"Through the days of trials, one finds their very might. Sometimes, the end is just a new beginning, and sometimes, our greatest strength is found in the depths of adversity—a hard lesson learned in times of difficulties."
"Over! Over!”
“We need immediate backup!" The Runners at the borders radioed the main town guards.
There had been a sudden explosion at the border line. It would take a whole two hours for the guards in the main town to reach those at the first border line.
Some of the guards immediately shifted into their wolf forms, while others climbed into dispatch trucks loaded with machine guns and ammo. All made their way quickly into the woods to assist their comrades facing the looming danger.
"Whatever it was, it wasn't going to succeed like the last time. We are on our way," the radio response reassured.
They believed the enemies might be trying to distract the guards at the borderline with this sudden explosion, while having an entirely different plan.
***Since the Craving war loomed for over four decades in the Western Mountain of Jacksonville, between the Crescent pack, Midnighters, Emoon, and the Crossers, each pack placed a borderline to keep their enemies out of their territory. The war led to a blood battle that claimed several innocent lives.
The explosion wasn't as big as they thought. Dark smoke covered the woods where the scenes of the explosion had happened. The guards quickly surrounded the border, both the scene and other paths of the border.
Ensuring no one was trying to distract them with an explosion and then infiltrate into the main town to blend in with the people.
They scouted everywhere, in various groups and forms, looking for the enemy within the lines; they were not getting in nor getting out now.
Before the others could join them, one guard in a group of sniffers found something lying in the woods.
It had the smell of fresh blood. He quickly mind-linked his group's attention to whatever it was.
"Ah hoooooo!, Ah hoooooo!" the group made several loud howls, alerting the other groups.
It was a mile away from the explosion site, just above the old Okary bridge, which had brought down several trees and bushes to ash.
"Hey!, Hey!, let me see your hands slowly! The guards ordered.
"Do not make me! Come out slowly, with your hands in the air!" He continued.
The town guards with ammo arrived at the explosion scene and made their way quickly towards the target.
Before they got there, the sniffers found that it was a human lying within the woods. They gradually came close to check if it was an ambush.
It was a female, with shoulder length blond hair, wearing a Rose-coloured gown.
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" just as backup arrived at the scene, the sniffers quickly informed them not to engage the target; they had to verify for themselves.
Two sniffers guards shifted back to their human form. They carefully approached the female target lying within the woods so they could see her face and identify her.
****Long ago during the Craving war, every pack attacked viciously. After several losses of their lands, properties, and pack members, they had to give in to one another for peace to reign.
But the peace didn’t last long enough. The Crescent moon pack took advantage of this peace to rebuild, farm, and stay away from others because they had more to lose due to their smaller numbers. The other three packs, Midnighters, Emoon, and the Crossers, lived in sophistication, wealth, and riches, growing more arrogant. They teamed up together, led by the Midnighters pack, to attack the Crescents because of their lands and natural resources. The Crescents pack were the most strategic warriors, despite their small numbers, led by their warlord Alpha Heartfield.
When Alpha Heartfield learned what the other packs had planned against them, he compared his prisoners, most from other pack members, trained them, and turned them against their own pack, building a large army, which he used to defeat his enemies.
After their loss, they resolved to peace, but the Crescents refused. They made a borderline, marking all their territory restricted from others, especially the Midnighter packs. Anyone crossing would be taken as prisoners and made slaves or soldiers by Alpha Heartfield.
His reign threatened every other pack, so they sent spies through the borderline into Alpha Heartfield’s home.
The spies succeeded in poisoning Alpha Heartfield's drink while he had dinner, but his only son and heir, Hayes, was still in the boarding school senior high at the time.
Hayes quickly took over his father, following his legacy strictly. Alpha Hayes became the most cruel alpha across the Western Mountain of Jacksonville for what they all did to his family.
It had been four days since the Crescent Moon pack brought in Alicia Jones.
The explosion that night was an incident that took the lives of Alicia's father and mother as they were coming from the Craving festivals' 3rd anniversary. The Okary bridge was a very strong but old bridge; how it fell, crumbling that night, is still a wonder to everyone. Coincidentally, it took the lives of the entire Jones family of the Midnighters pack: Alpha Jones, his wife Chloe, and his only daughter Alicia.
To everyone, Alicia had died that night in the explosion, but the Crescent Moon Pack, unaware of her identity, rescued her and kept her alive.
Alicia woke up disillusioned, with a sharp pain banging in the back of her skull like a charity drum. But something was different, it was odd but comforting. She could feel a little pressure inside her and a sudden burden on her weak body.
She could sense a weakness in and around her, her eyes still closed, and she was flat on her back.
But her ears could somehow pick up the sound of distant voices and the striking of an object that rang like bells jingling. Her fingers twitched, her toes curled, as her subconscious fought to bring her back to reality. But the sharp pain and banging she previously felt still left so much hurt that she didn't want to wake up. Not yet and not now.