Chapter 171 Dangers of Wartime

All around them were shouts of confusion and, strangely, some laughter.

Ashleigh lifted her head to look. Some people ran and then quickly stopped when someone else pointed to the sky. Others already stared up into the night with expressions of joy and delight. Finally, she glanced up and saw fireworks painting the night sky.

But what she had heard was, without a doubt, an explosion.

She moved to sit up when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. A flash and then something flying through the air. It landed near the platform where she and Caleb had been seated for dinner.

Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the sparks beneath the table. Beside her, Fiona moved to sit up. Quickly Ashleigh turned and threw herself back to the ground on top of Fiona just as the device exploded on the platform. Debris sprayed over them; Ashleigh let out a grunt as what she assumed was part of a table slammed against her back.

Ashleigh moved off Fiona. Her back ached, but she would get used to the pain momentarily.

Fiona sat up. She saw debris everywhere. Small fires, and smoke, people screaming, crying. There were injuries and a lot of fear.

“Luna Fiona!” a man shouted as he ran over and helped Fiona to her feet.

“Where is Caleb?!” Fiona shouted.

“We haven’t seen him, ma’am,” the man answered.

“We need to find him!” she shouted angrily.

Ashleigh looked out into the people once again. She could identify the military members quickly now. They were in action, moving from place to place and staying covered.

Those from medical she could see as well. They were helping others, checking for injuries, huddling them together for easier access.

Fiona had gathered a small group of the military wolves already. Ashleigh could hear her giving instructions, but they were all about finding Caleb.

There was another explosion. It wasn’t nearby. Ashleigh looked in the direction it had come from, further into the forest near the northern mountains. Fireworks lit up the sky above the trees.

“Where did that come from?” one man asked..

“It doesn’t matter right now,” another stated. “Alpha Caleb is our priority.”

Ashleigh caught sight of another firework display to the west and then an explosion in the same direction.

“They’re using the fireworks as a signal….” Ashleigh whispered.

She got to her feet and moved towards Fiona.

“Luna Fiona!” she shouted. “They are using the fireworks to signal each other! This is an invasion force from multiple angles!”

“Damn it!” Fiona snarled. She took a deep breath. “The patrols will have to handle the borders. For now, our priority is to secure Alpha Caleb.”

The men and women surrounding her all nodded in agreement.

“What?” Ashleigh asked in shock.

She looked around at the mess from one explosion, multiple injured civilians, scared and confused. These people needed to be guided to safety and treated for their injuries. The borders needed to be reinforced.

“Where was he last seen?” Fiona asked.

Ashleigh listened for only a minute as they discussed Caleb’s location. She was worried about him too, but the truth was, he wasn’t the priority right now.

“Stop!” Ashleigh shouted as they all spoke about where he could have been.

Fiona stared back at her with an angry glare.

“Alpha Caleb is more than capable of taking care of himself, not to mention he has Galen with him wherever he is!” Ashleigh shouted. “He is not the one in need of your help!”

Ashleigh pointed out to the wolves huddled in groups around them.

“These people need you! These are the people you need to protect right now. They need to be escorted back to safety and have their wounds properly treated,” Ashleigh directed.

Fiona stepped forward.

“There are plenty of wolves from medical here that can treat the wounded. And the civilians of Summer are well aware of the dangers of wartime,” Fiona replied with a growl. “We don’t need to coddle them like children. They will wait until the right time, and they will be escorted back. But, for now, they are fine.”

Ashleigh stepped up to Fiona.

“With all due respect, Luna Fiona, that is not what is best for these people,” Ashleigh growled. “They are scared and defenseless. And the only military presence here is panicking over their Alpha.”

“Alpha Caleb is more than just our leader!” One of the men standing behind Fiona said. “He is family to us just as much as to Luna Fiona. We won’t leave him behind!”

Ashleigh sighed.

“I never said to leave him behind,” she said. “I want to find him too, he is my mate, but I have to trust in him right now. He will take care of himself, but his people need help.”

Fiona clenched her jaw, but she was listening.

“This isn’t over. Did you notice? The explosions have stopped,” Ashleigh asked. “The ones that set off the explosions were a small team. But whatever they were signaling, they are on their way.”

