Chapter 155 The Attack begins 1

Chapter 155: Chapter 155 The Attack begins 1

Talia’s POV

(Readers discretion are advised)

"They are coming," Kaelen said.

His voice was low, but it cut through the silence like a blade. I stood beside him on the Eastern Terrace, with my hand in his, and my eyes fixed on the valley below.

The wind was cold against my face, and my breath came out in white puffs. The torches on the terrace had burned low, with their flames struggling against the cold.

Below us, the valley was still wrapped in shadow, and the mountains were nothing but dark shapes against the gray sky.

I had not slept all night, neither had Kaelen, and neither had anyone in the stronghold. We had spent the hours sharpening weapons, checking defenses, and saying silent prayers to the Moon Goddess.

I did not know if she was listening, but I prayed anyway.

Then suddenly, the war horns sounded.

The sound ripped through the air, loud and sharp, echoing off the mountains with great intensity. My heart stopped, and Kaelen’s hand tightened around mine.

"Move!" he shouted.

Instantly, we broke in to running.

The stairs were cold beneath my feet. My boots pounded against the stone, and the sound echoed in the narrow hallway. Wolves rushed past us, their faces pale, and their eyes wide. Some carried weapons, while others were already running toward the walls.

The pack house was already in motion.

I could hear the distant howls of rogues growing louder, mixing with the shouts of our warriors and the pounding of feet on stone.

The air was thick with tension, and every wolf I passed had the same look in their eyes, the look of wolves who knew they might not see the sun set.

I pushed the thought away, because I could not afford to think like that. Not now, and not for my pack.

We reached the main courtyard. Wolves were shouting, running, and grabbing weapons.

The gates were being barricaded. Archers lined the walls, with their bows drawn. Two boulders were already in position near the gates, and warriors were rushing to arrange a third one.

The third boulder was heavy, and the warriors grunted as they pushed it into position. Their muscles strained, and sweat dripped down their faces. They had been working all night, and they were exhausted, but they did not stop to rest.

No one stopped.

Kaelen stopped in the center of the courtyard, and his gray eyes swept across the chaos.

"Report!" he shouted.

A warrior ran up to him, his face streaked with sweat. "Alpha! The east wall has been hit! Rogues are climbing the walls!"

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. "Reinforce the east wall! Double the warriors! Do not let them break through!"

The warrior nodded and ran.

Before Kaelen could give another order, a second warrior appeared. His chest was heaving, and his eyes were wide.

"Alpha! The west forest! They are coming from the west too! Hundreds of them!"

Kaelen’s fists clenched.

I could see the anger building behind his eyes. He had prepared for an attack on one front, maybe two, but Viktor had outmaneuvered him. The rogue Alpha was smarter than we had given him credit for.

Kaelen’s jaw tightened, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was. This was not going to be an easy battle.

Viktor had split his forces, just as Talia had predicted.

Jax appeared at Kaelen’s side. His sword was already drawn, and his face was hard. "Cain is handling the west wall, and Silas has gone to face the east wall, Alpha."

Kaelen nodded, then he turned to Jax. "Go and assist Silas at the east wall. But first, get that mother and her pup to safety. Also, get anyone else who needs to be in the safe rooms there. Once they are safe, join Silas."

Jax nodded. "Understood." He turned and ran.

I watched him push through the crowd. He spotted Piper and Nora near the healers’ wing, then the mother who was clutching her pup, with her face streaked with tears. Jax reached them, took the pup from the mother’s arms, and guided them all toward the safe rooms.

I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.

Seeing them safe gave me a small measure of peace. Piper was alive, Nora was alive, and the mother and her pup were alive. I did not know how long that would last, but for now, they were safe.

That was all I could ask for.

Kaelen turned to me. "Stay close to me."

"I am not leaving your side," I said.

The first wave hit the gate. The wood groaned, and splinters flew through the air.

Rogues howled on the other side, with their claws scraping against the iron.

Their howls were savage and hungry. They wanted blood, and they wanted to destroy everything we had built. I could imagine the desperation in their voices, and the hunger that drove them forward.

They were not just fighting for Viktor, they were fighting for the promise of our land, our food, and our home.

They would not stop until they took it or died trying.

Kaelen drew his sword. "Release the boulders!"

Warriors pushed the boulders off the walls, and they crashed down on the rogues below, crushing wolves beneath them. Screams filled the air, and blood splattered against the stone.

But more rogues kept coming.

Kaelen raised his sword, and his voice rang across the courtyard. "For Shadowfang!"

The wolves roared with a sound that was deafening. It was a sound of defiance, and a sound that said, "We will not break."

The wolves charged, and I ran beside them.