Nickolas falls limp as they hear a snapping sound and his Qu’waya Kyda rushes to help him.

Wahyat wanted to shout at her in frustration and instead growls. It quickly turns into a fierce snarl as
his mate defends; facing the black wolf carrying Nickolas’s blood on his muzzle.
As the black wolf snaps at her the second time Kyda isn’t fast enough to get him again and
instead the wolf jumps onto her, pushing her heavy into the chilled ground with a grunt in her
human form. Wahyat races to help her, grabbing his tail and pulled him away the moment he yelps
at Kyda’s kick to his chest. Snapping at the black wolf he faced, he grabs his shoulder making him
howl out and drop with the pain; not nearly a fair punishment for killing one of his own and
attacking his mate.
Simultaneously Wahyat yelps and snarls then takes off to catch and attack the brown Ryan
Reede for wounding his flank and to stop him from going after Kyda.
Ryan spins back around and lunges into the confrontation aiming for his throat but instead
grabbing his ear, while he got his throat. And squeezed until the coward of an alpha whined and
ripped away from his grip
Wahyat hears the snap of a branch below feet making him turn to see an archer aimed and
ready. Readying to charge at the human shifter, the black wolf knocks him hard into a tree with his
injured body weight and grapples for hold of his neck, but Nickolas’s sister Ally comes to the rescue;
her gray wolf form with the speed of light and stealth of a leopard lunging at the archer, taking his
life like the one he had helped kill, disappearing over the opposite side of the hill falling with her
successful impact out of view through the trees. Her brother’s taken life revenged
Yelping as the black wolf’s teeth sink into his neck, Wahyat thrashes to free himself kicking
and snapping at the rogue enemy
With Jason’s thankful help, the useless weight and the black’s vile teeth leave his body
allowing him to jump back up with a body shake to get rid of the pain and back into the defending of
their territory, but as he faces them, the remaining 4 wolves take off on a run from his pack. And
they could do nothing else but follow and remove the awful threat that had plagued them and taken
cherished lives from them
He was Alpha though and first, they had to check on the wounded and get them to safety
before following. He was confident they wouldn’t get far though. Shifting with the others they turn
and look around with furious frowns.
Nickolas was gone or close to it with his mate knelt beside him, facing him to help.
That made 5 now. Five innocents this rogue pack had killed. Five pups. Nickolas was 17 years
old equivalent.
Looking to the 7 with minimal injuries surrounding them, faces grim and determined waiting
for his orders Wahyat hurriedly decides as Ally walks back into view from around the corner with
angry tears and the same look as the other furious members “alright. Let’s go” seeing Ally’s eyes
widen and her body falter with fear and surprise he adds “Russell, Jackson stay here and get the
women and Nickolas back” the men nod and step aside from the continuing group leaving the 5 of
them to take the 4 rogues
When his Kyda continues shivering and not moving from her knelt position to face him he
frowns worried for her; the situation similar to when he had found and shifted with her that first
time
“Kyda” he calls to her and watches her trembling self shift her head from Ally to the side to
hear him better, allowing him to see half her face and the line of tears down her pale cheek.
 “Go. Don’t let them hurt anyone else” he hears her. Nodding he replies, “be careful” then
more to the others “get to the village and stay there and alert until we get back”
The young women still frozen in the same positions and with Jackson and Russell bowing
respectfully in goodbye Wahyat leads the small group into the chase
Leaving behind the scent of tainted blood

Hearing Wahyat’s howl of the hunt and the groups fading feet, her voice shaking Kyda slowly
moves her trembling hand away from her side, feeling the warmth of her blood on her hand and
aimlessly continue down from the arrow’s wound. The smell of silver poisoning obvious to her nose
making fear, instinct and knowing ring through her mind
She was going to die
Ally still holding her breath; her fear and concern potent like her tears, moved to her side.
Kyda didn't want her being injured to stop Wahyat from removing the danger of the rogues. The
same rogues who had attacked and killed her pack, the same rogues she had been rescued from and
now the same ones that had killed so many of her new pack. She was just one shifter. She would just
be another on the taken list.
Number 6. And Alpha’s mate her mind grimly added. Wahyat didn't know and realistically
she knew if this was reversed, she would have wanted him to tell her. But she knew if Wahyat knew
she was injured, they would let the rogues get away, and then the rogues would either target
another pack and wipe them out or come back and take more innocent lives
It had to stop. Even at the cost of her. Nickolas, Lilly, Uba, Telk and Yonas wouldn’t die for
nothing. And neither would she
Her body feeling dizzy and numb, Kyda loses her balance and closing her eyes starts falling,
but Ally had her tight in her protective arms
She knew why Kyda hadn't spoken up, that Wahyat and the others would have smelt her
poisoning blood but just thought it was Nickolas’s.
For all of them
“Why didn't you let him know?” she demands through ushered tears of fury and hurt and
emotion, hugging Kyda tight as if clinging for dear life while the two men Russell and Jackson were
only just realizing something was wrong and heading over.
She didn't want to lose another. No one did
“The rogues have to be taken out” her breathing coming harder, more of an effort, her eyes
unwilling to open “otherwise we’re all just numbers” Kyda tries to explain, but then with a curse
under his breath, Russell as careful as possible gets the poison dart out of her then yanks her up into
his arms and heads back towards the village “you know this is why I hate alphas” he growls more at
Kyda, his angry voice was tense with concern though
“Wahyat’s gonna kill us. You know that right?” Jackson says beside them almost a groan
“Well then let’s try not to give him a reason for it then” Russell snaps back hurrying his steps

