Rise of the Warrior Queen (Kaia and Silver) novel Chapter 33

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CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

KAIA’S POV

The sound of the back door being forced open caused the entire hall to freeze.

All eyes turned in that direction, and warriors readied themselves to fight if need be.

There were heavy groans and voices, followed by the sound of rushed footsteps pounding down the hallway.

Relief washed through the hall at the familiar faces that appeared seconds later.

My eyes widened as I finally let out the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding the whole time.

“Jordan!” I shouted in relief the moment I saw him rush in through the main hallway, flanked by two warriors.

His chest was heaving, sweat poured down his temple, and claw marks on his left arm dripped blood onto the floor as he walked. He swallowed visibly as his eyes scanned the chaos, as if trying to absorb everything

at once.

“What. The hell. Is going on?” he demanded, coming to a sharp stop in front of me. His voice was rough and full of shock. “I almost got my eyes clawed out by a damn rabbit. What the hell?! Why are the animals being so violent? And why are fellow pack members trying to kill us?! Two of our men turned right before my eyes, Kaia! We almost didn’t make it back here alive. The entire place is like a war zone! What in the name of the

Moon Goddess is happening here?”

“No one knows,” I said, shaking my head. “The blood moon appeared out of nowhere. Animals are possessed. Some of our pack members too. It’s spreading fast. We’ve evacuated as many people as we could into the pack house, but some are still outside. We’re doing our best to hold them off.”

Jordan stiffened, his jaw dropping. “Where’s Elias?” he asked.

I shook my head grimly. “We haven’t been able to reach him. Dax tried. Nothing’s coming through. It’s like

something’s blocking our lines.”

Jordan clenched his jaw. “Damn it. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I fixed him with a glare. “Yeah, you think?? You’re upset because Elias isn’t here to help you lead the squad? Well, guess what, Jordan? I’ve been stuck here for hours since this thing started, leading both squads myself because you and Elias were AWOL! You think that was easy for me?”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “What? What do you mean? Where’s Mia?” he asked, and I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to stay calm. Why would he know where Mia was when he wouldn’t even stay put like a decent high–ranking warrior?

I shook my head.

“Never mind. Come on,” I said, turning quickly. “We need you. The warriors are spread thin.”

The hallway vibrated with the sounds of chaos from outside–the screeching of animals, glass shattering, people screaming. A sharp crack rang out, followed by thudding footsteps above us, and everyo oze

“WINDOWS!” someone shouted from the stairwell. “Kaia! Jordan! They’re trying to break in through the upper

floors!”

Jordan didn’t hesitate. “I’m going up!”

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

“I’ll stay down and coordinate the second–floor warriors!” I called after him as he spun around and took off Stay in touch!”

I sprinted back into the main lounge area. The space was now a makeshift command post. Elders were

huddled together with frightened children and wounded pack members. Warriors–both male and female- stood at the doors and windows, holding the line.

A loud bang on the door practically shook the whole building down to its roots.

“Hold steady!” Dax yelled from the front hallway. “Don’t let them in!”

“Kaia!” one of the warriors suddenly called out, pointing toward the front window. His voice was laced with panic as he shook his head. “Goddess, this isn’t good. You need to see this, Kaia!”

I rushed over, my bare foot slapping against the floor as I pushed past two others to peer outside.

My breath caught as my eyes landed on what he was pointing at.

There–under one of the cars parked a few meters from the pack house–was a small boy. He couldn’t have

been older than five. His tiny body trembled as he curled up beneath the vehicle, eyes wide and wet with

tears, arms over his head as he silently cried and shook. My eyes caught something that made me squint- and I realized his left leg was bleeding badly. He was hurt.

My eyes scanned his surroundings, and I saw possessed people and animals circling like vultures–their eyes

glowing, their movements twitchy. A rabid fox snapped its jaws near the boy’s feet, just barely out of reach,

causing him to cry out in fear. A woman with blood–streaked hair and clouded eyes staggered close, her head

jerking like a broken puppet.

My heart dropped as I watched.

“No…” I whispered. “Goddess, no…”

“There’s no way we can reach him,” Dax muttered beside me, his voice tight. “Not through all of that. Not

without-”

He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.

