Chapter 77: Chaos is Rising

The palace was in a scramble as Ileus gathered its defenses. One thing was an attack; a breach in the northern gates was another thing altogether-a declaration of war. Reika stood on the great hall's balcony, peering out into chaos: soldiers scrambling for their posts, to their stations, her wolf pacing inside of her, the primal urge to protect her pack roaring through her veins. Kael appeared at her side, his face grim. "The scouts have reported that the forces of the Dawn family are larger than we've anticipated. They're sending waves of mercenaries ahead to test our defenses." Reika's grip on the stone railing tightened. "They're trying to wear us down. Divide our attention." "Exactly," Kael said. "But for now, we hold. Ileus prepares the counterattack. Reika's head spun. It was not a territorial attack but a personal vendetta; whatever the Dawn family had pulled, they had crossed the line, and Reika would see them pay. Deep inside the war room, Ileus stood over the map of the palace and its grounds. His beta, Garrett, pointed at vital spots where the forces of the Dawn were trying to trespass. "We've secured the eastern wall," Garrett said. "But the northern gate is still under heavy fire. If they break through, they'll have a straight shot to the palace." Ileus's jaw clenched. "Double the guard at the gate. We can't let them get any closer." Garrett nodded and took his leave to issue the orders while Reika strode into the room, commanding attention. "I'm going to the front," she said. Ileus turned to her, his face masked with concern and steely resolution. "Reika, you are strong, but you are not invincible. This is not the time to take unnecessary risks." She moved in closer to him, her eyes nailed to his, shining with unyielding determination. "This is my fight no less than yours. And the Dawn family is after us, and I will do nothing while they threaten our people. Ileus watched her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But you keep close to me." The northern gate had turned into a battlefield-thick with the smell of smoke, the sound of clashing steel. Reika and Ileus reached the place just as a group of mercenaries breached the outer defenses. And with that, in a sudden burst of loud battle cries, Reika's wolf surged forward. She was deadly, an indistinct blur of death cleaving armor and flesh without mercy or quarter. They had little time, and the mercenaries fell. Ileus fought alongside her, his wolf a blur of power and fury. Combined, they were barely containable, a force that began to force the forces of House Dawn back. "Reika, behind you!" Kael yelled out. She spun around in time to see a mercenary charge for her with a blade outstretched. With a snarl, she caught his wrist, snapping it easily before hitting his chest with a quick blow that sent him flying off. Kael joined them, the gleam of blood in his bright sword. "The reinforcements are holding the line, but more are coming. We need to push them back now." Reika nodded, her eyes ablaze. "Then let's end this." In a moment, the fight started, and Reika saw a figure in the distance-a figure clad in dark robes, standing beyond the chaos, watching. Instantly, her wolf growled, the figure instantly recognized-Vivian Dawn. "She's here," Reika snarled at Ileus, her head jerking toward the figure. Ileus followed her gaze, his face hardening. "She's taunting us. She knows we can't reach her with the battle in full swing." But Reika wasn't going to let Vivian get away. Ileus's objections aside, she turned from the fight, her wolf launching her toward the edge of the battlefield. Vivian's eyes met hers, an arrogant smile dancing on her lips. "Come to finish what you started, little queen?" Reika didn't say anything. But in one moment, she darted at Vivian, and with this twist of darkness, her still-cringing laughter was left in Reika's ears when she was gone. Reika returned to the battlefield, irritation growing inside her. It wasn't some sort of simple provocation but a warning with which Vivian had made her appearance. "Ileus!" she exclaimed, reaching his side as they began driving the remnants of mercenaries back. "Vivian was here. She's up to something." Ileus frowned. "Then this isn't the prime attack. It's a diversion. Kael came forward, his face pale. "You're right. Scouts just reported a second force moving toward the western wall. They're trying to flank us." Reika's heart sank. The Dawn family was playing them, drawing their forces thin. "We can't let them succeed," Ileus said. "Kael, take a team to the western wall. Reika and I will hold the north." Reika nodded once, steeling herself. "They want a fight? We'll give them one. Cliffhanger Something stirred inside Reika, something which began well after the fighting was over. It wasn't exhaustion-just deeper, like a constant itch. Wolf was stirring restlessly beneath her skin, coursing upward with every surge of heartbeat. And then, without warning, a knife-edged pain knifed through her belly and sent her tumbling. Ileus caught her; his eyes were wide with worry. "Reika, what's wrong?" he said, shaking his head. She wrung her head, fighting for stability. "I don't know. Something." Before Ileus could get a word out, an earsplitting howl cut across the battlefield, freezing chaos dead in its tracks. There was a silence; all pairs of eyes turned in the direction from whence the sound came. Upon a far hill, one great wolf stood silhouetted against the moonlight, his eyes aglow with a faint light. That presence brought Reika's wolf to the fore almost immediately. "It's them," she whispered, her voice shaking with it. Ileus frowned. "Who?" Reika's eyes fluttered towards his, thick with dread and a fix of resolve. "The Alpha of the Dawn family." Another howl, maybe a rallying cry, seemed to galvanize their forces, as the forces renewed with great vigor. Her fists were bunched, and the wolf growled in a rage that was every inch a tempest to eyes that watched her-to Reika, the battle had only just begun.