I stepped down into the cold powder. “Fuck this,” I muttered. The snow melted inside of my boots, freezing my toes. Ori effortlessly pushed through the endless white terrain. Seeing the dead landscape made me feeling like we should have waited. I had a sneaking suspicion that somehow Sandoval would already have willing prisoners and soldiers surrounding the central area of attack.

“What’s the matter, Carter? You wussing out on me already?” Ori and the other soldiers laughed.

“Couldn’t we have taken the jeeps a little further? I swear my toes are going to fall off,” I complained.

Ori pat my back. We had become pretty good friends at this point. “The grid is close. Stop worrying about your toes,” he said.

The cold was harsh, but it was nothing compared to the desperate feeling I got from leaving Liam. The worst part was that I couldn’t express myself earlier. I wasted what could have been my final goodbye. Instead, I just left.

“I miss him,” I admitted. “I thought I could do this, but every step I take is another step away from him.”

Ori naturally looked stoic, so it was hard to read the guy. I used to think he was permanently stuck in a bad mood, but as I got to know him. I realized that ideas weighed heavily on the alpha leader and he didn’t take decisions lightly.

“You both met for a reason. We are gray wolves, Carter. We like to say that we rely on fate and the moon, but our senses are the true guiding force. Hold on to everything good. When you get back safely, make sure Liam knows how much he means to you,” Ori said.

“Sir, up ahead. Look,” a soldier said to Ori.

The soldier pointed directly in front of us. Through the foggy mist of snowfall, we could see the faint outline of red emergency lights. Soon enough, the sounds of sirens resounded loudly around us. Flood lights followed, forcing us to duck into the wet snow.

The wind picked up speed and intensity. A small blizzard was forming near us. Soon, we’d either be entrenched by nature or gunned down by man.

“Ori, they knew we were coming!” I yelled out.

“It can’t be,” he said. “How the hell would they know?”

Out of an intercom speaker, one of the enemy guards spoke. “Stand down or face the consequences,” he said.

“Sandoval!” I shouted. “It’s him. I could recognize that slimy voice anywhere.”

I focused the binoculars’ lens. Sure enough, a man in a black outfit was standing at the edge of the grid, on top of the first platform. His jacket blew roughly against the wind. His eyes seemed to fix on us. I dropped the binoculars in fear.

“How do you know it’s him?” Ori asked.

“Take a look,” I said, pointing.

That was the first time I saw Ori scared. His eyes darted along the horizon, searching for a way out. But as we combed the exit options, we realized that we were surrounded. From all sides, soldiers marched toward us, pushing through the foggy blizzard. They wore masks and winter shields. They were more prepared and more willing to die for their masters’ cause.

“I’m not going to see Liam again. Am I?” I asked.

Ori looked at me, red cheeks glowing. He gathered his last bit of courage and grabbed my arms. He shook me. “You’re going to see him. You’re going to get home safely, dammit. You’re going to have the best life together,” Ori said.

I felt a warm sensation burning inside of my chest. My love for Liam took precedence over everything else, but this was also my purpose. I remembered the blind man in the camps. He told me I was a leader, but I couldn’t believe it. Maybe it was time to start believing.

Before all of this went down, I was a nobody. I was just some kid who lived with his eccentric father in the woods. Ever since then, I was hit with the hardest test of my life. My father was jailed, I had plenty of guns aimed at my skull, and Liam almost lost the courage to go through with the pregnancy simply because this world is a dark place.

We were destined to be the change. At least, that’s what we wanted. At that exact moment, we thought this battle would be the last fight to end all grey wolf suffering. With all of the militia’s firepower aimed at us, it now seemed impossible.

“Ori, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked.

Ori gave a weary smile. “We fight to the end,” he said, like a monk.

My chest tightened with sadness and heavy emotion. I nodded, knowing that we had to sacrifice to act as soldiers for this cause. My throat closed at the idea of leaving everyone behind, but I had to make a sacrifice. I had to stand up and fight, no matter what happened in the end.

Ori turned around, examining the rows of men he brought here. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. “Alright, soldiers! This is the final frontier. Do any of you have any reservations?” Ori asked.

The men screamed, “No, sir!”

“We’re outnumbered, but we can’t turn back now. The snow is too harsh and the militia is closing in on all sides now. I’m not going to lie to you. We could use a miracle,” Ori said.

“This is for the Sanctuary,” Ori added. “This fight is for our people.”

The soldiers cheered, but for me, it was different. “No. This is for my omega, Liam,” I said without blinking an eye.

Ori squeezed my shoulder tightly. “Are you ready?” he asked.

I nodded solemnly. I never got to see the Sanctuary that my father always told me about growing up. That island in the sun was out of reach now. Perhaps, I’d never see get out of this darkness.

Still, something in me ached to fight and see the outcome. The fight wasn’t over yet.

