Jacob

What the hell does she think is she doing, putting herself between the rogues and me? I think to myself.

I'm too mesmerized watching her fight to tell her to stop and get to safety. Ana is cutting through these rogues like a hot knife through butter. Her precision, speed and determination are incredible to witness. I can't believe this is the same

Ana, I grew up with. I have never seen her fight like this before. She is normally on the receiving end of a fight.

The slightness of her wolf wisps past her enemies like wind. It's like she's suffocating the life out of them without having to touch them. But she is, she's biting through arteries, slicing hides and breaking tails.

It's like watching someone dance.

I have to glance over my shoulder as I knock out one of the filthy fleabags coming towards me. He gets backup and tries to take another chance to attack for me. We

Wrestle each other to the ground. But he's an easy kill. I grasp his jugular, rip out his throat, and let him bleed to death on the floor.

I look back at Ana. She is fighting yet another beast larger than her. I can't seem to keep my snout shut. I'm enraged and in awe at the same time. I don't know what to think.

Her grace in battle does not diminish how reckless she is being. She seems to have no regard for her life.

How amI or anyone supposed to focus in battle with a lesser wolf around, one that should need and normally need protecting?

I can't help feeling like I have to have my eyes on her. To make sure she is okay.

She is an Omega; she has no business fighting these rogues.

What the hell are you doing, Ana?' my wolf says to hers.

Helping,' she responds. As she jumps and ducks with a perfected sequence.

I'm angered by her disregard for my demands. She knows she shouldn't be here, but her lust for the kill seems unquenchable. She's fighting better than most of my warriors. I can't recall a time where she could have possibly learned some of her maneuvers.

I know at training practice she is usually

Gisele's partner, butI know Gisele would have told me if she knew Ana's wolf could fight this well.

I'm so confused. How does she know how to do this?

Her beauty in wolf form is something I never seen before. She's built differently to the other Omegas, her coat is shiny and lushes, her muscles are well-defined.

My wolf is very impressed and wants to howl at the sight of her fighting. Cheer her on.

Her presence has me confused and distracted.

But we're moving through these dogs with an inordinate amount of ease. She's right behind me and keeping pace. She's watching my back and I'm watching hers.

Ill deal with her disregard for orders and reckless behavior later. Right now, we need to focus on surviving, focus on getting to the Alpha, getting to my dad. That is all that matters now.

Jacob!' My Beta's voice echoes through my brain. I can hear his pain. It sounds as if the voice is fading, gasping for me to get to him and help.

Derek is in trouble. I stop for a moment dodging a swipe to the head and see Derek to my left, knocked down with two rogues about to pounce on him.

It's like these beasts keep coming out of nowhere, with no end to their numbers.

They won't back down. They're impossible to deflect. One has to kill them or they keep getting up, asking for more. These rogues are relentless.

I immediately jump over to help Derek, changing my trajectory away from my father to protect my best friend. Derek doesn't look good. He can barely lift his head. His body lies on the floor amongst the many others who have fallen.

I can feel his distress, his fear.

Help. At least he is strong enough to still send me messages. I still hear him call out and I was there for him. Derek may not be the kindest wolf in the world, but he has always been there for me. I will do the same for him.

I intercept the two pouncing wolves, crashing the one into the other, hitting them both against a nearby tree away from Derek. Derek was badly injured and unable to stand. His leg has been severely broken and he'l need some time for his self-healing to take effect.

It looks like he's taken a blow to the head as well. There is blood trickling out of his ear and he struggles to open his eyes. Sadly, there is no tỉme to check him out, to see if he's okay.

The wolves recover quickly, scurrying to their feet fast. Cracking their jaws and ribs back into place as ifpain means nothing to them.

Before I can get up, I see Ana right by my side. She has one attacker in a hold.

He got back up faster than I could have anticipated. His jaws are inches away from her neck, but she's keeping him pinned to the ground.

Drool and blood drops from his teeth.

With reckless speed, she releases him, ducks and comes back up to bite his nape.

She swiftly kills him like a trained surgeon who knows exactly what cord to cut.

This makes no sernse. How is this Omega holding her own against clear Beta wolves?

I don't have a second to think about it. The next wolf is coming after me.

Ana and I stand on either side of Derek as he lays motionless on the floor, urging his wolf to heal. We block, we bite, we protect him. The forest is a spinning blur as we move in a continuous circle around Derek.

I hit back at the rogues with everything I've got.

Behind me, Ana mimics my every move. It's like we're matching each other's steps.

Behind you!'

Watch out!'

Left!'

Low!'

We're communicating faster and smoother than we ever have.

They keep coming, but Ana and I manage to discourage even the wildest of the rogues. The ones that live are getting madder and madder. They are watching their comrades being slaughtered and they are being beaten by a small army of wolves. They outnumber us greatly, and it frustrated them by how impenetrable our skills seem to be.

Sweat pools from under my fur and splatters off my face with every sudden move I make. Time seems to pass so slowly, but everything is happening so fast.

Tm ready Derek's wolf finally tells me.

While we've been fighting, he's been slowly coming into his own, recovering and healing enough to be strong enough to help. He's crouching low now, ready to get back into the tussle. He's still shaky, though. We need to keep him close to us until his wolf is stronger.

We've got to get to the Alpha, I instruct the other two.

I say we give them the slip; Derek responds, feigning confidence. His attempt at strength impresses me. He won't give him, won't let others know he is weak.

We're still fending off the never-ending stream of raging rogues. 'Ana, head east. You're the fastest. Distract them.

She doesn't even confirm the plan. Or acknowledge my command. She scratches the cheek of the nearest wolf, growls louder than any female Ive ever heard, and runs into the forest. And then dives directly through the hoard of sharp claws and foaming muzzles.

It drives the rogues mad with anger to be toyed with.

They chase her and give Derek and me the perfect opportunity to slip away.

We run back towards the Alpha, who is still fending off the others by himself. As we near, I see Ana running back to us. There's a fire burning inside of her, something I never noticed before. There's a glow in her eyes and an energy invigorating her strides.

She's already lost the others and comes back. It's as if she's flying between the trees. She seems so powerful, so confident at this moment.

I'm amazed but frustrated to be in this situation. Ana shouldn't be here. Anything could happen. She's clearly functioning on adrenaline and has never known a battlefield before.

It's a risk that she's here. She is at risk of being killed.

I can't be too mad, though. Derek isn't at his peak potential and without Ana here,

Td be screwed. She has stepped up where other wolves have failed.

Derek's lameness is obvious. He's limping slightly as we move, but he still keeps up.

It's been a grueling battle. We have to jump over corpses to get to my father.

At last, Im near enough to him to help. I have been trying to get to him for what feels like forever.

His jaws are covered in the blood of the rogues that tried to attack him. His back heaves with every breath he takes. And his enormous paws drenched in death. The

Alpha clearly stands powerful compared to all of us.

We here,' I say to him.

I try to reassure him, to let him know we're here, to do whatever we can.

There's a moment we take on a diamond formation. Derek in the back, Ana to the left and me to the right of my father, our

Alpha. Everything goes silent. It's like time stands still.

I smell flesh already rotting in the heat of the evening. The sun is setting. The sky is an ominously red, redder than anything

I've ever seen. It contrasts against the greenness of the forest, but seems to reflect the blood-soaked field.

I look at my father and Ana. They have the same furnace of unstoppable fight left in them. But I can see my dad is tired.

I slide my legs back and erouch low. I let out the deepest growl I can.

Let's do this,' I say to my team.

We attack.