.

“We’re almost out,” Maya whispered, glancing back at Amara. Her eyes were wide with urgency, but she tried to maintain a calm expression.

Amara nodded, her body trembling with a mixture of fear and adrenaline. She could still hear Killian’s voice echoing in her mind, the chilling command that had sent a jolt of terror through her—“I want her alive.” The very thought of him catching her sent a shiver down her spine. She had known this was dangerous, but hearing his words had made it all too real. And now they were here, in his territory, trying to sneak away before it was too late.

As they neared the mouth of the cave, Amara glanced back, making sure they hadn’t been followed. She could still hear the low murmurs of Killian’s wolves behind them, their voices growing fainter as she and Maya moved further away. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her body relaxing just a little. They were almost out. They were going to make it.

But then, a voice boomed through the darkness, sharp and commanding. “Who’s there?”

Amara’s heart stopped. She froze, her body going rigid. She hadn’t been careful enough—one misplaced step, one small sound, and they’d been noticed. Maya turned to her, eyes wide with fear, and mouthed the word, Run.

Amara didn’t need to be told twice. She took off down the tunnel, her injured leg screaming in protest with every step. The pain shot up her calf, but adrenaline pushed her forward. She could hear footsteps behind her—heavy, rapid footsteps—and knew that Killian’s wolves were in pursuit. She could hear Maya ahead of her, her breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps as she navigated the twists and turns.

A snarl echoed through the cave, low and menacing. “Find them!” Killian’s voice growled, filled with fury.