Chapter 13
Apr 17, 2025
The festival was alive with energy, lanterns swaying in the cool night breeze, music echoing through the air, and laughter filling the spaces in between. It was almost midnight, and the celebration showed no signs of slowing. But Felicia’s heart wasn’t in it. Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching for her boys.
Danny and Max had darted off toward the food tents earlier, and while she trusted the pack’s safety, her nerves prickled with unease. She wrapped her arms around herself, unable to shake the feeling of being watched.
And then, there he was—Damien. His tall frame followed her through the crowd, his piercing green eyes never leaving her. It was as though he were her shadow, trailing her every step. She tried to ignore him, quickening her pace, but it was no use. Every turn she made, every corner she ducked behind, Damien was there.
“Damien,” she hissed, spinning on her heels to face him. Her chest heaved with frustration as she glared up at him. “Do you have nothing better to do than follow me around like a lost pup?”
His expression didn’t waver. If anything, her words seemed to amuse him. “I’m not leaving until you give me answers, Felicia,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “You can’t keep running from this.”
“I’m not running,” she snapped, lowering her voice as nearby pack members glanced their way. “I’m protecting my children. You wouldn’t understand that.”
Damien’s jaw tightened, and the faintest flicker of pain crossed his features. “Don’t tell me what I don’t understand,” he said, stepping closer, his voice low and charged. “If you think for one second I’m walking away from this, from them, you’re wrong.”
Felicia’s heart hammered in her chest as she took a step back. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her frustration bubbling over. “Why are you even here, Damien?” she demanded, her voice trembling with suppressed anger. “Don’t you have a wife and child to go back to? Shouldn’t you be with your perfect little family?”
The words hung in the air like a slap. For a moment, Damien said nothing, his expression unreadable. And then, his voice dropped to a cold, quiet whisper. “You think Danielle was my choice? You think any of this was what I wanted?”
Felicia flinched, but before she could respond, a new voice cut through the tension.
“Is there a problem here?” Lucien appeared out of nowhere, his smooth, confident tone laced with authority. His dark eyes flicked between Felicia and Damien, his easy smile doing little to mask the sharpness of his gaze.
Felicia exhaled, grateful for the interruption. “Nothing I can’t handle,” she said, though her voice betrayed her exhaustion.
Lucien stepped forward, positioning himself between her and Damien. “It doesn’t look that way to me,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “You’re making her uncomfortable, Alpha Damien. Maybe it’s time you gave her some space.”
Damien’s emerald eyes darkened, a low growl rumbling from his chest. “And who are you to tell me what to do?” he demanded, his voice dripping with hostility.
Lucien didn’t flinch. If anything, his smile widened, though there was no warmth in it. “Someone who knows when to back off,” he said, his tone pointed. “Something you clearly haven’t learned.”
The tension between the two men was at an alltime high.. Felicia could feel it radiating off them, sharp and suffocating. She wanted to intervene, but before she could, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.
Chaos erupted in an instant. Wolves shifted into their forms as a pack warrior shouted, “Rogues!” The word sent a ripple of panic through the crowd as snarls and growls filled the festival grounds.
Felicia’s blood ran cold as she turned, her eyes darting frantically for her boys. “Danny! Max!” she screamed, her voice cracking with fear. She broke into a run, pushing through the panicked crowd.
“Felicia, wait!” Damien’s voice called after her, but she didn’t stop.
She found them near the edge of the food tents, their small forms frozen in place as a rogue wolf bared its teeth, stalking closer to them.
“No!” she screamed, shifting into her human-wolf hybrid form without thinking. Her claws extended, and she leaped forward, planting herself between her sons and the rogue.
The rogue lunged at her, its fangs snapping inches from her throat. She fought back with everything she had, but it was Damien’s powerful wolf that slammed into the rogue, sending it tumbling across the ground.
Lucien appeared moments later, dragging Danny and Max away to safety. “I’ve got them!” he shouted to Felicia, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.
Felicia’s heart pounded as she watched Damien rip through the rogue with terrifying precision. Blood splattered the ground, and the rogue fell limp, its threat extinguished. But the danger wasn’t over. More rogues poured into the festival grounds, targeting the children and families who had gathered.
“Felicia!” Lucien called to her. “We need to go. Now!”
She didn’t hesitate. Running to her boys, she scooped them into her arms, her breath ragged as tears blurred her vision. “It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
Lucien led her to a hidden bunker beneath the packhouse, where other mothers and children were taking refuge. Felicia clung to Danny and Max, her body trembling as she tried to calm herself.
The boys were silent, their wide eyes filled with fear. Danny buried his face in her neck, while Max clutched her shirt tightly.
“It’s all right,” she murmured, though her voice wavered. “Mommy’s here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
