Time to put the plan in action. In a mere second our warriors were directing women, children, and the elderly down to the bunkers with assistance from another female. Once those who needed protection were taken care of next qued Alaric and I.

"The pack is under attack! Please go to the designated bunker and wait until further instruction!" Alaric announce. People were yelling as some children began to cry in fear, but the person that stopped time, made everything slow down was the look on Ash's face. She knew she knew Vincent had come if it be for me or to kill Alaric and I both she knew. She was scared I could see that much, but she didn't need to worry.

"Everything's going to be okay."  I mind linked her. Her eyes widened at the sudden link of communication as she slightly nodded and began walking with the other pack members to the bunkers. I let out a breath of relief as I turned to Alaric. Now, it was our turn.

Our next move was to draw out Vincent to a field where he wouldn't be able to give orders to his rogue pack members. They weren't an official pack, they couldn't communicate if they were in wolf form. He would follow us, we were his targets we wouldn't let the pack get caught up as casualties. Once far enough away our top warriors would surround the intruders and wipe them out. Alaric made sure that there was one point of weakness in our border patrol, by funneling Vincent's rogue wolves in through there we could close the gap as well as cutting off their escape route. 

That was the sad part of it though, was that these wolves were blindingly following Vincent even if it be to their deaths. Most rogue wolves were banished from their packs for crimes, or lost wolves who had lost their mates and would eventually lose their minds as well. By being in Vincent's makeshift pack it helped them hold on a bit longer to their own sanity, because no wolf, not even an Alpha can live without a pack.

"Alright, let's go!" Alaric yelled as we both jumped off the stage and began our run towards the open field. It was a rush, my adrenaline was pumping as my feet hit the ground. It was almost weird though to be running with Alaric like this, together. But that didn't distract me from the growls and yelps of wolves fighting behind us. The battle had begun, we'll leave it up to our warriors to deal with those rogues. 

Even if they were rogues being controlled, there was nothing we or even I could do about it now. The fact was that they were a threat, and especially now I don't take threats too lightly.

"Keep going!" Alaric yelled to me. He was faster, much faster, I hadn't been able to go on a real run in forever, but we had to keep our pace Vincent had to know where we were going he needed to be able to smell our scent to follow us.

"Are we almost there?" I called from behind him. We had cut through so many trees and in the cover of the night no less, but I could still see everything. My eyes had changed to wolf eyes. I wasn't able to shift, but I was still a wolf when it came down to my soul.

"Alright stop!" Alaric held out his hand as I ran into it, holding me back. We couldn't go any further. We had reached the almost abandoned field where tall grass grew long and wild. It was probably cold out, but I didn't even notice the wind burning a cold chill to my nose. It was only when his scent stung my face did I know.

You're basically a monster disguised as one of us, broken and putrid how can you even get out of bed in the morning and call yourself a Luna no less. Disgusting, absolutely repulsive. Hmmm, but that's alright because only I will ever take in and fully embrace these oh so obvious flaws. But we can work with these, we can build on your flaws.  

Memories shocked me as my hand whipped over my nose and mouth as if trying to stop the familiarity of the scent. His scent was connected with so many words that dragged me down into that cold, dark, and bloody basement.

"Clover! What's wrong!" Alaric looked down at me with an immense amount of worry, but I shook my head. No, we couldn't afford to be distracted by this. Push it down, push down the memories, the fear and hate. This wasn't my fight. I couldn't face off head to head with Vincent even if I wanted to. I had been self-taught to surprise my opponent and target their week points, like tendons and veins. One cut... and their chance of survival dropped. 

I gripped my knives. My only weapon, that I had sharpened to the best of my ability. I just prayed that it was enough to help Alaric.

"It's him. He's here, I can smell him." Alaric whipped his attention back to the woods we had just come out from, scanning, looking, turning around to try to see him.

"Very well my doll, it seems your scenes haven't dulled from the last time I saw you." 

Behind us! 

Our feet dug into the ground as we spun to face him. Vincent. He stood tall and buff, but he was sweating and his eyes were wide. Too wide for a rational person. It had worked. He had snapped and made a rash call to charge in full force. He had no backup plan, no savior coming to rescue him. Nothing. It was just him and us.

"You," Alaric growled out as his eyes turned to a lightning yellow with anger. I quickly reach out to him. He needed to calm down! Two alphas going head to head driven my anger would only end bloody.

