Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 168: The Unfortunate Lunar Orb

"Violet!" Ivy called out with relief the moment she appeared, and yanked her into a tight hug. Thank the gods she was safe!

She had been scared out of her mind when Violet had gone up against the Alphas, convinced they’d harm her. But time and time again, her friend had proved she could take care of herself.

Violet barely returned the embrace before pulling back. "How much time is left?" she demanded.

Ivy swallowed hard. "A minute."

"Fuck!" Violet cursed, her pulse kicking into overdrive. There was no time. She had to move now.

Without hesitation, she sprinted toward Daisy, her boots splashing mud as she dropped to a crouch beneath the suspended girl. Then she pulled out the blade she’d stolen from Asher, the polished steel gleaming wickedly from the light’s reflection.

"You better brace yourself," she warned.

Daisy let out a nervous squeak. "Oh God. Am I going to land on my face? Maybe you should cut it slowly—wait, no, we don’t have time! Should I hold onto the net? Or maybe...."

The girl was still blabbering from fear when Violet sliced through the snare in one swift motion. The rope snapped.

"Shit—!"

Daisy dropped like a stone.

"I got you!" Ivy made a valiant attempt to play rescuer, but in a tragic twist of fate, she lost her footing just as Daisy crashed into her and they hit the ground in a tangled heap.

"Ugh," Ivy groaned, winded. "I think my kidney just moved."

Violet didn’t have the time to ask them if they were okay because Lila was still trapped, the snare now cutting deeper into her ankle.

With rain-slicked fingers, Violet adjusted her grip on the blade and began sawing through the thick rope. It was slippery and stubborn, but she refused to give up. With a final grunt, the fibers gave way.

Lila dropped, but unlike Daisy, she was better prepared. Twisting midair, she landed gracefully in a crouch before rising with a triumphant grin.

That was so cool,

Lila’s annoying enthusiasm and pulled her

could’ve left me behind, but you

pulled back. "What kind of ruler abandons

last. A

knew what it meant.

to go!" Daisy cried, already tensed

her head. "No. I

widened. "No, Violet, you can’t

draw them away.

howls rent through the air and sent chills down their spine. The wolves were enjoying this

go, go!" Violet

will get them out! Follow

They bolted, running blindly through the trees, while hoping they wouldn’t

friends disappear before exhaling sharply. She then slid the knife back into her pocket, after all, who knew what

the rain-slicked ground, their massive body rustling

just running to escape. No, she was running to buy time for her friends knowing Asher and his pack

of the chase sharpened Violet’s senses to a razor’s edge that every distant growl, every subtle crunch of a leaf registered in her mind, adrenaline coursing through her veins

by streetlights. That was a death trap as it made her an easy target. Instead, she veered deeper into the forest, using the dim reflection of the lights

howled again but unlike the first one that was filled with cruel amusement as they revelled in the thrill

They were communicating.

Shit. They’d found her.

what she saw made her heart stutter violently

like molten gold in the darkness. They were closing in fast, their powerful bodies a blur of fur and muscle. It looked like

they caught her, there would be no

sight sent a jolt of panic through her, and in that split second of distraction, her

slammed into the wet earth, but the ground beneath her was uneven. Before Violet could stop herself, she was tumbling forward, rolling down the dirt and