Kaelan’s carriage rumbled into the heart of the pack compound, the soft clinking of armor from his guards breaking the otherwise eerie silence. The air was heavy with the metallic tang of blood, and the absence of sound sent a shiver down his spine.
“Something’s wrong,” Kaelan murmured to his Beta, who nodded grimly.
The scene before them was devastating. Bodies lay strewn across the courtyard, their lifeless forms contorted in death. The Alpha’s home, usually a beacon of safety, was marred by scorch marks and shattered windows. Kaelan clenched his fists, his wolf growling within him, desperate to take action.
“Spread out,” Kaelan commanded his guards, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. “Secure the area and find survivors.”
As they moved cautiously through the wreckage, Kaelan’s mind raced. How had this happened? Why hadn’t the pack been prepared? And most importantly, where was Mira?
His boots crunched over broken glass and debris as he entered the Alpha’s home. The stench of death hit him like a wall, and he swallowed hard to keep his composure. He stepped over the remains of pack members he had once known, their faces frozen in fear and pain.
“Alpha,” a guard called softly, pointing toward a trail of blood leading deeper into the house.
Kaelan followed the trail, his heart pounding with each step. His wolf growled and clawed at him, urging him to move faster. A sudden scream pierced the air, cutting through the oppressive silence. Mira.
Without hesitation, Kaelan broke into a run, the sound of his boots echoing off the walls. He burst into the room where the scream originated, his senses heightened.
The sight before him was both shocking and surreal. Mira stood in the center of the room, her face pale but resolute. In her hands was a blade, dripping with blood. At her feet lay Gareth, his body a broken, mangled heap.
Kaelan froze, his eyes locking onto Mira’s. Her chest heaved with exertion, and her hands trembled around the hilt of the weapon.