~Ella Windsor POV~
Rain washed over the broken street, carrying the scent of metal, blood, and smoke. I stared at the remains of the silver beast as the sirens wailed closer, every part of me wanted to collapse, but I couldn't. The fight wasn't over...it had only just begun.
Leonard grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the wrecked cars. "We can't stay here," he said, his voice firm but not audible, as if he feared someone was already listening. "The police won't see that thing for what it is, they'll blame us."
Edward shifted back into human form, his white wolf fur melting into pale skin, though he was still bleeding from deep scratches on his side. "We don't have time for humans," he growled. "The hunters won't stop with this one attack, we need to get to Crownstone now."
Markus stood at the edge of the street, spinning one of his knives between his fingers like he didn't have a care in the world. "I'm not a fan of running into cages, boys," he said, smirking. "Crownstone sounds like a fortress, but fortresses are for the desperate."
"You're welcome to leave," Leonard shot back. "But Ella's not safe out here, and neither are you." His eyes flicked to me, softer now. "Crownstone is the only place where they can't touch you."
"And what happens when I step in?" I asked, finally finding my voice. "What if they think I'm part of your war?" My heart racing. Every word tasted like fear, but also something heavier...anger. "I'm done being chased like an animal, I want answers, Leonard! About my mother, about this… this bloodline everyone keeps whispering about."
Edward glanced at me, his pale eyes serious. "Crownstone might have answers, It's where your mother last stood with the Accord. If anyone knows why the hunters want you, it's there."
"Or," Markus interrupted with a lazy shrug, "we could take a little detour and pay a visit to someone who owes me favors, someone who knows the hunter network inside out. Might save us a bloody trip to Crownstone."
Leonard's jaw tightened. "We don't have time for your games, Markus."
"Games?" Markus grinned, his pale eye glinting. "I call it strategy, why walk into a lion's den blind when we can cut off its claws first?"
The tension between the two was sharp enough to taste, and I stepped forward. "Enough!" I said. "We move, and we find answers! If Crownstone is where the truth lies, then we go there. But I want all of you to stop acting like I'm a prize you're fighting over."
For a moment, none of them spoke. Leonard's golden eyes softened, Edward gave a small nod of respect, and Markus only chuckled. "Fair enough, little wolf," he said. "Lead the way, then."
The road out of the city was dark, lined with broken streetlights and old billboards. Leonard drove a black SUV that smelled faintly of leather and gun oil, while, Edward sat in the back with me, silent but watchful, and Markus lounged in the front passenger seat, whistling a low, eerie tune.
"What is Crownstone?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.
Leonard's hands tightened on the wheel. "It's more than a fortress, It's the heart of the old Accord...the last stronghold of wolves who refused to bow to either hunters or shadows. Your mother helped build it."
Edward's voice was smooth but heavy. "She fought for peace between packs when the world was burning with blood, that's why the hunters feared her, and why they still fear you."
My throat tightened. "Then why didn't anyone tell me? All these years, I thought she died in some meaningless accident. And now I'm just supposed to believe she died for… for this?"
Markus snorted. "You think accidents just happen to wolves with bloodlines like yours? No, sweetheart. They made sure she didn't live long enough to warn you."
The SUV grew quiet after that, as I stared out the rain-streaked window, watching the blur of neon lights fade into open roads. Every mile made the world feel heavier.
Suddenly, Leonard's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, his jaw tightening. "We've got a problem," he said.
Edward leaned forward. "What now?"
"Someone tipped off the hunters! Crownstone knows we're coming...and they're not happy about it."
Markus chuckled darkly. "See? What did I tell you? Fortresses aren't built for comfort, they're built for war."
Before I could ask what that meant, headlights flared in the rear-view mirror. A black car was following us, speeding closer.
"We've got company," Edward said, his voice low.
The car behind us accelerated, and another one appeared ahead on the road.
Leonard cursed under his breath. "Damn it! Hold on."
The SUV swerved sharply, tires screeching on wet pavement, Markus grinned, rolling down the window and pulling out a throwing knife. "Now this is the kind of welcome I like."
My wolf surged in my chest, her voice sharp. We fight or we fall, choose now.
Before I could react, the front car's trunk popped open, and a hunter stood up, aiming a glowing weapon straight at us.
Leonard's voice cut through the chaos. "Ella, get down!"
The SUV skidded across the wet road, the tires screaming against the slick pavement as Leonard swerved to avoid the incoming attack. I hit the floor between the seats, clutching the edge of the seat with white knuckles while Edward's arm shielded me from broken glass that sprayed as a glowing bolt slammed into the back window.
"Stay down!" Leonard barked, his golden eyes flashing in the rear-view mirror.
Another car slammed into our side, jolting me hard enough that my head struck the door. I tasted blood on my lip, the hunters weren't just chasing us; they were herding us into something worse.
Edward crouched, his hand gripping the side of the seat. "We can't outrun them like this. They've got reinforced engines."
Markus leaned halfway out of the window, the wind tugging his dark hair back. He laughed, low and almost unhinged. "Outrun? No! But I can slow them down." He flung a knife with a flick of his wrist, it spun in the air before lodging into the front tire of the car behind us. The vehicle fishtailed, colliding with the other hunter car.
For a split second, we had space.
"Ella," Leonard said, his voice steady but tense, "stay close to Edward, if anything happens, you get out and run for the woods. Don't stop!"
I met his eyes in the rear-view mirror. "I'm not running again, I'm done leaving people to fight my battles. You said my mother fought for this... let me fight, too."
Edward's gaze softened, even though his jaw tightened. "If you're going to fight, do it smart by waiting for an opening."
The hunters weren't done, more headlights glared ahead, a third car blocking the road. Leonard cursed and yanked the wheel, sending us down a side road that cut into the woods. The SUV bounced over roots and rocks, the storm making it harder to see.
The trees closed in around us, shadows bending in the glare of the headlights. I could feel the energy in the air, my wolf stirring, sensing danger before I saw it.
"They're pushing us into a trap," I whispered.
"Not if I break the trap first," Leonard muttered.
We burst into a clearing....and that's when we saw them, two hunter vans, parked across the dirt path, engines rumbling. The hunters stepped out, weapons glowing blue, their faces hidden under visors. My pulse jumped as I saw a familiar figure among them...the woman with the scar from earlier.
She smiled when she saw me through the windshield. "You can't hide forever, blood girl."