From the Luna's command, the pack charged, sprinting around the lake in their wolf forms and colliding with the hunters. Once the first wolf was seen, the hunters aimed their guns and started shooting. The sounds of gunshots filled the air and the wolves' growls that followed it.

Bloody chaos ensued.

In the middle of the hunters, Aila didn't waste any time. She punched Silas in the face and slipped her other arm out of his reach. She was unable to feel fully satisfied with such a strike, though, because he, Clint and some other hunters were on her in seconds. They came prepared to take down the Luna and pulled out syringes, silver chains, knives and of course, their guns were pointed at her.

This didn't stop her, though. Aila and Malia were past the point of no return. Not only did they kidnap children, but they also killed one and almost killed Damon. She felt feral as the bubbling rage that nearly consumed her came crashing to the surface and surged through her body in waves.

She acted on instinct. They wouldn't shoot to kill, only to injure. Which, after assessing their guns, she knew they would find hard to do with assault rifles. Her eyes glowed, and within ten seconds, she had taken out five of the hunters. Aila didn't even know what she did; they were just on the ground unmoving. She hadn't even used her claws or shifted.

Aila's eyes landed on Silas once more. She stalked towards Silas. Her eyes locked with his, unwavering, unblinking as she was fixated on her lust for his blood to spill on the earth. A growl rumbled from her chest, and she let her claws grow out.

"Nobody hurts our mate and gets away with it," Malia snapped, ripping through Aila's mind and out loud for Silas to hear. Their voices had merged into a tone so deadly, she noticed out of the corner of her eyes, one of her wolves whimper before tearing into a hunter's flesh.

Silas sighed and shook his head, "Aila.. I know what you are thinking.."

"No, you don't-"

The end of a small handgun was placed on the back of her head, stopping her from talking further. Aila glanced back and saw Clint watching her, his eyes cold and calculating. Aila turned, so the gun was placed on her forehead; she was not afraid. In fact, Aila was sensing a little déjà vu from the time Connor aimed his gun at her. But this time, she knew even as she stared into the dark depths of Clint's cold eyes, he wouldn't pull the trigger.

He was a smart man, she sensed that, but not smart enough.

Aila smacked the gun away and kicked him in the groin instantly, causing him to hurl over just in time for her to punch him in the face, which made him collapse to the ground unconscious. She grabbed his gun, spun around and pointed it at Silas.

"Kill him," Malia urged.

Her finger moved on the trigger, but she did not pull on it; it hovered as she watched a sly smile form on his features.

"What are you doing? Kill him!" Malia growled.

"If we kill him, he will just be replaced.." She muttered back the words Gabriel spoke earlier to her wolf. "At least with Silas, we know who we are dealing with."

Three wolves jumped forwards on her sides; they defended her back from more hunters who had been trying to close in on her. Aila glanced at them and noticed immediately they were her pack leaders. Chiara's black wolf barrelled into a hunter and snapped her jaws into his neck, Finn's grey wolf chased off four hunters, and Kane's golden wolf tackled down another hunter who released a few bullets into him as the wolf landed on top of him.

Aila stilled and looked at him again after hearing a whimper. He'd ripped the hunter's head off, but he staggered to the side. The bullets appeared to have grazed his side, but Aila didn't want him risking any more. He was still in recovery, and this certainly wasn't helping.

"Kane," Aila ripped through a mind-link. The crackling power surged from her stomach and through the mind-link as her eyes glowed, "Go back to the packhouse. Clean yourself up. Look after Damon."

"Aila, I'm fine. I'm your second. I can't leave you.." Kane tried resisting her command.

With her gun still pointed at Silas, she whipped her head to the side and sent a bolt of her power through him, "And I want you with our Alpha. Are you resisting my ORDER?!"

"No, Luna!" Kane immediately caved, and she looked back at Silas after hearing his paws pelt through the ground, splashing through some of the puddles as he took down hunters while he left. Aila nearly rolled her eyes but felt better after sending him away.

"What will you do now, Aila?" Silas raised his hands out, showing his wingspan and with it, showing off how large he really was for a human.