Fiona sighed.

“She’s right,” Fiona said. “Quickly, start getting these people organized. We need to get them back to the center as soon as possible.”

The men and women that were gathered behind Fiona immediately jumped into action.

Fiona turned to say something to Ashleigh, but she caught the look in her eye.

“What’s wrong?” Fiona asked.

Ashleigh stood perfectly still, her ears listening closely, focusing on the sounds she heard from the northern tree line.

“They’re moving through the trees,” Ashleigh whispered. “It won’t be long before they reach us. We need to hurry.”

“AAAHHH!” a scream rang out behind them.

Ashleigh and Fiona both turned immediately. The tents were on fire, likely caused by the debris of one of the small explosions.

“Help us!” the shout came from the second tent.

Ashleigh’s heart sank suddenly as she remembered the smile on Miss Stacey’s face as she entered the tent to join the children getting ready to perform.

“The children!” Ashleigh shouted.

She quickly hit the button she had attached to the inside of her dress. The mesh chords flew out and over her body in an instant. She took off in a sprint towards the tent.

Fiona shouted orders. She sent two other wolves to help Ashleigh save the children. At the same time, the rest got the civilians moving towards the central city.

Ashleigh barreled into the tent without a thought. She had seen the smoke and a few flames from the outside, but she was not prepared for the inferno she walked into.

The air was thick with smoke and heat. Ashleigh could barely see anything between the brightness of the flames and the haze of the smoke. She could hear them. The soft whimpering of the children.

“I am here!” she shouted out to them. “I’m coming to help you!”

“Ashleigh!”

She heard a familiar voice.

“Clara?!” Ashleigh shouted back.

“I’m here!” Clara shouted. “I was helping Miss Stacey get the children ready….”

Her words were interrupted by her heavy coughing.

“Clara, stop talking! Just stay low and keep the children safe! I am almost to you,” Ashleigh shouted back, covering her own mouth with her hand.

She signaled the two men behind her to check in either direction and return. She continued forward.

“I found them!” one of the men shouted.

Ashleigh and the other man made their way over.

Miss Stacey held two of the youngest children in her arms while a group of six other children huddled together closely. The two men each took a child in their arms, and the rest all held hands, making a chain as they guided them out.

Ashleigh was left with Clara, who had found herself in a difficult situation.

“What… did you do?” Ashleigh asked with a sigh.

Clara was lying on the ground, her head propped up by a bundle of cloth, and her left leg had a bloody rag tied around it.

“Well,” Clara began, pulling herself to a sitting position and grunting at the pain she felt in her leg. “I tripped.”

Ashleigh shook her head.

“After the explosion and before the fire went crazy, I pushed Miss Stacey out of the way when I saw one of the large mirrors coming down. Unfortunately, it shattered as it hit the ground, and a shard flew at me and landed in my thigh.”

“Oh, Clara… you’re lucky that didn’t kill you!” Ashleigh growled.

“But I did save the girl,” Clara smiled brightly. “She’s cute, right?”

Ashleigh rolled her eyes.

“Let’s get you out of here before we die from the smoke.”

Ashleigh helped Clara to her feet and supported her weight. They had a more difficult time getting out than the others, as the tent was starting to fall apart. But they made it out just in time.

There was already a medic and a stretcher waiting near the entrance.

Ashleigh helped Clara onto the stretcher as Fiona approached.

“You were right,” she said to Ashleigh. “There is a force pushing through the trees. It looks like Rogues.”

Ashleigh nodded, listening closely.

“They are still moving slowly; I don’t think they have realized that we know they are here yet. But it won’t be long now.”

“What about the civilians?” Ashleigh asked.

“Most are on their way back to the city, but they have a long way to go before they are safe, and the children are at the end of that line,” Fiona replied, glancing back towards the trees. “We need to keep them here. Buy the civilians more time.”

“Agreed.”

“There is still no word on Caleb,” Fiona said.

Ashleigh touched Fiona’s arm.

“Caleb didn’t stop being Caleb when he went into that chair,” she said. “He might not have all his strength or abilities, but he has always been more than the average wolf. He will be fine.”