"Alaric! No, calm down!" I watched as he took heavy breathes, but his eyes stayed yellow. Not even my touch was enough to calm him down with his enemy right in front of him. I turned back to Vincent who seemed to be writhing in anger. His lip was twisted upwards in disgust at me as his eyes held nothing but resentment.

"Would you look at that, to think you could even let that thing touch you. I mean after what I did to her, she's pretty much garbage." I gowled at Vincet, he was getting his sharp tongue back. The more we gave him time to think the more he would use it to his advantage.

I had never seen Vincent in a fight, at least not a fair one, but I knew that if we allowed him to keep talking he was only going to anger us more and manipulate us with our emotions.

"That's enough! You know why you're here," he might be rash enough to run into our trap to get him alone, but he definitely wasn't stupid enough to not see what our plan was right now. Alaric and I got him away from his pack. We didn't know how quordinated their fighting was, but without Vincent it was definitely a blow to their strength. Alaric would fight him and win, while I stayed on the sidelines as back up. 

We were not planning on this being a fair fight for him. It was never a fair fight from the beginning when this all started. If Alaric needed me I would be at Vincent's heels and cutting his tendons in a matter of seconds. Wolves moved faster that my previous oponants, but so did I know with my own wolf. 

"HAHAHAHAH! Quite bold aren't we, didn't I teach you not to speak unless spoken to?" I bit my lip, he was just making fun of me now, but a part of me, in the back of my mind wanted to obey everything he was telling me. A part of me wanted to listen to his words that I had been hearing for so long and so consistently.

"Shut up! You don't get to talk to her let alone look at her! This is a fight between you and me." Alaric declared as he began to crouch to shift.

"Oh? Now for some reason I highly doubt that my little doll plans on staying out of this fight." Vincent turned to me.

"I didn't teach her to play fair, so I wont either." I gritted my teeth, damn it I should I have know he would pull something like this at the last moment. 

"What's that suppose to mean!" I yelled as I dug my feet into the ground ready to fight if he shifted.

"This invation might have been rushed, but it was inevitable none the less. So, don't think I didn't come at least a little prepared for what might occur inside the belly of the beast." I was growling in anger with all of these stupid metaphors.

"Damn it! Just say what you mean or I'll take your words as crap!" The smug smile on his face fell as he became completely serious as he made direct eye contact with me.

"This fight is between your mate and I. Although I would love to hit you around some more my dear, I'm afraid that's going to have to wait until after I kill him."

"You're on my last nerve here!" Vincen't held up his hand to stop me from talking any further.

"You make one move to intervene and I'll kill your friend. What was her name? Ashlyn? You are her are pretty close, aren't you?" 

"What?" My eyes widened. There was no way. No way that he could do that. Ash was in the bunkers with everyone else. She had followed the orders from the warriors, she knew the importance of this plan, she trusted me.

"You're lying! Her mate would never abandon her, she's safe!" Vincent' licked his lips, almost lapping up the sweet taste of my panic and confusion.

"No, she's not, because when it came down to following orders and saving a little girl I guess she chose wrong."

Damn it, damn it damn it! I was stupid, I miscalculated! I knew our enemy almost inside and out, but the same goes for him. He had studied Alaric's pack for longer than I had even known him. He knew their proceeders.

"Too bad she can't shift though, wouldn't want to hurt that little bundle of joy growing inside her. Hmmmm, but then again... wolf fetuses do go for a hefty price on the black market now a days." Vincent's eyes narrowed as he glarred at me with intent to torture.

"So, by all means my dear please interview if you must, but just know your dear friend and her baby will pay the price for your arrogance and desperation." 

My mouth fell. No, this couldn't be happening. Ash, she was in trouble and Sander couldn't help her, I couldn't help her. I was shaking in my shoes. The stong stance I had just help was breaking... shattering...

Maybe it was confidence that I had had. Maybe I was too confident...

"Clover!" I turned to Alaric who seemed to be writhing with anger, more so than I had ever seen before.

"We haven't lost! I told you from the beginning that this was my fight. Nothing has changed." Tears sprung from my eyes, damn it! This wasn't fair!

"Let's begin shall we?" Vincent called to Alaric.

"Deary, you can wait over there, if you leave to even try to rescue your friend she dies. My wolves know your description if they even see you near her location they rip out her unborn pup."

"You damn monster." I seethed as I clentched my fists. 

I hurt, it almost physically hurt to be pushed to the sidelines, to be forced to watch this play out, like a bystanders watching in slow-motion two cars come crashing together.