"Look around you.. Your pack are dying because of you. I've ordered my men to kill Chase.. Because of you.."

Aila clenched her teeth together but couldn't help but feel the weight of his words. She knew Chase was fine; he had to be, Gabriel said he would take care of it, and so far, he hadn't failed her. But, she didn't need to look around to know that her pack had at least lost another twenty wolves. The hunters came prepared for war. They had machine guns!

She could smell her people's blood staining the ground around her.

Hollie's face flashed before her eyes, then the near-death of Nairi and Kane, Damon's pain still radiated through her from where he was shot.

All of this was the hunters pursuing her. She couldn't stay with her pack; it wasn't safe for any of them.

"Come with me now, and this will all end." Silas took a step forwards, causing her heart to pound against her chest erratically.

"Retreat," Aila mind-linked, the pack. Her voice was soft, not commanding, but not hopeless either.

"Aila?" Chiara and Finn both mind-linked her at the same time. Chiara was closest, and Finn was nearer the mountains after chasing the hunters.

"Finn, stay hidden. Stay safe."

"Luna," He whined, but she could feel his submission immediately.

"Chiara, take the pack, keep them safe-"

"That wasn't part of the plan!" Chiara growled as she stepped closer to her.

Silas chuckled after watching some of the wolves retreat and others looking confused, whipping their heads to and from the Gamma and Luna.

"I'm doing what is best for this pack!" Aila snapped aloud and let her shining crystal blue eyes land on the black wolf whose fur was bristling in anger. "Trust me," Aila whispered softly through the mind-link to her as she stared into Chiara's amber eyes. She whimpered and lowered her head in submission.

The Gamma turned abruptly and barked at the remaining wolves. Aila saw some limp away while others were lying on the ground, panting injured along with their dead friend's or mates. She felt her chest cave in at the sight and snapped her eyes back to Silas. The gun she held was still pointed at him and was not about to lower it, not until her pack was safe.

"Chiara," She whispered through their private mind-link once more. Aila's gaze stayed on Silas while she spoke to her. The Gamma didn't reply, and Aila knew she was finding it hard to go against her instinct to protect her Luna, but the pack also needed protecting. "Tell Damon I had to do it, tell him I love him and to trust me."

There was no response, but she knew the Gamma would relay her message to him. Aila could feel him through the bond, the bond that tugged at her to go to him. But she ignored it. Their pack came first.

Their retreat, though, didn't mean the hunters had won. No, Aila just changed her plan. One that didn't involve the slaughter of everyone. As much as she wanted to rip Silas' face off, Gabriel's words kept coming back to her, and she needed to play the next part smart.

With her gun still pointed at Silas, she raised her voice, "Move!"

Silas chuckled, "Well done, Aila, you are now officially outnumbered. You don't have any authority here. Just put the gun down, and you won't get hurt."

Aila tilted her head to the side, "Yet, I'm the one pointing a gun at your head. Your men won't kill me, and I can deal with a little pain. Now, MOVE!"

Silas shook his head and turned around, telling his men to lower their weapons. She followed behind him and made sure to keep her distance from the man; otherwise, he would do exactly what she did to Clint. And she would be useless unconscious. They walked slowly into the mountainside, the clear path leading to where Aila presumed the cars were.

The wind picked up as the rain died down, making Aila suddenly shiver from the lack of action to keep her warm. Her hair and body were drenched in water, but she held the gun steady on Silas.

"What's your grand plan next, Aila? You shoot me, then take everyone out?" Silas turned his head to look at her from the corner of his eye.

"Something like that," Aila muttered. She was not about to tell him what her plan was.

"Do you know what the plan is?" Malia asked.

Before Aila could answer her wolf, she felt a sharp pain stab into the lower part of her back. She gasped and flung her head back. A man's hand wrapped around her neck and slowly crushed her airways.

"Drop the gun, Aila."

Her eyes flickered to the man's face, who was now next to hers so intimately. Clint twisted the silver knife in her back, causing her eyes to water and instantly drop the gun.