Always And Forever | ENG ✓

Chapter Forty: The Strategy Unfolds

The weight of the enemy's presence was pressing down on us, but the pack was moving in sync, each wolf doing their part to execute the plan. We knew that speed and surprise were our advantages. Our primary goal was to disrupt the creatures' control-break the bond that connected them to the dark force behind their movements. If we could sever that connection, we would have the upper hand.

But it wasn't going to be easy.

As we advanced into the clearing, the creatures didn't immediately attack. Instead, they circled us, their glowing eyes scanning the pack with unnerving precision. They were waiting, studying us-testing for weakness. I could feel their intelligence, their awareness. They weren't mindless beasts. They were something else entirely.

"We need to keep moving," I muttered to Dean, my voice low. "Don't give them a chance to get too close. If we engage too early, they'll use their numbers to overwhelm us."

Dean nodded, his expression hard, his eyes sharp. "Ace's group will take the east. They'll keep their attention on that side. We'll push from the north."

"Stay in constant motion," I added, my gaze sweeping the pack. "We need to stay unpredictable. If they get a lock on us, we're done."

The pack moved forward, but we stayed just out of range, keeping ourselves spread out across the clearing. The creatures seemed to react to our every movement, shifting their positions, anticipating our next step. We couldn't afford to be predictable. I could feel the creatures' eyes following us, their movements becoming more calculated with each passing moment.

Ace's team had already split off, moving along the eastern edge, keeping their eyes trained on the creatures. They were trying to keep the pack's focus spread out, forcing the creatures to divide their attention. It was working-some of the creatures were shifting, turning their heads to look at Ace's group, momentarily breaking their focus on us.

"That's our window," I said, my voice steady but urgent. "Move!"

We charged forward, the pack closing the gap between us and the creatures, but we didn't run headlong into them. Instead, we circled, forcing the creatures to divide their attention. Dean and I led the charge from the north, while Ace's group came in from the east. The creatures scattered slightly, their coordination momentarily breaking as they tried to reposition themselves.

"Now!" Dean shouted.

The pack surged forward in a coordinated strike, but we didn't immediately go for the kill. We were aiming for the creatures' weakest points-hitting them with enough force to distract them but not enough to overwhelm them. Our goal was to break the connection between the creatures and whatever dark force was controlling them. We needed to disrupt the flow of energy, to break the link that connected them to the entity's influence.

I could feel the energy swirling in the air-dark, oppressive, and suffocating. It wasn't just the creatures we were fighting now. There was something larger, something more ancient that was pulling the strings from behind the scenes. The dark energy that had once filled the forest during our battle with the entity was still there, but now, it was more insidious, more pervasive.

"I can feel it," Dean said through gritted teeth, slashing at one of the creatures as it lunged at him. "It's not just them. There's something else out there-something bigger."

"I know," I replied, ducking as one of the creatures snapped at me. "But we have to focus. Take out the ones closest to us first. We can't let them regroup."

The fight was a blur of motion, the pack moving as one, each wolf anticipating the next move, covering each other's backs. The creatures were strong, faster than we had expected, but we had one thing on our side-unity. We weren't just fighting to survive. We were fighting for each other, for everything we had worked to protect. That made us stronger.

But the energy-the dark energy that had once been a distant threat-was growing stronger again, pushing back against us like an invisible tide. The creatures were becoming more aggressive, their attacks more synchronized. They weren't just attacking us now. They were trying to wear us down.

"That's it!" Ace shouted from across the clearing. "They're feeding off the energy. It's coming from that spot!" He pointed to the center of the clearing, where the creatures' power seemed to be concentrated, swirling in a dark vortex of energy.

"We need to get to the center!" I shouted. "Move out!"

The pack split off, racing toward the center of the clearing, where the energy was most concentrated. I could feel it-like a heavy, suffocating force trying to crush us with every step. But we kept moving, pushing through the weight of the dark energy.

As we reached the heart of the clearing, I could see it-a dark, pulsating core of energy. It wasn't just emanating from the creatures anymore. It was coming from the ground itself, like the forest was feeding it, giving it life.

"This is it," I said, my voice tight with urgency. "We need to destroy it."

Dean nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "Let's do it."

The pack closed in around the core of energy, and I felt the power pressing against us like a living, breathing thing. It was trying to push us back, to stop us from reaching the source. But we couldn't stop now.

"We need to break it!" I shouted.

Together, we pushed forward, each of us using every ounce of strength to fight against the pull of the energy. We attacked it from all sides, using our claws, our strength, our will. The energy fought back, crackling in the air, trying to tear us apart.

And then, with a final, earth-shattering roar, we broke through. The energy shattered, dissipating into the air like smoke. The force that had been controlling the creatures began to crumble, its hold over them breaking as they staggered, disoriented.

The creatures collapsed, their glowing eyes flickering before finally fading. They weren't gone, but their connection to the dark force was severed. The pack moved quickly, finishing off the remaining creatures, making sure they couldn't regroup.

The clearing was silent now, the oppressive energy gone, but the weight of the battle still hung heavy in the air. We had won, but I knew this was just the beginning. The dark energy was still there, still lingering. And whatever had been controlling these creatures was still out there.

"We did it," Dean said, his voice hoarse as he looked around at the clearing. "But we haven't won yet."

I nodded. "Not yet. But we're one step closer."

The pack had faced the darkness together, and we had won. But I knew that the true fight was just beginning. The dark energy that had once plagued us was still out there, and it was only a matter of time before we would have to face it again. Together, we would fight. And we would win.