Ariel's POV

Once we're outside our rivals territory, our plan is put into action. We want the element of surprise. This fight is ours, we will win. I know it. I am an alpha. I lead my pack to victory, I will settle for nothing else.

My pack surrounds the area, and I slip off Justin's back. Slowly, the plan is put into play. My wolves attack their patrols, not letting anyone warn them of what's coming.

Well, that is until the warning goes off and wolves come out to meet ours. It starts to get heated very quickly. Wolves fly in all directs while I just make my way to Raphael. I can feel him. He's so close.

Anyone that dares come close to me is dead within seconds. My wolf with me as we power through anyone oncoming. We are here for our mate. Together we will get to him-

I freeze, my packs cries shooting through my head. I turn and watch my wolves. We weren't ready... they weren't ready. I can see it now, my wolves... they're hurt...

'Retreat.' I say in the link. Watching the damage. 'RETREAT!' I scream through the link. I watch them, tears in my eyes. We had a big pack, I trained them well. But they weren't ready for a real battle. They weren't...

But I am.

'Hold your ground at the territory line. Do not let them leave their territory.' I say and I disappear into the house.

I'm here for Raphael. I'm not leaving without him.

I throw people away from me. They're nothing compared to me and my wolf. We are the strongest wolves, because we know the pain of having your mate so close yet so far.

I can see Raphie... and he lifts his head, meeting my eye. I run to him but I'm thrown back by a force I was blind to in my quest for Raphael.

I land hard on my back but am quick to get back up.

"You can't escape silly girl. You should have retreated with your pack." It's not the alpha... Maybe Beta or their third...

Either way, no one is going to get between me and Raphael.

"Raphie," I whisper, looking at him and ignoring the man in front of me. "Raphael..."

"I'm over here woman." The beta or third whoever, whatever, growls.

I launch myself at him in rage. No one else understands my pain. No one else is as ruthless as a woman. Not even the strongest alpha. A woman has something a man doesn't have. A bravery? they don't possess. Bravery isn't the right word. Maybe it's a mother, daughter, wife, kind of instinct. Whatever it is, I know there's a man equivalent.

I'm riding a high on my instinct right now and this man can't hold up on his own.

Until I realize he's no longer alone.

I'm bombarded by men, strong men. Coming at me in all directions. A punch, a kick, a slap, a spit. I hold out as much as I can, but even a woman riding on an adrenaline high can be overpowered.

"Go Ariel." Raphael whispers. "Run. I know you'll come back to me."

His voice is hoarse, barely audible through my ongoing battle.

"I can't!" I screech over the men, just trying to push my way through to his cell. "I love you!"

"I love you too. Ariel you must go. You can't do this on your own. They want to capture you. They want you dead." Despite the men throwing me back, trying to capture me since I am still the one they want to get, I hear him.

"I'll be back for you." I promise. I know I won't be able to get him today. Not on my own. Not like this. I sprint away, feeling like I left my soul at the scene of the battle. A part of my heart ripped off and was left there.

I was going to return it. This fight isn't over.

Not until this entire pack is dead.

***

"She hasn't come out in a week Parker, it's time we make her." Justin's harsh whisper exclaims.

"But... we couldn't get Raphael back. It's her right to be angry." Parker replies.

"Ariel is strong. She can live past this. We need allies. Her brother, other packs around us, everyone Raphael was previously allied too. And only Ariel can call on them. We just need a new plan."

"You guys aren't very quiet." I say, knowing they can hear me from where they are in the basement. "Werewolf hearing, you know?"

"Ariel... our pack just wasn't as prepared and they were. They knew we were coming, and they probably have spies..."

I stand up straight. Spies. I don't hear whatever else he says because suddenly that's all that matters. Snuff out the spy. I storm downstairs only to be held back by Justin and Parker.

"Sweetie you stink and you look like shit. Shower first." Parker says.

I do as Parker tells me and he waits for me to get out. When I am, he helps me get ready. He keeps saying I'm strong, stronger than anyone he knows.

We walk out together and to the pack house where Raphies one office is. Walking in, I notice I've somewhat transformed it into my own... that leaves another bullet hole in my body.

I take out all the alliance sheets and I start going through many calls.

***

By the end I have more people join us than I thought would. My brother of course did, as well as three other packs. They promised to send men and their alphas were going to come with them.

Though it was my job to come up with a plan. They would all be here in a weeks time, so I had a week to get my own pack together.

And find the spy.

Or maybe just... feed the spy wrong information.

"Parker, Justin, we are the only three people who will plan this next attack," I tell them. "We'll tell the pack the plan after and then we'll watch the security feed to see who does what with it... I want our fake plan made up in two days time and the real plan made up along with it."

"We can do that." Justin nods.

"The three of us can do this." Parker nods.

We work together on both a fake plan and a real plan. The fake plan had to seem real, which would be the hardest part. Not only that, the fact that only three of us were working on it made it difficult for new ideas.

Our fake new plan was made up in the day, we made it similar to the old plan but different enough to seem like a good plan to go in. We had spent the entire day on it and hardly made anything for the real plan.

I link the plan out to the pack as I pull up all the security feed around the houses. Parker sits with me while Justin heads out to check on everyone, see if anyone needs something. I felt a little bad I wasn't getting my betas... but I had put them through leading the pack while I was up in my room, they deserve a break.

"Alpha Drake." I voice his name. I usually just referred to him as the alpha of our opposing pack. I didn't like to speak the name of the devil, or think of it for that matter. But right now, I wanted to hear his name on my tongue as I would be the one to kill him.

Ana walks in, Liam in tow. I give them both a small, somewhat forced smile.

"So, what's the real plan?" Ana asks, raising an eyebrow.

"How did you know...?" I tilt my head.

"Darling Ariel, I know you better than you think." She shakes her head. "Liam and I can help." Ana offers with a small smile.

"We need a real plan in about a week... can you help us?" I sigh.

"Of course," Liam chimes. "I thought you would never ask." He sits at the table and pulls out a map of our opposing packs territory.

I watch as he starts putting things in with different colours of pen. After a while I turn back to the screens and watch.

No one is doing anything weird. There's a group of teens eating in the kitchen but most people have retired to their rooms at this hour. Watching these screens is going to be so boring. More boring than always winning again Parker.

It must be an hour, or about an hour, when Liam declares he's done. Justin takes my place while Parker and I go to listen to his plan. He included all the packs that were coming to help too. Not only that, his strategy seemed... flawless.

"Well, I studied them the last time we were there. I know their weak and strong points now, I'm good with battle strategy so I came up with this." Liam starts explaining his plan in depth.

At the end I sit there with my mouth wide open. So okay there's a few flaws but Liam is a genius.

"He's our best battle strategist once he's analyzed his opponent. You should spar with him sometime." Justin says.

"Wow." I murmur.

"We're getting Raphael back." Ana smiles.

"Raphie," I smile. "I'm coming."