The Night Attack

Chapter 3: The Night Attack

The footsteps outside were slow, deliberate. My heart pounded as I sat frozen on the mattress, my breath caught in my throat. The wooden walls of the house creaked under the pressure of the cold wind, but I knew what I heard wasn't the wind.

Someone was out there.

Another howl echoed through the night, this one closer. The sound made my wolf stir inside me, her ears twitching in alertness.

"Get up, Aria," she whispered. "We're not alone."

I swallowed hard and slowly pushed myself off the bed. My legs still felt weak from the rejection, but I forced myself to move. My bare feet touched the wooden floor, the cold seeping into my skin as I crept toward the door.

Was it the pack?

Had Damon sent someone after me?

No. That didn't make sense. He had rejected me. He had thrown me away in front of everyone. He wouldn't waste his time looking for me.

Then who—

The footsteps stopped.

Right outside the house.

I sucked in a breath, my fingers tightening around the wooden doorframe. The silence that followed was even more terrifying than the sounds had been.

And then—BOOM!

The door downstairs exploded open.

I jumped, my heart slamming against my ribs. Heavy footsteps stormed into the house, followed by low, guttural growls. My breathing became uneven.

More than one.

Whoever had come wasn't alone.

I took a step back, trying to steady my shaking hands. Kade. Where was Kade?

Just as I thought that, I heard his voice.

"You're making a mistake."

Kade's tone was calm, but there was something dark beneath it. A warning.

A deep chuckle followed. "No, Alpha Kade. You made the mistake by thinking you could hide here forever."

I pressed my back against the wall, trying to make sense of what was happening.

They knew him.

Who were they? Rogues? Another pack?

A loud crash shook the house, followed by the sound of wood splintering. I flinched as something—or someone—was slammed against the wall downstairs.

Then Kade's voice came again, low and dangerous.

"I'll give you one chance to walk away."

The air felt heavy, charged with tension.

I heard the other man chuckle again, but this time, there was something cruel in the sound. "That's funny, coming from a rogue with a death sentence on his head."

My eyes widened. A death sentence?

Who exactly was Kade?

"Get her," the man ordered.

My stomach dropped.

Her.

They were here for me.

A chill ran through my entire body as the floor creaked beneath me. I turned toward the small window in the room, my breath shallow.

I had to run.

I had to—

Too late.

The door burst open.

A massive, muscular man stood in the doorway, his yellow eyes glowing under the moonlight. His scent hit me instantly—wolf.

His lips curled into a sneer as his gaze locked onto me. "Found you."

My entire body tensed.

And then he lunged.

I barely had time to react before he grabbed me, his large hand wrapping around my wrist like an iron shackle. I screamed, struggling against his grip, but he was too strong.

My wolf growled inside me, but I was still weak. The rejection bond had drained too much of my strength.

The man yanked me forward, dragging me toward the door. My feet slammed against the floor as I fought to free myself.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, clawing at his arm.

He laughed. "Not a chance, little omega."

A sudden gust of wind rushed through the house.

Then—a blur of silver.

Before I could even blink, the man was gone.

One second he was dragging me across the room, and the next—he was flying backward, crashing into the wall with a sickening crack.

Kade.

He stood in the doorway now, his red eyes glowing with fury. His body radiated raw power, his wolf barely contained beneath his human skin.

The air around him felt dangerous. Lethal.

"Touch her again," he said in a quiet, deadly voice, "and I'll rip your throat out."

The man groaned, pushing himself up from the floor. But before he could move, Kade was already there.

Faster than lightning.

He grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Kade growled, his fingers tightening around the man's neck.

I saw pure fear flash in the man's eyes.

"Kade—" I started, but I stopped when I saw something terrifying.

Kade's claws were growing.

His eyes darkened, turning into something almost inhuman. His canines lengthened, sharp as daggers.

He wasn't just angry.

He was on the edge of losing control.

The man gasped, struggling in Kade's grip. His fingers clawed at Kade's hand, but nothing he did loosened the rogue Alpha's hold.

"Kade," I said again, softer this time.

His red eyes snapped to mine.

For a moment, the room felt still.

Then, slowly, his grip loosened. He dropped the man, letting him crumble to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Leave," Kade commanded, his voice colder than ice. "And tell your Alpha if he sends another one of his dogs after me, I won't be so merciful next time."

The man scrambled to his feet and ran.

I stood frozen, my heart still hammering in my chest.

Kade turned to me, his red eyes still glowing. He looked… different. Like he was still on the edge of something dangerous.

I swallowed hard. "Who were they?"

Kade exhaled sharply, running a hand through his silver hair.

"They're bounty hunters."

My stomach dropped.

Bounty hunters. That meant someone had put a price on Kade's head.

I shook my head. "Why? Who—"

"I'll explain later," Kade cut in. "Right now, we need to move."

"Move?" I blinked. "You mean—leave?"

Kade's jaw tightened. "They found us too easily. That means there are more coming."

I sucked in a sharp breath. More?

I barely survived this attack. What if next time, Kade wasn't there to stop them?

I wasn't ready.

I wasn't strong enough.

Yet.

I clenched my fists, forcing the fear down. I had made a choice. I had chosen this path.

And I wasn't going to turn back now.

"Okay," I said, my voice steady. "Where do we go?"

