EVAN'S POV

　　I felt a jolt of panic as Lydia's eyes fluttered closed again, her breath shallow and labored. "Lydia, stay with me," I pleaded, shaking her gently. "Lydia, please, wake up!"

　　There was no response. Her body was limp in my arms, and I could feel the life draining out of her. I knew I had to act quickly if I wanted to save her. With a grunt of effort, I hoisted her up, cradling her against my chest, and started running towards the South Guard Pack house. It was the only place nearby where I might find help.

　　The snowstorm had subsided, but the chill still bit at my skin, and the ground was treacherous. I stumbled a few times, my feet slipping on the icy ground, but I didn't let go of Lydia. Her weight was a constant reminder of the urgency of the situation. Each step felt like a mile, but I pressed on, driven by the need to save her.

　　As I approached the pack house, a sense of foreboding washed over me. The place looked even more imposing in the dim light of dawn. I pushed through the doors, the warmth inside hitting me like a wall. The interior was eerily quiet, the usual bustle of pack activity conspicuously absent.

　　I hurried down the hallways, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Lydia's weight was starting to take its toll, but I couldn't stop. I needed to find help. I burst into the main hall, where a few pack members were gathered. They turned to look at me, their expressions a mix of surprise and suspicion.

　　"Help me!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls. "Lydia needs help!"

　　A few of them started towards me, but before they could reach us, a voice cut through the air. "What is going on here?"

　　I turned to see Alpha Matthew striding towards us, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. He was a tall, imposing figure, his presence commanding attention. The pack members stepped back, giving him a wide berth.

　　"Alpha Matthew," I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "Lydia is hurt. She needs medical attention."

　　Alpha Matthew's eyes flicked to Lydia, and I saw a flash of recognition, followed by a hardening of his features. "Put her down," he ordered, his voice cold.

　　I hesitated, clutching Lydia tighter. "She's dying. We need to help her."

　　"Put her down, Evan," Alpha Matthew repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She belongs to the South Guard Pack. I was the one who caught her for the sacrifice."

　　His words sent a chill down my spine. "Sacrifice?" I echoed, disbelief and anger mingling in my voice. "What are you talking about?"

　　Alpha Matthew stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Lydia was chosen as a sacrifice to appease the demons. You have no right to take her."

　　My mind raced. The ritual, the demon, the sacrifices—it all started to make a horrible kind of sense. "You can't be serious," I said, my voice shaking with fury. "You can't just sacrifice her. She's not some pawn for you to use."

　　"That's exactly what she is," Alpha Matthew snapped. "And you will return her to me. Now."

　　"No," I said, my voice firm. "I'm taking her to get help."

　　Alpha Matthew's expression darkened. "You dare defy me?"

　　I met his gaze, refusing to back down. "I won't let you kill her."

　　There was a tense silence, and then Alpha Matthew's face twisted with rage. "Then I'll kill you both," he snarled.

　　Before I could react, he lunged at me. I barely had time to set Lydia down gently on the ground before I was forced to defend myself. Alpha Matthew's first punch caught me in the jaw, sending me staggering back. I tasted blood but quickly shook it off and squared my stance.

　　"You're making a mistake, Matthew," I said, trying to reason with him even as I prepared for the next attack. "This isn't the way."

　　Alpha Matthew's response was another furious swing. I dodged, his fist narrowly missing my head, and countered with a punch to his ribs. He grunted but didn't slow down, launching a series of brutal attacks. I blocked and parried as best I could, but he was relentless.

　　"Enough of this!" he roared, his voice echoing through the hall. "You think you can defy me and live?"

　　"No! You think you can stop us? And we'll let you go?" Brandon interrupted and stood in front of us. "Do you even know who we are?"

　　He questioned but Alpha Mathews was not ready to see anything except the part that he wanted to kill us.

　　"I don't care who you are, it's you against my pack. You don't stand a chance against all of us." He snarled. "She is the sacrifice!" he bellowed. "Her life is forfeit!"

　　I caught his next punch and twisted his arm, using his momentum to throw him off balance. He crashed into a table, sending it and several chairs flying. But he was up in an instant, his eyes blazing with fury.

　　"Alpha Mathews we don't want to fight you, we came here to help you." I tried to talk to him.

　　"You can't help me, no one can help us whoever tried died a painful death. If you want to help then be the sacrifice." He retorted.

　　"There has to be another way," I said, my voice desperate. "We can't keep killing our own."

　　"There is no other way," he growled, launching at me again but Brandon stopped him by throwing him on other side of the room.

　　Alpha Matthew's eyes burned with rage as he pulled himself to his feet. Brandon and I exchanged a glance, a silent agreement forming between us. We had to stop Matthew before he could do any more harm.

　　"You're making a mistake," I panted, trying to catch my breath. "This isn't the way."

　　Alpha Matthew snarled, his face twisted with fury. "You think you can defy me and live?"

　　He lunged at me with a ferocity that took me by surprise. His first punch connected with my jaw, sending me staggering back. Before I could recover, he followed up with a vicious kick to my ribs, knocking the wind out of me. I fell to one knee, gasping for breath.

　　"Evan!" Brandon shouted, rushing to my side. He landed a solid punch to Alpha Matthew's jaw, but the Alpha barely flinched. Matthew retaliated with a brutal backhand that sent Brandon crashing into a wall.