The group set out within the hour, their forces moving quickly down the treacherous mountain paths. The weight of impending battle loomed over them, and every step felt like a race against time.
Halfway down the winding trail, Isla faltered, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as her hand flew to her belly. Pain rippled through her body, sharp and unrelenting.
Draven was at her side instantly, catching her before she could collapse. “Isla,” he said urgently, his amber eyes wide with worry. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s too soon,” Isla gasped, her face pale. “Something’s wrong. The twins—”
Eira appeared beside them, her voice calm but firm. “She’s going into labor. We can’t move her like this.”
Kaelen barked orders to the warriors, his voice booming over the wind. “Find shelter! We hold the line here if we must.”
Alaric and the scouts fanned out, quickly locating a small clearing shielded by the rocky cliffs. Draven carried Isla in his arms, his jaw clenched as he whispered soothing words to her. “You’re strong, Isla. You can do this. Just hold on.”
Eira took control of the situation, snapping orders as the warriors formed a protective circle around the clearing. “Stay vigilant,” she commanded. “Malrik’s forces could be close.”
Draven laid Isla on a bed of cloaks, his hand never leaving hers as her cries echoed through the night. The forest seemed to hold its breath, the tension crackling in the air.
Through the haze of pain, Isla’s vision blurred, and a dark memory surfaced—a vision of her father standing over her mother, Xyla, his face twisted with rage. Blood pooled around Xyla’s crumpled form, and behind them, Eira watched with cold detachment.
“No,” Isla whimpered, shaking her head as the vision faded. “That’s not real.”
Eira knelt beside her, her tone sharp but reassuring. “It’s the pain. Don’t let it consume you, Isla. Focus.”
Draven leaned closer, his voice steady and warm despite the fear in his eyes. “You’re not alone, Isla. I’m right here.”
Her grip tightened on his hand, her silver eyes locking onto his. “We have to stop him, Draven,” she said through gritted teeth. “We can’t let him win.”
Draven nodded, his gaze fierce. “We won’t. Not now, not ever.”
As the wolves held their ground in the clearing, the tension of the approaching battle mixed with the raw power of life and death playing out before them.
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