Kade studied me for a moment before smirking.

"Somewhere you can get stronger."

And just like that, my journey truly began.

The wind howled through the broken windows, carrying the distant howls of wolves. My hands were still trembling as I stared at Kade. His red eyes gleamed in the darkness, still filled with the remnants of rage.

He had nearly killed that man.

And the terrifying part?

I wasn't afraid of him.

I was afraid of what would happen if he hadn't been here to save me.

Kade turned toward the broken door, his shoulders tense. "We don't have much time."

I swallowed hard. "You really think more of them are coming?"

He shot me a look, one brow raised. "You think a bounty hunter shows up alone? No, Aria. That was just the scout. His job was to find us and report back. If we stay here, we'll be surrounded by sunrise."

I clenched my fists. Just a few hours ago, I thought I had finally found a safe place. But there was no safety for someone like me.

A rejected omega.

A rogue Alpha with a death sentence.

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Where do we go?"

Kade smirked, but there was no humor in it. "You ask too many questions, little wolf."

I crossed my arms. "Maybe if you actually answered one, I wouldn't have to."

Something flickered in his expression—amusement? Surprise? But it was gone just as fast.

"We move south," he said. "There's an old training ground there. It's hidden, protected. You want to get stronger? That's where we start."

Training ground?

I barely had time to process that before Kade turned toward the staircase.

"Pack your things," he said.

I let out a humorless laugh. "You saw my 'things,' Kade. I don't have anything."

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he was going to say something. But instead, he sighed and ran a hand through his silver hair.

"Then let's go."

---

We left the ruined village behind, stepping into the dark forest. The night was cold, and the ground was damp beneath my bare feet. Every step felt heavier than the last, exhaustion creeping into my bones.

Kade walked ahead of me, his posture relaxed, but I knew better. He was always alert, his eyes scanning the darkness.

"Who put the bounty on you?" I asked after a while.

Silence.

Kade didn't stop walking, but I saw the way his fingers twitched, as if he was resisting the urge to clench his fists.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked instead.

I frowned. "Because someone sent hunters after you. And now I'm involved."

"You involved yourself the moment you followed me," he said, his voice calm. "But if you must know… it was my old pack."

I blinked. "Your pack? But—"

"I told you," he interrupted, finally turning to look at me. "I'm a rogue for a reason, Aria. I wasn't born this way. I used to be part of something much bigger."

I stared at him, my heart pounding.

"You were… an Alpha," I whispered.

Kade didn't deny it.

His red eyes met mine, filled with something unreadable. "I was."

The air between us grew thick with tension.

I should have been surprised, but in a way, it made sense. The way he carried himself, the way he spoke, the power that radiated from him—it was all there.

But what could have possibly made an Alpha turn into a rogue?

And why would his own pack put a bounty on him?

Kade turned away before I could ask, moving through the trees. "Enough talking. We need to keep moving."

---

Hours passed.

My feet ached, my body sore from exhaustion. But I didn't complain. I couldn't. I had asked for this. I had chosen to follow Kade, to learn from him, to become stronger.

And that meant pushing through the pain.

Just when I thought I couldn't take another step, Kade finally stopped.

"We'll rest here," he said.

I exhaled sharply, sinking to the ground. We were in a small clearing, surrounded by tall trees. The moonlight barely reached us through the thick canopy above.

Kade knelt a few feet away, starting a small fire with practiced ease. The flames flickered to life, casting a warm glow over his sharp features.

I hugged my knees to my chest, watching him in silence.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, quietly, I said, "I was rejected."

Kade didn't look at me, but I knew he heard.

"My mate was the Alpha of my pack. He rejected me in front of everyone." My voice trembled slightly, but I forced myself to keep going. "I was nothing to them. Just an omega. Just a burden."

Kade's fingers stilled over the firewood.

I swallowed hard. "I thought… I thought he would love me. That maybe the Moon Goddess made a mistake, and that he'd see me as more than just a weak, useless wolf." I laughed bitterly. "But he didn't. He never did."

The fire crackled between us. The warmth kissed my skin, but I still felt cold inside.

Finally, Kade spoke.

"Do you hate him?"

I looked up, meeting his gaze.

The way he asked it—it wasn't just a question. It was a test.

I thought about it.

Hate.

Did I hate Damon?

I clenched my fists.

"I hate that I let him break me," I admitted. "I hate that I wasted so much time hoping he'd change."

Kade nodded slowly, as if he understood something I didn't.

"Good," he said. "Use that."

I frowned. "Use it?"

"Pain makes you stronger, Aria," he murmured. "Rejection. Betrayal. Suffering." His red eyes burned into mine. "That's what turns the weak into warriors."

My chest felt tight.

Was that what I was now? Weak?

No.

Not anymore.

I took a deep breath and let my anger settle deep inside me. I wouldn't let it consume me, but I wouldn't ignore it either.

For the first time in my life, I wanted to fight.

I wanted to be stronger.

And if pain was what it took—

Then I would endure it.

Kade watched me carefully, as if reading my thoughts. Then, he leaned back, his expression unreadable.

"Get some sleep," he said. "Tomorrow, your training begins."

I nodded, but I knew sleep wouldn't come easily.

Because tomorrow, my real battle would begin.

And I had no idea if I was ready for it.