Kyda’s wound wrapped and treated best as possible like her fever and aching, she was
shaking from the silver poisoning affects trying to stay awake as she lay in Wahyat and her cabin’s
bed, his maroon soft blanket comforting, his lingering scent soothing while she waited for him.
Beside her bed Ally was wiping her sweated brow with her same fear, tears and knowing like her
own obvious. Every now and then Jackson, Russell or elders would come in to check on her quiet as
a whisper. They knew what she was waiting for. A few times she had whispered it as well
 Wahyat
Kyda wasn’t sure how long it had been. Minutes or hours but now, she was losing the battle.
Her body was worn and tired, heavy. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to dream
“Where’s Wahyat?” beside her she hears Ally ask sounding desperate and worried
“He should be here soon” one of the elders reply sounding just as worried.
Not for her survival. Just for her durability; if she could survive long enough to see him one
last time
Sudden sharp pain makes Kyda cry out and recoil into fetal position. Ally stands and leans up
to ward the sweat from her once more while Kyda struggled into the blanket to stop from crying out
a loud again, gritting her teeth her body aching for release
Not until Wahyat gets back
Stilling from the attack, her body weary and exhausted with eyes closed she listens. Ally
sighs with sad relief and growing hushed talking is obvious from outside, then the door opened

Ally was pale sitting on the edge of the bed beside his Qu’waya and Wahyat’s heart broke;
his own body white with fear and disbelief.
Silently, Ally leans over and kisses Kyda on the cheek before nodding to him head down she
leaves them alone. Guilt filled him to the point of suffocation.
He should have known. He should have checked her; the scent of the poison, of her blood,
her pain and shock. Shaking his head he curses himself under his breath and immediately regrets it
hearing Kyda flinch on the bed
So careful as if the slightest movement would shatter her, he slid onto the bed with her and
wrapped his arms with one of his on hers on her wound close, unbreakable and protective of her.
“I'm sorry Wahyat” he hears her whisper full of emotion and earnesty, and felt his eyes
glisten. “Sshh…” he hushes her, resting his head lightly on the side of her too warm face and
breathed her in
“Why didn't you tell me” he whispers as soft as the lightest breeze against her, holding her
close to him, remembering with a breaking heart what the others had said to him about the silver
poisoning, how she didn't want them to be a number and how she had just been waiting for him.
Just him. He’d heard of what happened of course. He didn't want to let her go though
“For my Pack, for our pack and for everyone they took. They needed to be stopped, and they
wouldn’t have been if you knew I was hurt” she truthfully tells him quiet and dimming. She was
right; he would have stayed with her and let them go
His voice breaks “but you not just hurt” he retorts “you're- you're-” he couldn’t form the
word and instead all he could do was bury his face in her and hold her tight, his eyes stinging with
painful tears
Elder Tameka comes in and forcefully transfuses as much as his blood into Kyda after taking
a safe amount of her blood out in order to dilute and flush out the poisoning, hoping with their
imprinted blood she would be able to fight the poisoning and stay with them. Kyda had told them
not to bother before, but lucky for her, she had no choice but to take it
Finished she immediately leaves them in respectful hopeful peace

Wahyat lays there with her for an hour through her brave attempts of muffling her pain, her
fever and battling to stay with him, all while his grip never loosened and never weakened around his
little Qu’waya. He had only just saved her, just found her and only begun the imprinting.
And now he was losing her. All over again
Finally, Kyda’s strength and will begins to fail between his very hold
“Wahyat, I'm… tired” Kyda mumbles, her eyes drooping before his very eyes
Feeling defeated and remembering her apologies for not telling him; from preventing him
more time with her, Wahyat tenderly strokes her between his fingers and brushes his face against
hers keeping the very connection he had sort from her for so long and tried to keep with her.
All he could do now is ease her pain and soothe her. Even if it meant, losing her
Wahyat wasn’t ashamed of his tears that had stayed on his face since the disbelieving news
reached his very ears, his very nose
“It’s okay, love” he whispers softly, hearing his voice shattering like his heart. Keeping her
close, warm and protected in his very arms and breath, watching her body fade from him with every
painful struggling breath she forced into her poisoned body Wahyat continues to reassure and
soothe her.
His only other regret- not killing every single bastard himself; as long and painful as possible
“Go to sleep. I'm here for you. I’ll always be here for you” he tells her truthfully in the best
goodbye he could do, kissing her ear and cheek gently until he reaches her soft savoring lips
“Wahyat…. Wahyat…” she whispers and he waits for her to continue
But she never does
Closing his eyes in pure agonizing anguish Wahyat tucks her closer into him, shielding her
from everything this cruel world had thrown at her, not willing to let her go and face it alone, his
tears two endless lines down his face until too weary to move and operate, he falls limp asleep