“What do we do?” he asked, turning to me, waiting for an answer I didn’t have.

I stood frozen. My mind raced. We couldn’t just leave him–but stepping outside meant certain death. The

second we opened those doors…

What do we do?

This wasn’t an easy decision to make.

“Kaia?” Silver’s voice cut through the panic, causing me to turn to him.

“We have to go out there,” he said firmly. “We can’t leave him to die like that.”

Some of the warriors turned toward him in disbelief.

“Are you out of your mind?!” one of them barked. “Dude, you step out there and you’re dead. That kid’s already

gone.”

“He’s right,” another growled. Even if someone makes it to him, there’s no way they’ll get back alive. It’s suicide.”

CHAPTER THIRTY THALE

“So what? We just leave him there?!” Silver snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. “He’s just a child!”

“The moment we open the doors for more than a few seconds, we’re risking everything,” one of the guards near the entrance said, his voice low and grave. “The affected could break through. The entire house could be compromised.”

“And who’s going to be stupid enough to walk into that hell for one kid who might already be infected or bleeding to death?!” another asked in disbelief.

Silver fell silent for a moment, staring out at the boy with a clenched jaw.

Then he turned to us.

“I’ll go.”

The room fell dead silent.

“What?!!!” Everyone screamed in surprise as all eyes fell on Silver.

“I’ll go,” he repeated, his voice surprisingly calm for what he was volunteering for. “Someone has to. I’m fast

enough. If a few warriors can cover me from the porch–distract the creatures–I can get to him. We’ll be in and out before they even react.”

He’s not even fully healed. How does he intend to-

I shook my head. “Silver-”

He met my eyes. “Kaia, listen to me. I can’t stand here and watch a kid get torn apart right before my eyes. I

won’t.”

I stared at him, feeling the weight of everything crash down on me. “Are you sure about this?” I asked.

“Yes,” he nodded. “I have to try. I’m going in.”

Dax let out a low curse. “Then tell us what you need us to do.”

Silver turned to him without hesitation. “How about this–you, Jace, and three others with strong aim get to the porch. The second the door opens, do whatever you can to distract them. Focus their attention away from the car. Keep the path clear as much as possible. I’ll try to move as fast as I can so we don’t have to be

out there for too long.”

They nodded and moved quickly to prepare.

Just as Silver turned toward the door, a loud voice echoed across the hallway.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

All heads turned toward the voice.

Gareth stood by the stairs, fury burning in his eyes as he stormed into the room.

“Who put you in charge?!”

I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation. You have got to be kidding me. So now he shows up?

I watched as Gareth strode toward Silver, fury painted across his face. His coat was stained with dirt and blood, and I mentally wondered again–where the hell has he been through all this chaos?

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, whatever your real name is. But let’s get something straight. You

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don’t get to show up here with no name and no background and start ordering my warriors around like you own the place. Who the hell put you in charge of my men?!”

Silver didn’t flinch as he looked at him. “No one, Alpha. But someone had to step in while you were MIA.”

Gasps rose in the room as the warriors paused, watching.

“What was that?” Gareth’s eyes darkened. “Now you listen to me, bastard! You are a stranger in this pack. Just a charity case and nothing more. You have no authority here!”

Silver stayed calm. “I’m not asking for authority. I’m offering solutions. Your warriors are outnumbered. We need to hold the east wing or this place will be overrun by whatever is out there. And at the same time, a child is trapped out there in the center of that chaos. Someone has to go out there and get him before the worst happens. Now, stranger or not, I think I have every right to volunteer to save a kid from being torn apart by possessed animals and pack members. This isn’t about who’s in charge. It’s about who’s willing to take the risk–and right now, that person is me.”

Several warriors nodded and murmured in agreement.

“He’s right, Alpha,” Jordan said, reappearing suddenly. “We need every capable hand in here, which means most of our warriors can’t abandon their posts for too long or there’ll be consequences. Him volunteering to go out there to rescue the kid makes things a bit easier. So if he’s got a plan, let’s hear it.”

Gareth’s jaw tightened in anger, and he turned to Jordan. “Who asked for your opinion, warrior?”

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