“I’m ready,” I said, darting up from the cold snow. Ori followed, screaming the battle of old pack. Our soldiers took aim and fired. Within seconds, chaos ensued.

My ears were the first to lose sensation. The bitter cold wind mixed with the loud gunshots caused my senses to go berserk. Everything was muffled and hazy, but I fired back with all of my firepower.

Mud and ice exploded all around us. Bullets ricocheted near our heads. No matter how safe the surface we hid behind was, it felt like there was no place to hide.

We managed to push our way to the entrance of the power grid. I could see Sandoval in my sight, but I couldn’t find a safe spot to take aim. It was two steps forward, two steps back, and their side seemed to have an unending supply of soldiers.

My throat burned from screaming in the cold. I felt too exhausted to go on. Every bone in my body ached. “We’re going to have to surrender, Ori,” I said, completely out of breath. “We don’t have enough men.”

I fell to the snow, wheezing for air. “It’s hopeless. We lost,” Ori said.

Time seemed to slow down in that moment. I took off my helmet and felt the warm sweat fall down my face. Explosions were detonating all around me. I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of gunfire. This was it. This was how I was going to go out.

But when I opened my eyes to a loud rumbling in the sky, everything changed. Everyone trained their eyes to a large bomber jet in the sky. “They came for us!” I exclaimed. Two small bombs fell from the center of the plane, knocking out one third of the militia.

Ori was confused. “We didn’t order this airstrike. I don’t know what’s going on,” he said.

“A miracle,” I said. “It’s my omega. I know it. I can feel him in there.”

Sure enough, the plane circled around the site. It aimed its turrets at the tall power grid. The cannons warmed up and fired with all their might.

“Take cover!” Ori screamed. We ducked behind a small hill of snow as the bullets ricocheted off of the tall platforms. Sandoval ran down the steps, alarmed. We had him now.

I traced his movements as he ran to the south side of the grid. “Don’t do it,” Ori said. “Don’t follow him. He’s not worth it.”

But something inside of me took over. It was the alpha wolf within me, the leader I was born to be. My legs carried me through the stiff snow. I chased after him, despite seeing the bullets fly in front of me. I shifted into my wolf form, howling to the moon above.

“Sandoval! Face me!” I screamed, teeth dripping with blood-thirsty saliva. I was not fucking around this time.

Sandoval ducked behind a stone pillar. I could hear his laughter carry through the loud hum of the jet engines. “You can’t win this time, Sandoval,” I said.

He leaned out from the pillar and fired two rounds at me. The bullets effortlessly drove through the snow, near my shoulder. I rolled to the side and fired my rife at the pillar. I ran forward and dropped into the snow, taking cover in a new location.

“Say something!” I screamed.

“Why? I’d be giving you what you’d want. I’d rather die in silence,” Sandoval said.

I watched Sandoval hurriedly reload his weapon. I knew that he wouldn’t be able to take me head on. He wasn’t a shifter, let alone a warrior. He was slow and human. His senses were duller and untrustworthy. But if I killed him now, I’d never get the closure I needed. Sandoval knew this about me and used it to his full advantage.

The plane above us swooped around the mountains, about thirty miles north. Most of the militia’s troops had either retreated or lost their lives. Even though they were on the wrong side of the history, my heart sank just the same. They were people with lives and loves. Because of Sandoval, they were now gone. It made me sick to my stomach.

The plane darted toward us. I watched its wheels convey up into the plane. “They’re going to land,” I whispered.

In my bag were the C4 explosives, but I wasn’t done with Sandoval. I closed my eyes and called out for my omega. “Liam. Can you hear me?”

We hadn’t communicated like this and I wasn’t sure it would even work. When the humans took over and banned relationships with omegas, the wolves stopped communicating telepathically. But I felt more connected to my mate than ever before and I hoped to God that this would work.

All I could hear was the snow’s fury whipping its mighty tail around us. I couldn’t hear Liam. I tried to focus on him. I felt his warmth and smelled his scent. I thought of the good times with him, when we made each other laugh and feel like there was a chance we’d win this thing.

“Liam. Please answer me. I love you. I need your strength.”

Something inside of me just clicked. I felt his aura float within me. “Carter? What’s happening?”

“We’re… connected.” I didn’t dare open my eyes, even though the situation was dire.

Liam said, “This feels weird. I can feel your body, your muscles, your emotions. I can feel it all, Carter.”

“It’s part of our legacy. The grey wolves had a gift that was taken away from them. I think our bond somehow brought it back,” I said.

“But I don’t know how use it. How do I give you strength?” he asked.

“Focus on our love. Focus on the day we realized we needed to stick together,” I said.

All of a sudden, I felt a strange vibration enter into my heart. The cold, bitter air suddenly felt endurable. I breathed in new life. I felt our baby, our light. “I feel it!” Liam exclaimed.

“I feel it too. Liam, before I go back I, I need to tell you something,” I said.

“Anything,” he whispered.

