Battal had always had spies in the wolf lands.

He was attending to his pack matters when one of his spies mindlinked him, the voice eager, almost breathless with excitement.

’King Battal, we have eyes on the girl. Should we get her?’

Battal never knew this day would come. It had been months since he left his men in waiting, using black magic to ensure that their scent wasn’t traced, their presence invisible to even the most powerful wolves.

’Make it clean. Make sure no one sees you.’

The warrior was excited, knowing he was going to get promoted, knowing that this mission would elevate him above all others. All he had to do was scare the other pups away, but when he tried, the one he wanted was trying to play the hero, trying to save the others.

He had no choice but to threaten her, his voice low and menacing. “Come with me, and they’ll all be safe.”

“No, our daddy will eat you for lunch!” Bryan yelled before Espe could answer, his small voice carrying through the trees.

Thanks to Daisy and a few bad influences, he had learned some strong words not suitable for children, and though he never used them at the Grimroot pack, it was different when met with enemies.

“Such big words for a little pup.” The man’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Let your daddy come for your sister then.”

He grabbed Esperanza by the waist, lifting her up, her small body thrashing against him. “Let me go!”

The pups surrounded him, their faces pale, their eyes wide with fear, but Bryan told them, his voice steady despite the trembling in his hands.

“Go get help. Call Aunt Jasmine and the warriors.”

All the pups began to run out of the woods except Josh, their footsteps pounding against the earth, their voices raised in panic.

They ran until they heard Jasmine’s voice calling them, and Josh responded, running toward her. But Bryan grabbed hold of the man carrying Esperanza’s leg, refusing to let him go, his small fingers digging into the fabric of his pants.

Luckily, Jasmine arrived at the right time, allowing them the chance to escape, but unfortunately, the Lycans refused to allow her the chance to escape herself, turning their fury on her.

It was easy using her survival skills against fellow werewolves, but the Lycans were a different breed, their strength unmatched, their speed terrifying, making things difficult for her.

Luckily, the four warriors responsible for the pups had rushed into the woods to check what was going on after seeing Espe and Bryan running out.

They were met with two Lycans and tried to tackle them, but they were no match, their bodies crumpling under the Lycans’ superior strength. And there were more, their forms emerging from the shadows like nightmares made flesh.

The Lycan after Jasmine shifted back into human form when his King arrived, and the stab to his eyes from Jasmine had healed as fast as it happened, the wound closing like it had never existed.

Seeing his warrior wasting his time on a little she-wolf, Battal was pissed, his expression dark with fury.

“I said to get the girl, not to play and waste time.” His voice was ice, each word a blade. “It’s supposed to be a clean job.”

His expression was stern, and he didn’t want this ruined. The moment they got Esperanza’s blood, he would become immortal, and no one would be able to defeat him, not even Voren. But the response of the warrior crashed his soul, shattered his hopes.

“I’m sorry. I got the girl, but this redhead bitch stopped me.”

Jasmine had shifted back to human form and was about to use the escape through the branches as her wolf had healed, but the Lycan King sank his claw into her back, breaking her spinal cord.

A shrill tore from Jasmine’s lips, a scream of agony that echoed through the trees, but even as the pain consumed her, she was happy that Espe had escaped.

“Fuck you!” she cursed, her voice raw and broken.

Battal’s expression was dark as he grabbed hold of her neck, his voice gravelly, his fingers tightening around her throat.

“You have some nerve talking to me like that.” He leaned closer, his breath hot against her face. “And here’s the deal. You will allow your wolf to heal you, get into that pack like nothing happened, and bring the little girl to me. Do you hear me?”

Jasmine was being choked, her airway closing, but blood was filling her mouth, thanks to the injury on her back. She laughed evilly with her bloodied mouth, the sound wet and gurgling as she spat on his face.

“Go to hell.”

Battal scoffed and wiped her bloody saliva from his face, then he lifted her and threw her in the air, her long hair tangling between the tree branches as she began to fall from the height. But before she could land, he punched her, and her injured back hit a tree, the impact forcing the air from her lungs.

Jasmine fell hard, her blood painting the step of the tree, but her heart was warm because this monster would not get his hands on Espe.

“Is that all you got?” Her voice was weak, but her eyes burned with defiance. “My life doesn’t matter, and even if I die, my pack would avenge me.”

She was sure of that. As a lone wolf, she feared dying without anyone knowing she ever even existed, but she had seen in time past how Voren avenged pack members, including omegas.

To him, every pack member was important, and the knowledge that her death would not be in vain was enough for her.

The warriors who had come to help her were all down, their bodies broken, their blood staining the earth. It was only her until Voren arrived.

Battal took steps close to her, and this time, he drove his claws into her chest. More blood sputtered from Jasmine’s mouth as he squeezed her heart in her chest and lifted her up, her body dangling like a rag doll.

“I gave you a chance to live.” His voice was cold, empty. “I would have taken good care of you.”

Jasmine scoffed, blood dripping from her mouth, her back, her chest. She tried to shift to distribute the pain, but Battal’s claws in her chest made it impossible.

Little did she know that his claws were coated with poison that was killing not only her but her wolf from the inside.

“Fuck you,” Jasmine said in a weak voice, a small smile on her face. “You will never get Espe, and that’s enough for me.”

Battal was about to rip out her heart completely, no longer willing to wait for the poison to do its work when heavy footsteps on the dry leaves captured his attention.

Voren stood there, his face as pale as a ghost, his eyes burning with a fury that could set the world on fire. “Battal, how dare you?”