The trio raced through the dense forest in their wolf forms.
Damien: "You let her out of your sight!"
Xavier: "Me? You were the one who agreed to give her damn space!"
Magnus: "Both of you shut up. We need to find her, not argue like pups."
Damien's nostrils flared, desperate to catch even the faintest trace of Andra's scent.
Xavier: "She's never been out here alone, Damien. What if something happened?"
Damien: "We'll find her. We have her scent."
Magnus: "Her scent is all over the place. She's scared. I can feel it through the bond."
The three wolves pushed harder, their muscles rippling beneath their fur. They could smell the burned rubber somewhere. And surely, it didn't take long for them to find the vehicle, its door hanging open.
They shifted back into human form as they scanned the area.
"She's not here," Xavier muttered.
Damien cursed under his breath. His hands clenched into fists. "Where the hell is she?"
"She must've gone further into the woods," Magnus said, kneeling beside the car and sniffing the air. His eyes narrowed. "Something's off."
Xavier's nose twitched. His eyes darkened as he caught the scent. "Rogues?"
The trio exchanged a glance before Damien growled low in his throat. His eyes flashed. "Find her. Now."
They shifted back into their wolf forms. Their massive bodies blended into the night as they followed the trail. The scent of rogues grew stronger with every passing second.
They broke through the tree line and into a clearing, and there, standing ahead of them, were a handful of wolves, their eyes glowing with hunger.
And lying on the ground before them was Andra, her body limp, her skin pale, and her clothes disheveled.
Damien's heart lurched, and a guttural sound rippled from his throat.
The rogues turned to face them. They growled back, their stances lowering as they prepared for a fight.
Magnus charged forward. His massive wolf form swiftly crashed into the closest rogue. The rogue tried to bite back, but Magnus was faster. He tossed the body aside, and blood stained the ground beneath his paws.
Xavier was already locked in battle with another rogue. He lunged forward, sinking his teeth into the rogue's throat.
Damien faced two rogues at once. One rogue lunged at him, but he shifted and threw the rogue off balance. The other rogue tried to take advantage of the opening, but Damien was quicker, snapping his jaws shut around its leg and shaking violently until he heard the bone snap.
Damien, Xavier, and Magnus repositioned themselves. Their wolves were covered in dirt and blood. But their eyes were locked on the remaining rogues.
Damien lunged forward again. The rogue barely had time to react before Damien's jaws closed around its shoulder, dragging it down to the ground. He tore it violently until it stopped moving, its blood pooling on the forest floor.
The last of the rogues fled into the trees.
Breathing heavily, the trio shifted back into their human forms.
Damien rushed to Andra's side, kneeling beside her. He carefully lifted her, brushing her hair away from her face.
"Andra," he whispered.
Her pulse was weak. But she was alive.
Xavier knelt beside him. "What happened to her?"
Magnus stood over them, his fists still clenched as he scanned the forest for any remaining threats.
"We need to get her back to the pack house. Now."
The moment they thought the fight was over, another wave of rogues began to emerge from the shadows. The clearing seemed to shrink as more rogues stepped forward, surrounding them.
Damien and Xavier instinctively tensed. Their wolves were ready to fight again.
But it was Magnus who stepped forward.
"You two take Andra," Magnus growled.
Damien's head whipped around to face him. "We're not leaving you."
Xavier gritted his teeth. "We promised we'd always stay together. You can't just—"
Magnus interrupted. "She's dying, Alpha Damien. If we don't get her back to the pack house now, she won't make it. You know that."
His eyes softened slightly as he looked at them. "You have to trust me. I can handle this."
Damien's jaw tightened. "Damn it, Magnus," he spat. "We swore—"
Magnus gripped Damien's shoulder firmly. "We swore to protect each other, but we also swore to protect our Luna. I'm not letting her die on our watch."
Xavier ran a hand through his hair. "There's too many of them. You can't fight them all alone."
Magnus smiled. "Watch me."
The silence stretched between them. Magnus stood tall even as more rogues began circling them.
Damien's arms trembled as he shifted Andra's fragile form in his arms. He met Magnus's gaze. "You better come back to us."
Magnus's grin widened. "Always do."
Xavier stepped forward. "Don't be a hero."
"Too late."
Damien nodded, and then, without another word, he turned and bolted into the trees, carrying Andra in his arms. Xavier followed, leaving Magnus behind.
Soon Magnus was left alone.
His wolf snarled, baring its teeth, as the first rogue lunged at him.
Magnus met the rogue mid-air with a powerful swipe of his claws, sending it crashing into the dirt.
Another attacked from the side, but Magnus ducked, rolling smoothly before sinking his fangs into its neck.
Blood sprayed across the ground as the rogue fell, but there were still too many.
Back in the forest, Damien and Xavier ran as fast as they could, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"Damien," Xavier called. He kept his pace beside him. "Do you think he'll—"
"He'll be fine," Damien whispered. "Magnus doesn't lose."
As they ran, the bond between the three of them pulsed in Damien's chest, and despite the distance growing between them, he could still feel Magnus fighting. But he wished he was right.
Magnus let out a roar as he slammed another rogue into the ground, crushing its ribs. As the remaining rogues circled him, he grinned through his bloodied lips.
His chest heaved, blood trickling from a cut on his side. But he stood tall.
"Come on, then," he growled. "Let's finish this."