The next morning everything was quiet. The pack moved about the cave preparing for our departure but it seemed as though words were in short supply. Silver had left our space before I had woken up. It hadn't taken me long to track him down. He was talking with our little pack in the main cave about Leo's condition, which hadn't improved much but he was still alive so we were holding onto hope.

"You're going to stay here with Libra and watch over the other pack members that are to wounded to come with us." Marshall explained to Bunny as the remaining pack began to file outside. She gave him a deep frown, "I want to go with you."

He shook his head firmly, "Not this time. You are going to stay here—I need to know you and our pup is safe. I can't have that on my mind while I am out there."

Bunny stared up at him with a fierce fire in her eyes, "You promised me that I would never be alone again as long as you had breath to breathe—you better keep breathing. You promise you'll do everything in your power to come back here for us."I turned away from them feeling a lump rise in my throat at their goodbye. I wanted to believe that everyone would be together again but that wasn't a promise I could make. Lennicks approached our small group with a far away look in his eyes. His body was tense and he looked like he hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep.

The guy might be the ultimate prick but I still felt bad for him. He had been helping us this entire time even if it was because he didn't want to end up like the rest of his family. Also I wanted to believe that maybe deep down inside he was helping because he knew it was the right thing.

Noah walked towards us with a tight expression, "Hello—" He greeted us in his usual short manner. Silver stepped forward to stand closer to me, "Noah..." He inclined his head as a sign of respect. Noah repeated the action, "We are just waiting for the scouts to return. I wanted to tell you the same thing I told my pack member. If for some reason this goes poorly then I want you to evacuate those that are healthy enough and take them to my pack territory." Noah explained to our small pack, though mostly directing the information to Libra and Bunny, "My mate will take you in and give you the protection of my name and pack, as I directed her to do if anything happened."

Silver reached over and grabbed my hand in his, "Thank you." Noah nodded his head before our eyes met for a brief moment. He gave me a quick wink before he turned and walked away to join the others outside. I didn't want to part with Libra and Bunny but I knew that it was time to go. I released Silver's hand and moved toward them. I pulled them in for a group hug, "I will do everything in my power to make sure we are all together again like Valerie would have wanted." I whispered.

The scouts moved towards our group quickly, calling our attention. Kale stood at the front of the pack wearing a hardened expression. Noah stood with his men slightly to the left of the group. The scouts seemed out of breath, "They are moving this direction pretty quickly. If we do nothing they'll be here within the hour. They also have another pack working along side them."

I gritted my teeth knowing exactly who it was, "That would be my uncle." I did my best to keep the anger from getting the better of me. Kale threw me a look over his shoulder before mulling over what the scout had told him. After a minute he whistled loudly, "Alright—Let's move out. Scouts stay to the back of the pack in case we need to have the remaining pack retreat."

The sound of bones snapping and cracking filled the small area, as everyone shifted. Once Kale was changed he threw back his head and howled before he darted off into the trees. His pack followed quick on his heels, sticking close together and holding their war formation. Silver turned his head towards me and nipped at my haunches before he took off. I was close on his heels calling on the strength of my wolf to keep speed. Marshall was right behind us while Lennicks passed by Silver and headed up towards alpha Kale.

The run through the woods was made much easier because we were in our wolf forms. We made it to the edge within thirty minutes. The closer we drew to the edge the eerie the feeling became. I knew beyond the trees our enemies were waiting and that if we failed they would destroy everything we loved. We lurked behind the tree line waiting for The Monarch to present himself.

I narrowed my eyes as I stared out into the world beyond the woods my inner thoughts were in turmoil. My instincts were screaming that something was off, that we had miscalculated something. I shifted back and forth on my paws drawing Silver's attention beside me. He gave me a wary side glance, flicking his tail to show his restlessness as well. When The Monarch finally appeared with his pack I felt the rumble of growls around me.

Kale threw back his head and sounded the call to attack. The others responded in kind filling the woods with the sound of hundreds of blood thirsty wolves. Kale was the first to charge out of the woods, followed closely by his war starved entourage. Silver raced off after them and I followed close on his heels ready to have our enemies answer for there crimes.

The roar of the enemy from behind had me halting in my movements. Digging my heels into the soft dirt under my paws. I tossed my head back to see that they had ambushed our flanks. They had known our main goal was the Monarch and they had worked that to their advantage. The Monarch had been the distraction while my uncle led my old pack in from the side for a sneak attack. My ears flattened against my skull and I leapt away from the advancing attack on Silver's father. I took one last look at Silver before I turned myself and raced back with as much speed as I could muster to protect our scouts.

It was a smart strategy, distract the leaders while they took out the messengers. That way if we were defeated no one would be able to send word of retreat—our pack members still hiding in the mountain would be sitting ducks. I lowered my head as barreled my way towards the wolf at the head of my uncles ambush. I pushed off the ground when I was within reach, launching myself at the head warrior. My body flew through the air with ease. I snapped my teeth into the scruff of the warriors neck. The two of us tumbled to the ground, rising up in a mass of snapping teeth and swiping claws.

