Chapter 34
The air in my room felt heavy, almost suffocating. I couldn’t get my mind to stop spinning after everything that had happened. The banshee attacks, Jeremiah’s coldness, the growing fear that we were running out of time. My wolf was restless, pacing inside me, aching for action. But all I could do was wait. I hated it.
A knock at the door broke the silence. Helena entered, her face tight with worry. “Astrid,” she said softly, “I need your help. We have too many injured… and not enough hands.”
I nodded, following her down the hallway, through the packhouse. As we walked, I could hear the sounds of pain and misery. The moans of the wounded, the sobs of families who had lost loved ones. It was heart-wrenching. I didn’t realize how bad things had gotten until I saw it with my own eyes.
We stepped into a large room where makeshift beds had been laid out for the injured. The stench of blood and death filled the air, making my stomach churn. I forced myself to keep walking, to focus on helping where I could. Helena handed me a wet cloth and motioned toward a little boy with a deep gash across his arm. I knelt beside him, trying to smile as reassuringly as possible, though my heart was breaking.
“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered, dabbing at the wound. He winced but didn’t cry, his small face pale with pain.
As I worked, Helena leaned closer to me, her voice low. “Astrid… do you really believe your father had nothing to do with all this?”
I froze for a moment, my mind racing. I had asked myself that question a hundred times, but every time, the answer was the same. “No,” I said firmly. “He wouldn’t do this. He wouldn’t put me in danger or hurt innocent people like this.”
Helena sighed, looking around the room at the injured, her face lined with doubt. “I hope you’re right,” she muttered, though I could tell she wasn’t convinced.
I wasn’t sure how to make her, or anyone else, believe me. But I had to find a way to prove it to Jeremiah. He had to trust me, to understand that my father could help us, not destroy us.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and one of the guards hurried in, his face pale with shock. Behind him, a group of wounded men staggered in, covered in blood and dirt. Helena rushed over to them, her eyes wide with alarm.
“What happened?” she demanded, her voice trembling. “I thought the Alpha killed the last of those creatures.”
The men shook their heads, their faces grim. “There are more,” one of them said, his voice hoarse. “They’re coming from beyond the borders. The Alpha ordered everyone to stay within the packhouse. We barely made it back alive.”
My heart stopped. More banshees. If they were still coming, we didn’t stand a chance on our own. Not without help. I clenched my fists, a surge of panic rising in my chest. Jeremiah didn’t realize how bad this was going to get. I had to do something.
“We need help,” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else. “We need my father.”
Helena turned to me, her brow furrowed. “Astrid, even if you’re right, how do you plan to reach him? Jeremiah will never let you leave.”
I stared at her, desperation bubbling up inside me. “I have to find a way, Helena. If I don’t… everyone will die. You know that.”
Helena hesitated, glancing around the room at the injured people who were struggling to survive. She let out a long breath, and I could see the conflict in her eyes. She knew I was right. She knew that if we didn’t get help soon, there would be no pack left to save.
“Fine,” she said quietly. “I’ll help you. But you need to be careful.”
My heart leaped with hope, but Helena grabbed my arm, pulling me close. “This isn’t going to be easy. Jeremiah has guards everywhere, and if they catch you…”
“I know,” I interrupted, my voice steady. “But it’s a risk I have to take.”
Helena nodded, then pulled out a small vial from her pocket. “This will mask your scent,” she explained, handing it to me. “It’s an old trick, something my grandmother taught me. It won’t last long, but it should be enough to get you out of the packhouse.”
I took the vial, my hands trembling slightly. “Thank you,” I whispered, feeling the weight of what I was about to do.
Helena wasn’t done. She called over one of the guards, a tall, quiet man named Arlen who had been one of her most trusted warriors for years. “You’re going to take Astrid through the woods,” she told him, her voice low and serious. “Make sure no one sees you.”
Arlen nodded without question, his face grim but determined.
“Are you sure about this?” Helena asked me one last time, her eyes filled with concern.
I met her gaze, my resolve hardening. “Yes. It’s the only way to save the pack.”
She nodded, then motioned for Arlen to follow me. “Be quick,” she whispered. “And be careful.”
I slipped the vial into my pocket and took a deep breath. There was no turning back now.
Arlen and I moved quietly through the halls, sticking to the shadows. Every creak of the floorboards made my heart race, but we didn’t stop. We couldn’t. Finally, we reached the back door of the packhouse, and I could feel the cool night air against my skin.
“This way,” Arlen whispered, motioning toward the woods.
I nodded, following him into the darkness. The forest was thick and quiet, the only sound the soft rustle of leaves beneath our feet. I clutched the vial in my hand, praying that it would work, that we wouldn’t be discovered.
Just as we reached the edge of the woods, I heard something—a low growl, deep and menacing. My heart leapt into my throat, and I spun around, searching the shadows. There was nothing there. But I could feel something watching us.
“Go!” Arlen urged, pushing me forward.
I didn’t need to be told twice. We ran deeper into the woods, the growl echoing behind us, growing louder. Whatever it was, it was close. Too close.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling screech pierced the air, and I froze, my blood running cold.
Something was hunting us. Banshees
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