“I have loved you throughout time. I feel it now. Everything we went through… I just know that we are destined to spend our lives together throughout eternity,” I said.

I felt it more than I ever had before. It was something undeniably true. We were one.

When I opened my eyes, I came back into the real world. The gunfire, the screams, and the explosions detonated around me. I howled into the night sky, ready to strike, but then, Sandoval came out from hiding. In his hand was a small explosive, attached to a trigger.

“If I die, so do all of you,” he said confidently.

I growled, proudly displaying my sharp teeth at him. I scraped at the ground with my paws. I wanted him to know that these were his last moments.

But if he died, he’d let go of the trigger to his explosive. Meaning, we’d all be killed if we didn’t retreat out of there as fast as possible.

A loud thunderous roar echoed from the sky, followed by a lightning strike. Thundersnow was rare, but it had been known to happen. The snow fell even harder, melting into raindrops.

I felt the water run down my face. “You took everything from Liam and I. We went our whole lives not knowing who we really were and it was all because of you. You’re sick, Sandoval. But even though you’re ill, I have to forgive you. Just tell me one thing. Why did you do it? It can’t be for money. Why’d you take me from my real father?” I asked.

Sandoval grimaced. His face looked worse than ever. He stepped forward, shaking in the cold. His trench coat was soaking wet. “Are you really that arrogant to believe that only you were taken from their fathers? That, out of all the grey wolf population, you were the only one? This happens every single day, Carter Thompson. Your generation was supposed to be the last. We were building a new world. It had to happen,” Sandoval snarled.

“Who are you?” I found myself asking. Sandoval was indeed the darkest man I had ever come face to face with. I got the impression that he had been in the business of suffering all of his life. That idea sent shivers down my spine.

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Fleets of human soldiers on the brink of starvation. People shifting into horrible beasts. I watched the greatest cities in America fall under the weight of degradation and squalor. All of those moments are now lost to us. History doesn’t repeat itself as farce. It is farce,” he said.

“He knows it is his end,” Liam communicated to me.

“I disagree. Our history is strong when we work together. When we forgive, we can do anything. I’ve seen and experienced a love that could change the world for the better. You’ll never understand it, but it’s there and it’s ready for anyone who wants to grab it,” I said.

He said nothing. He simply continued to stare at me with that black look in his eyes.

“So what do we do now?” I asked.

He lowered his head, rain falling down his eyebrows. “Now? We die,” he whispered.

“Carter! Watch out! I feel him giving up. He will take you with him,” Liam said.

Before I could react, I saw his finger release on the trigger. My eyes widened with fear, but I felt two pairs of hands wrap around my lower body. I felt my body rise into the air.

The explosion happened quicker than a wolf could pounce. I immediately lost my connection with Liam. I shifted back into my human form. Then, a strange force carried me away from it. It took me a few seconds to adjust, but I realized I was on a snowmobile and Charlie’s omega twins were driving.

“No way!” I shouted. “The twins! But I thought…” Both of them merely laughed, speeding away into the distance.

The electrical fire echoed fiercely. A plume of smoke with a blue hue rose over the demolished power grid. “Ori,” I whispered. “We have to go back and get Ori!”

“No time,” the omegas said in unison.

I jumped off of the snowmobile, rolling against the snow. “Ori!” I screamed. I ran toward the electrical fire, unfazed by the intense heat. Flames surrounded me, and even though the horrible warfare had now seized, the worst had yet to be seen.

“I’m… over here!” Ori groaned in pain. I saw his hand rise up from underneath one of the steel beams. “I’m fucking pinned down,” Ori said.

I ran to his aid, dropping down next to him. “I got you. Just breathe,” I said.

Another explosion went off nearby, just missing us. Ori looked horrified. “You have to get out of here! It’s too dangerous,” he said.

But I felt Liam inside of me. I felt him push me to do what was right. “I’m not leaving,” I said. I tried to lift the steal beam, but slipped in the snow. It was too heavy for just one man.

“I’m serious, Carter. Leave me. I’m okay with dying for the cause,” Ori whispered.

I couldn’t deal with his “hero” crap right now. I ignored him and placed my feet firmly into the mud. I made sure I got a good grip on the rusty metal beam. I closed my eyes and let out a fierce roar, as I lifted two tons of steel.

The metal screeched loudly and finally elevated enough for Ori to crawl out. I dropped the beam once he was safe, and fell to the floor, panting. Above us, the plane roared as it landed. It skirted onto the snow, moving left and right.

“My God, they’re going to crash!” I exclaimed. But despite the rocky landing, they managed to gain control and stop the jet.

Ori gave me his hand and lifted me back onto my feet. “You saved my life. How can I ever repay you?” he asked.

The fire flickered brightly. Sandoval was gone, forever. And even though we won this minor battle, I was at a loss. People were dead. The world felt the same. I felt like I would never get the answers I needed.

“There’s one way you can repay me. Take us to the Sanctuary city,” I said.