My fury would not be contained as I twisted my body back and forth trying to avoid the warriors attacks. I lunged forward when he presented and opening, grabbing a hold of his neck and biting hard. He yelped and swiped at me with his front claws, cutting through my tough skin. I growled in frustration, biting hard and shaking my head back and forth furiously. His blood flowed into my mouth, exciting my wolf's desire for violence.

The warrior fell limp in my hold and I released him with howl of victory. Another warrior leapt towards me but before wolf could reach me a flash of brown and red fur collided with it. It took a moment for me to realize that Marshall had followed me into the thick of the ambush, as he stood over his kill glancing my direction before darting off to protect the scouts.

I swung my head around to the battlefield, my eyes searching wildly for my intended target.

It had been two years since I had seen the man who had betrayed my family in such a conniving and unforgiving way. He stood proudly in the center of his pack—of my fathers pack—weilding it as tool to destroy the people I cared about. This pack that should have been mine to lead and protect. I felt white hot rage as it moved through my veins and my wolf pressed her will in on my conscious. She wanted to rip them all to pieces. She wanted to have the pack she had been born to lead dead beneath her feet then in the hands of the betrayer. More specifically, she wanted to kill the false alpha and so did I.

My feet had me moving before I could register the thought in my mind. I was shouldering my way through the fighting wolves, avoiding attacks as I went. I had one goal, one purpose and that was to see my uncle pay for what he had done. He must have sensed me at the last moment as I leapt at him from crowd. He twisted his body barely avoiding my first attack.

He launched his own attach, biting at my haunches and catching hold with his teeth. I ignored the pain of his teeth tearing through my flesh and twisted my body, snapping my own teeth at him. I took a couple of tries before I was able to twist my body enough to catch onto his muzzle with a hard bite. He released me with a yelp, jumping back as shook off the sting of my bite.

We circled another for a moment as we checked for weaknesses in the others defenses. At the same time we jumped towards each other, becoming a jumble of biting and scratching. His attacks were child's play and easy to defend against, but he was attacking in such quick succession that it was only allowing me to defend against them. I could feel the arrogance in his movements, he believed that he would win our fight.

He was underestimating me, as he always had. He thought I was the same girl that from two years ago. I jumped up and raked my claws across his eyes. He tossed his head to side to avoid most of the damage. I moved quickly going straight for his now exposed throat. I grabbed hold and yanked him towards the ground with all my remaining strength. He lost balance on his front leg, causing it to cave underneath his weight. His body jerked forward and slammed into the ground.

My teeth were still clinging to his flesh and I began to drag him across the ground, shaking my head vigorously. He scrambled to free himself from my hungry clutches. His legs flopping around in the air wildly. I snarled at his attempts and bit down hard, demanding his submission. As I expected he feel still in my hold, showing my dominance over him.

The world around us seemed to grow still and quiet. I released my grip on him and stood over him my lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. I shifted back into my human form still standing over him, "Shift!" I commanded using all of my weight as an alpha. I watched as the wolf slowly changed shape becoming the man I knew. I reached down and grabbed him by his throat, making it so our faces were level with each other, "You took everything from me and gave me to the rogues as some kind of pet. You even hired hunters to track me down—" I spit out.

A hateful glare filled his eyes before he spit in my face. I tightened my grip on his throat and pushed our faces closer together, "Everyday I spent in that rogue camp—every time they tortured me— I would think of my promise to you and It would strengthen my resolve to live. You hoped I would die but here I am uncle. I didn't want you to think that I'm not woman of my word." I released my grip on him and he fell to the ground, landing with a thud at my feet. He coughed hard but made a move to stand. I lifted my leg and stomped with all my force on his thigh.

I heard the snap of his bone which he followed with a sharp cry of pain. He huffed and puffed through clenched teeth as he glared up at me. I smiled down at him listlessly, "You will die on the ground like the pathetic worm that you are and after you die—whatever's left of you will rot and become food for the birds."

"I am an alpha. I—" He started but I shut him up with a fierce growl. I noticed the fear in his eyes for the first time. I stood up taller, "No, I am an alpha. You are a dead man and have been a dead man since the moment you betrayed my father." I stepped away from his body towards the onlooking wolves who had been watching our fight.

"This man killed my father and mother, your previous Alpha and Luna—" I called out with a loud firm voice. The wolves surrounding us turned there eyes toward my uncle with hungry gazes. My uncle squirmed under the heat, "I can explain—"

I continued to talk over his pleas, "As rightful alpha to this pack. As daughter of Orion Black, I command that this man face a betrayers death. There will be no mercy." I fixed my gaze on my uncle as the sounds of angry snarls erupted from the pack who finally knew the truth. The leapt towards him with their mouths open and teeth at the ready. His sounds of his death cries were overpowered by the sounds of him being ripped to pieces by the pack he had lusted over. The pack he had killed to lead.

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Song: Old Mary--The Dead Weather/ Better Run, Better Hide (Ft. Mark Johns)--The Glitch Mob