Chapter 548: The Last Stand

A Day Before

The wind howled across the cliff like a warning that had come too late.

It carried the scent of blood.

And death.

Nathan wiped the back of his hand across his face, smearing the blood that had already begun to dry against his skin. It wasn’t all his. Most of it wasn’t.

That didn’t make it any better.

His chest rose and fell heavily, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword as another body dropped not too far from him. The sound of steel clashing against steel rang sharply through the air, echoing against the jagged rock of the cliffside.

The battle hadn’t slowed.

If anything, it had only gotten worse.

Benny stepped beside him, his own breathing rough, his clothes stained with blood and dirt. He didn’t look at Nathan immediately, his eyes scanning the chaos around them, calculating, measuring.

"You should have gone down," Benny said, his voice low but firm.

Nathan let out a dry chuckle, the sound rough in his throat.

"And leave this?" he asked, gesturing faintly at the battlefield around them.

Benny’s jaw tightened.

"I told you to go with the others."

Nathan finally turned to look at him.

There was something different in his eyes now.

Something heavier. Something that hadn’t been there before.

"There was no need," Nathan said simply.

Another clash rang out behind them, followed by a sharp cry of pain.

Nathan didn’t even flinch.

"My grandson is dead," he continued, his voice steady in a way that didn’t match the weight of his words. "Victoria made sure of that."

Benny’s expression shifted, something like guilt flickering across his face before he could stop it.

"And I’ll be damned," Nathan went on, his grip tightening around his sword, "if I don’t take out at least a few of the warriors she sent after us just to spite her."

"And besides," he added, glancing briefly toward the edge of the cliff, "someone has to protect those who made it down."

Benny followed his gaze. Everyone who had been gathered at the edge of the cliff had gone down now.

He nodded once.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Benny exhaled slowly.

"I’m sorry," he said.

Nathan frowned slightly. "For what?"

"For Louis," Benny replied, his voice rougher now. "If I hadn’t been so hot-headed... if I had thought things through—"

Nathan let out a short laugh, cutting him off.

"Perhaps," he said.

Benny went still at that.

"But then again," Nathan continued, his gaze shifting back to the battlefield, "Victoria wanted the priest of the pack. There was no way Louis was going to survive. I’m very certain she was going to do anything in her power to kill him."

Benny swallowed hard, his throat tightening.

"I didn’t think it would end like this," he admitted.

Nathan nodded slowly.

"I didn’t either."

Another explosion echoed in the distance, the ground beneath them trembling slightly as debris scattered near the far end of the cliff.

Nathan didn’t look surprised.

"I doubt we’ll survive this," he said calmly.

Benny let out a quiet breath.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"But at least the others made it out," Nathan added, his voice softer now.

His gaze drifted once more toward the cliff’s edge.

"That’s all that matters."

Benny nodded.

That was all that mattered.

The ropes had been cut.

He had seen it happen.

Victoria’s warriors had moved fast, slipping through the chaos just long enough to sever the ropes before anyone could stop them.

Benny and a few others had taken them down immediately after.

But it had already been done.

The damage was irreversible.

And now, there was no way down for them if they planned to go.

The battle intensified around them, warriors closing in from every direction. It felt endless, like a wave that refused to break.

Like Victoria had no intention of letting any of them leave this place alive. And one thing bothered Benny too—it seemed like Victoria had the intention of taking down the cliff.

Benny clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around his sword.

He could only hope that Annabeth didn’t wait for him and the others. That she didn’t hesitate in taking the others to the Nightshade Pack.

And Tobias...

Benny let out a sharp breath through his nose. He could only hope the man survived.

Because if he didn’t—

Benny almost winced at the thought.

Orion would not let that go.

Ever. He was very certain Orion would find him in the afterlife and beat him up.

He turned his head slightly, glancing at Nathan.

Nathan met his gaze.

No words were needed.

They both understood.

This was it.

Nathan adjusted his grip on his sword, just as Benny did the same.

A battle cry tore from their throats, raw and unrestrained as they charged forward, straight into the swarm of warriors.

---

Inside the building where Selith worked, where the Silver Creek pack members had been held hostage, Victoria paced.

Her steps were sharp and measured, but there was nothing calm about her.

The room itself felt too small to contain her anger.

Selith stood nearby, silent, watching as Victoria moved back and forth like a storm trapped in human form.

If it had been any other prisoners—

Victoria would not have cared. She would not have bothered or even batted an eye, but this was different.

"Silver Creek Pack," she muttered under her breath, the name laced with venom.

The pack was a thorn in her side. They had always been, and even after she had captured the majority of them, with the thought to use them for her rituals, they still escaped her. They still messed with her.

Her jaw tightened as she stopped abruptly, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

She hated it. She hated everything about it. They were not supposed to escape. They were not supposed to be able to sneak out from right under her watch. It wasn’t supposed to happen.

Victoria turned sharply, her gaze dark.

"How did they know about the cliff?" she demanded.

The question wasn’t directed at anyone in particular.

But it hung in the air regardless.

That cliff—her expression twisted slightly.

It was the same cliff. The same one that her daughter had fallen over when she had escaped her. No one should know about the cliff. No one should know that it even existed except her. It didn’t make sense that the members of the Silver Creek pack would use it.

The cliff signified a flaw in everything she had built, which was why she had ordered it to be destroyed. No one would use it now. No one would escape from her again.

The Silver Creek pack signed their death warrants when they escaped. She did not care that they died. She did not care that she was to use them for her rituals—she would find others. There must be packs that are not yet affected by the plague she caused. They would take the magic in their veins, their connections with their wolves, and would give her the gift she wanted. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

No one escaped her, especially not a pack as insignificant as the Silver Creek pack. Soon the whole world would bow to her. Even the pack that had escaped would bow to her, for she was their leader.

Just then, she heard a knock on the door, and she turned, her face scrunched up in disgust.

"What is it?" she asked in anger.