He read the message clear as day and his rage cracked through his composure as he launched into battle, snarling, trying to defend himself from the swarm of rogues . My gaze slid past him. Dante stood in the distance, strangely still , an unreadable look in his eyes. Something- hauntingly familiar. I had seen that same expression the day he devoured Jordan. Then he smiled at me. My heart clenched It was him. That smile. That nightmare. And then my gaze returned to Ronan Sull unmoved. Still watching. He hadn't interfered. He didn't even look like he planned to He just watched me Growls ripped through the night raw, feral unrelenting It was too late for retreat. The four Alphas had no choice now but to fight for their lives if they didn't want to be torn apart by the rogues oss the dearing, no longer running . Moonlight bathed my fur in silver as I faced them-unmoving, unafraid. I let them see the. All of the Ronan still watched. He hadn't moved as I slowly began backing away from the snarling wolf now advancing on me. I hadn't expected to see rogues here-hadn't even dreamed I'd cross their path again. But tonight, they'd become my weapons. And I knew this weapon could turn on me just as easily. Just before the rogue lunged toward me, lips curled in a deadly snarl, I made my move. Without hesitation. I dove sideways into a shallow stream that glittered like shattered glass beneath the moonlight. Splash. The cold water slammed against my body. The current grabbed hold of me, fast and unforgiving. I let it take me . Let it carry me far and fast. Away from the rogues. Away from Ronan. Away from the eyes that had begun to see too much. But before the current swallowed me whole, I looked back. Ronan was still there. Standing like a storm on the horizon. Watching me. Silent. Unmoving. He'd seen everything. And I didn't know what terrified me more-what I had just escaped… or what that look in Ronan's eyes meant for me. The current yanked me under before I could brace myself. I shifted into my human form, desperate to stay above the surface. before things got worse. Water roared around me, icy and merciless, pulling at my limbs like phantom hands. I kicked hard, trying to keep my head above water, my lungs aching . The stream wasn't deep, but it was wild-angry. It dragged me far from the growls and chaos behind Far from them. Rocks scraped my stomach. Branches whipped my cheeks. The world spun in sharp bursts of pain and rushing sound. When I finally spotted a patch of calmer water ahead, I twisted, clawing at the current with desperate strokes. My fingers scraped moss. I kicked, gasped, and heaved myself toward the edge. "Come on come on.. With one last lurch, I huuled myself onto the muddy bank and collapsed . My body hit the earth in a heap-soaked, shivering breathless. My chest heaved My vision swam. I lay still, naked and trembling, the roar of water fading behind me. The forest surrounded me again, eerily quiet. My limbs. were leadden. My thoughts raced. They saw me All of them saw me in wolf form. But I don't think they recognized me Not even Homan Panic crashed through me as I forced myself upright. My soaked hair clung to my skin, my heart thundering louder with every second I spun around. Unfamiliar trees surrounded me. No sign of the clearing. No familiar trail. No scent of the others. I was off course. Completely. The stream that had saved me had also cast me into the unknown. And the worst part? The bison. The prey I had hunted. Wounded. Nearly killed. The final kill that would prove my worth in this cursed trial… The realization hit like a blow to the chest. Gone. I turned slowly, scanning the woods. The scent trail was faint now, fading too fast to track. Even if I found it again, I'd have to fight it, finish it, and drag its massive body all the way back to the clearing.. before sunrise. I didn't have that kind of time. Not anymore. My breath came in shallow pants. My ribs ached with each inhale. Was this it? Was I going to lose ? The thought landed harder than any fang or claw. I lowered my eyes to the forest floor. My hands were scraped. My legs smeared with mud. My body ached, and still 1 trembled. All that effort. All the danger. The risk of discovery. The near assault. The defiance. All of it… Only to end up here. Alone Empty-handed. Lost My gaze lifted once more to the sky. Warm streaks of gold now k kissed the clouds like the first soft embers of a fire. Was thus how it ended? Was I going to fail?