Tonight was another night for her dream to rule her mind. She couldn't sleep, as always and she was tired of waking up tired and feeling dizzy at work. Most especially this period the pack was at war, injured Betas were coming in every second and she couldn't afford to be unprepared and distracted anymore.

Tonight, she decided to go watch the stars, she felt it could help her.

Outside was cool, the air was more than calm, it captured her soul. The beautiful stars, her best friends, all out in the sky, smiling blissfully at her.

However, she saw Caelum, Theron's personal guard patrolling alongside other Betas in charge of securing the area.

“What are you doing outside, Nyx?” He called from afar.

She was very tired and didn't have the energy to start yelling back at him so she just allowed him to walk to her.

“Midnight stroll, eh?”

“Better than burning alive in my own bed.”

He chuckled softly and sat by her side, “what do you mean? Like are talking literal heat or…” He looked into her eyes and leaned in with a whisper.

“Alpha level tension?”

She pushed him away, smiling sheepishly, “fuck off, Cal. Don't push it.”

The characters in this pack were amusing to her. She rolled her eyes at him but still decided to walk with him through the trees. She was more than happy she had found him, even though he was very annoying, but he was the best stress relief she could ever get tonight.

He had organized the boys to bet on when she'll make out with Theron. She never knew, he just revealed it to her as they walked.

“...You're not exactly calm, and neither is he. Sparks fly every time you're in the same room.”

She felt like whooping his ass right now. He was a thorn in her flesh, an enjoyable one though. But she also felt Theron had a hand in this.

“Let me guess, Theron put you up to this right?”

“Theron would rather chew glass,” he giggled.

But it wasn't funny to her.

Suddenly, she felt a shift in the air. She heard strange movements, rustling leaves.

Slowly, she lowered her head, she wasn't with her dagger anymore, Theron had warned her to stop carrying it around, promising her she was safe.

“Did you hear that?”

He put her behind his back.

“Stay down,” he whispered, their hearts pounding already. “Shift behind me. Now.”

Fear enveloped her, she didn't argue and shifted immediately to wolf form and he followed suit. The once laughing jerks were now rugged wolves, ready to devour.

But they were not so lucky tonight. They were surrounded by six rogues that revealed themselves from the shadows, their fangs bared, ready to show no mercy.

“The King's bitch. Just what we need,” one of them growled.

It pained her that he called her a bitch, she wanted to slit his throat, Caelum held her back and circled around her. He whispered to her, ‘don’t be scared. It's going to be alright. I'll kill them all.’

But it was crystal clear nothing was going to be okay. They were outnumbered, how was he planning to kill them all?

He cemented his promise with a reassuring smile and then sternly looked at them.

“Touch her and I'll rip your fucking throats out!”

She knew this madness of his wouldn't last for long. Her heart thundered in her chest. She knew she had to do something before it became too late, she would never go back to Evander. Tears rolled down her cheek and one of them lunged at her, but Caelum dived at him and dealt with him.

She looked right into the face of the one that called her bitch and slit his throat. The joy she got from his sickening death cry was more than expected and while he was still busy living in the moment, feeling it was under control, one of them grabbed her from behind and tied a silver chain around her neck, burning her skin.

“Bastards! Get off me…”

He was too strong and choked her and forced her to the ground.

She slashed his arm and tried to run, but another pinned her down. They began to drag her away, they had surrendered Caelum and held him down. Her wolf couldn't hold it anymore. The silver was burning her and digging into her skin and she shifted back, her skin oozing with blood as she gasped for air.

“Let me go! Let me go!!”

They cuffed her with Evander's enchanted irons and dragged her away.

“NYX!!” Caelum fought hard to break free, but he couldn't. He was tackled by two wolves to pin him down and watch her cry and struggle.

The memories all came back, the nights of torment, the pain, the scent of burning silver, the pain of his whip, his hand on her hair, his cold smile, she couldn't go back there. She cried out to his mind through the mind link.

‘Theron!!! Help me!!’

“Evander sends his regards, sweetheart.” He snarled with a scorn and continued dragging her away.

Suddenly, a deep roar shattered the air and froze time. They all froze as the roar echoed in their ears. Death sang in their ears they knew it and Nyx just smiled at the doomed fellows.

However, it continued, more than usual, they couldn't understand who it was now. Caelum froze too. They all let go of themselves, blinking hard through the dark woods, trying to catch a glimpse of who it was.

She felt his presence, she knew his scent. It was none other, but him, her night mare. No…