Chapter 545: Stand or Fall

A Day Before

The chaos escalated immediately.

It was obvious from the way the warriors moved that they had been instructed thus: survival was irrelevant, kill anyone that stands in your way.

The warriors sent by Victoria did not hesitate, nor did they falter. They attacked with cruelty, with no concern for mercy, and most of them enjoyed it.

Arrows hissed past, striking anything and everything in their path. Sparks flew as fire-tipped ones scorched the edges of the cliff.

Annabeth tried to move forward to join the battle when she felt a hand holding her back. She didn’t need to be told twice that it was her cousin.

"Benny, what are you doing?" she asked him.

"Getting you away from here before you get yourself killed," he told her.

Annabeth’s eyes widened at that. "Let me go," she told him firmly.

Benny shook his head. "No. That voice may work some other time, but not at this moment," he replied.

"Why are you holding me back?!" Annabeth demanded, struggling against his grip.

"Did you forget the part where I told you I was getting you away from here before you get yourself killed?"

"The others are fighting."

"And you will not be fighting," he said sternly. "You need to go down the cliff with the others, stay close to them so that once there is an opportunity to go down, you join them."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Annabeth asked in disbelief. "You want me to go down when the others are..."

"Annabeth, for once in your life, stop fucking arguing and listen to me!" Benny raised his voice, but it got lost in the chaos.

He sighed. "Look here, all I’m asking is that you stay safe, okay? The pack needs you..."

"They need their alpha."

"And you are their alpha, Anna," he said softly. "Our parents would be extremely proud of you."

She shook her head in disagreement, but Benny continued.

"You are the alpha," he told her sternly. "It’s because of you that our people now have a chance to escape. Because you saw what I did not see—the fact that the west had become too dangerous for us to live in. And you protected them even when you hardly knew anything about combat. You stood shielding them at every turn from Victoria and her warriors. That wasn’t something I did. I already knew you were a better leader than me."

"Your plan, though risky—and in case I haven’t said it before, it’s very, very risky—is what we are all depending on now. Our people need you with them."

"And what about you?" she asked him.

"I’m going to make sure that everyone escapes fully, and then when the coast is clear, I’ll join in along with the others who will help hold back the warriors from coming after you guys," he told her.

Annabeth stared at him. She didn’t believe his words.

"Do you promise?" she asked him.

"I promise," he told her. "You know you are my favourite cousin, right?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at that. "I’m your only cousin," she told him.

"My only cousin and still my favourite cousin," he said with a smile. "Don’t look back when you go down. I know you are scared of heights. Just remain at eye level with the rocks."

"That makes no sense," she told him.

Benny shrugged at that, then he hugged her. "I’m proud of you too, in case I’ve never said that out loud."

Annabeth swallowed hard and nodded. "Me too. Be careful," she said quietly.

Benny inclined his head. "I’ll try." Then he turned sharply, sprinting toward the heart of the chaos while Annabeth headed to the ropes to assist those going down.

---

Ryker’s body moved on instinct. Paul’s wolf lunged, teeth aimed for the side of Ryker’s neck, but Ryker had no time to flinch. His wound from before throbbed, a hot, stabbing pain that threatened to slow him, but he ignored it. Every fiber of his being focused on the attack. He lunged upward, teeth sinking deep into the wolf’s neck. A pained howl tore through the air, but Ryker didn’t relent. Flesh tore as the wolf collapsed under him, twitching violently before going limp.

Flame-tipped arrows rained around them. One struck a rock near Ryker’s feet, sending sparks into the air. Another scorched the edge of a nearby tree. The fire hissed and burned, striking anyone in its path. There was no mercy. The battlefield had no sides—only survival and death.

Immediately Ryker took down Paul’s wolf, Tobias took over. He felt the world around him blur. Smoke, sparks, blood, shadows—he coughed as the stench of burning flesh and wet earth filled his nostrils. He shook his head, forcing the blur to clear, and felt his senses stabilize.

He wondered if it was because of the injury in his side that was still bleeding. His hands felt clammy too. He tore a piece of cloth and wrapped it around the bleeding wound as he tried to catch his breath.

He was so out of it that he didn’t realize when someone closed the distance between them, their hands on him. Tobias turned and immediately came face to face with Nathan.

"Are you okay, son?" he asked.

Tobias shook his head. "I’m not certain. I feel dizzy."

Just then Benny approached them. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

"The boy just said he’s dizzy," Nathan said to Benny, gesturing towards Tobias.

Benny immediately observed the wound at Tobias’s side. He frowned at it.

"The bleeding isn’t stopping," he muttered.

Tobias nodded, but even the action made everything more blurry.

"We need to get you help. The wound isn’t deep, but it isn’t stopping either," Benny said, then immediately placed Tobias’s hand over his shoulders as he led Tobias to the cliff.

"Are there healing supplies here?" he asked.

"We only have the basic things," a pack member replied just as Annabeth approached.

She took one look at Tobias. "Fuck, get me the stuff we have. We have to get him down that cliff before he loses consciousness."