Chapter 94 – Charlie’s Battle for Hope
The sharp clang of claws against claws and the snarling of wolves shook the air, rousing me from a shallow, exhausted sleep. I shot up from the bed I had barely collapsed into hours ago, heart pounding wildly in my chest. Beside me, Luther was already rising, muscles tense, eyes flashing dangerously even in the dim light.
Another attack. We barely survived the last one.
There was no time to think, no time to question. I shifted mid-run, my wolf exploding from beneath my skin, fur bristling as we charged into the chaos erupting outside the packhouse.
The night was alive with violence—growls, yelps, bodies slamming into one another. Wolves clashed against wolves beneath the stars, fighting desperately for survival.
We joined the fray without hesitation, our teeth flashing, claws raking the sides of enemies trying to breach the inner sanctum of our home. My wolf fought savagely alongside my mates and our pack, but even as we battled, a nagging sense of wrongness gnawed at me.
There was something else happening—something worse.
Between lunges, I spotted them—two wolves, sleek and shadowed, and a small, slight figure darting after them—too small to be a fighter.
They weren’t attacking. They were sneaking toward the packhouse.
Panic clamped down on my chest. Whatever they were doing, it wasn’t part of the open battle. I lunged away from the brawl, sprinting after them, trusting that Luther and Liam could hold the line without me for a few minutes.
I slipped into the packhouse just as the intruders shoved through the doors of Dr. Boyd’s lab. I shifted back to my human form, ignoring the pain lancing through my body at the sudden change. I stumbled forward, naked, grabbing a long coat that hung from a nearby chair and wrapping it hastily around myself before bursting into the lab.
The room was chaos.
Papers were flying. Vials shattered against the floor.
Precious notes—weeks of desperate research—were being torn apart by clawed hands.
“STOP!” I screamed, my voice raw, desperate.
The two adults turned first—wolves I didn’t recognize—shabby, gaunt from hunger, and stinking of desperation. Between them stood a girl, maybe eight years old, trembling violently. I caught a glimpse of angry red sores blooming on her tiny arms.
They froze at the sight of me. One of the adults—a wiry man with matted brown hair—bared his teeth.
"Get out of here, little Luna," he spat. "This doesn’t concern you."
"It concerns me when you're destroying the only chance we have at survival!" I snapped back, stepping forward boldly despite the fear clutching my insides.
The woman—the girl's mother, I guessed—snarled low in her throat, her yellowed eyes flashing. "You're lying! You have the cure! You're keeping it from us while our families DIE!"
I held my ground, lifting my hands in a placating gesture. "We don't have it yet. Dr. Boyd is close—closer than ever—but if you destroy his work, you doom all of us. Please," I begged, voice breaking. "Let me help you."
The girl looked up at me then, her eyes wide and glassy with fever. Her tiny frame swayed on her feet. She was already succumbing to the disease.
My heart shattered. If they gave me a chance—if they let me—maybe I could save her.
"I can help your daughter," I pleaded, stepping toward them slowly. "I have a way. But you have to trust me."
For a moment, the woman faltered. Her eyes darted to her mate, her hand clutching the girl tighter. Hope sparked in my chest.
But then the man lunged with a savage roar, his hands clawing for my throat.
I barely managed to sidestep him. He crashed into the table behind me, sending more equipment scattering. Before I could react, the woman joined him, and together they attacked.
I ducked, rolled, and came up swinging, my wolf lending me strength. I wasn't the same broken girl they once would have trampled over. My fists and feet found their marks—ribs, stomachs, snarling faces—but there were two of them and they fought like animals cornered, wild and deadly.
The man came at me again, teeth snapping toward my neck. I dodged left, caught his jaw in my hand, and with a savage twist, broke it. He crumpled, moaning. The woman shrieked and threw herself at me, her claws scoring bloody lines down my arm.
Pain flared.
Rage answered.
I rammed my shoulder into her stomach, driving her into the wall. She gasped, stunned, and I didn’t hesitate. I shifted again mid-move, my wolf exploding free. I sank my teeth into her throat, ending the fight before she could hurt anyone else.
When the red haze cleared, the two adults lay dead at my feet. I shifted back, breath coming in broken sobs, blood and tears streaking my face.
The girl cried out weakly, falling to her knees. I caught her before she hit the ground, cradling her small, fever-hot body against my chest. "It's okay," I whispered, rocking her back and forth, tears spilling down my cheeks. "You're safe now. I’ve got you. I won’t let you die."
Heavy footsteps pounded down the hall. I looked up, trembling, as Liam, Luther, and Rowan burst through the broken door, their eyes going wild at the sight of me bloodied and crouched over a sick child.
For a second, no one moved.
Then Luther crossed the space in two strides, throwing his jacket over my shoulders before pulling me and the girl into his arms.
Liam growled low in his throat, surveying the wreckage. "What happened?" he rasped, horror in his voice.
"They were after the cure," I whispered hoarsely. "They thought we were hiding it."
Rowan knelt beside me, checking the girl’s pulse. "She's sick," he muttered. "Bad."
"We can save her," I said fiercely, clinging to the girl tighter. "I can save her."
Luther’s grip on me tightened protectively. "We'll do whatever it takes."
Rowan exchanged a grim look with Liam. "We have to get her to Dr. Boyd—fast."
Together, we lifted the girl and rushed down the ravaged hallway.
Around us, the pack was still fighting, still bleeding—but in that moment, my entire world shrank to the feverish little girl in my arms.
This wasn’t just about survival anymore. It was about hope. About saving the future. And I would fight for it with every breath I had left.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
