Pursuing My Rejected Alpha
Chapter 25

Inside the envelope, there was a huge map that was folded neatly together.

On the map, the battleground area was marked within a dotted line. Outside of the marked territory w The camping sites were purposefully marked on the map to prevent one pack from attacking the othe Written across the area was a string of cursive letters that formed the words Shadow Mist Creek. Once the three elders caught sight of the three words, they snapped for air dramatically. Standing next to Lucien, Ronan let out a mocking "Hah" instead.

Lucien turned to look at the aghast elders. Their big eyes were directed at Ronan, so Lucien's gaze dri "Do you know this place?"

"Oh, yes," Ronan scoffed. He stabbed at the three words using his point finger. "This no-man's-land is

o smaller circles that were reserved as camping sites for the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.

d of the designated time and later feigning ignorance.

the Alpha next to him as well.

ect of dispute between my and Kinnon's pack."

.....

Ah.

It made a click in Lucien's head right away.

That explained why the three elders were so surprised about getting Shadow Mist Creek as the war sit the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.

Coincidentally, the two Alphas fought over Lucien. A fight that Ronan won only because Landon return Choosing Shadow Creek Mist as the war site was practically a slap across Kinnon Youngshaper's face. I While every single war participant was running around to pack up, a second strategic meeting was hel Jake, on the other side, gasped as loudly as the three elders. Shadow Mist Creek was mentioned a lot i He and Ronan exchanged quick glances, after which they excused themselves to discuss in private. Ronan came back alone fifteen minutes later to brief them about the terrain of the war site. The last t According to the legend, the intense war lasted for several months. It destroyed the beautiful piece of an intervention and forced both packs to stop.

cially, it was a war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack. Unofficially, thanks to Ronan's interference, it had turned into a war between Lucien's body and was so adamant about being with Ronan.

a reminder that he lost Lucien Clearwater, and that he would eventually lose the Shadow Creek Mist too. As if Kinnon Youngshaper was not bitter enough. ng the leaders that night. Other than the elders, no one in the Silent Walkers Pack would have guessed that the war site was a disputed piece of land. history books of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Their ancestors never got over this piece of land.

was used as a battleground was around two hundred years ago, when Ronan's forefather fought against Kinnon's forefather there.

and turned it into a wasteland. Despite suffering from a lot of casualties on both sides, neither pack was willing to give in. In the end, the other packs staged

That was how the Werewolf Council was established. Its first decree was to force both packs to sign a peace treaty to end the war.

The tremendous loss on both sides caused both packs to shy from another direct confrontation in years to come.

Both packs also agreed to cease their claim for Shadow Mist Creek for the time being.

Ronan could not speak about Kinnon's pack, but Infinite Eclipse Pack still dreamed about conquering the land.

When Ronan was five years old and had not yet learned about Dane Silverback's debauched affairs, Dane took him to visit Shadow Mist Creek. By then it was already covered with wild vegetation and turned into a natural jungle. He passionately told Ronan that the land was rightfully theirs. It was his dream to defeat the Night Prowler Pack once and for all, and for the Infinite Eclipse Pack to be acknowledged as the strongest pack on the continent. "There can only be one strongest pack, Ronan," Dane told his little son. "And it can only be our pack. Never forget that."

The words "natural jungle" did not make anyone feel less insecure.

"Are we sure that it is still a jungle?" Desmond asked, his tone full of hope.

"Pretty sure. No one would go there willingly to cut down all the trees and flatten the land. Besides, it is a huge area. It would take months to clear the land," Ronan replied while encircling the area on the map with his finger. "Oh."

Desmond's hope plummeted to the ground.

"What about these two circles that are supposed to be the camping sites for both packs?" Annalynne asked.

"Also a jungle. Bring axes and chainsaws with us so that we don't have to gnaw at the trunks."

Annalynne's jaw dropped open.

"Are we supposed to help clear the land or something???"

"Well, we need to cut maybe around thirty trees. It will be fine. We just need enough area to pack all the tents together."

That was going to be a challenge anyway because their group had around two hundred werewolves.

"The strategy remains the same. A group must survey the battleground before the battle commences. If we need to change something, we will fix it on the last night prior to the war," Lucien decided.

Everyone was thus dismissed.

Annalynne was mumbling about packing everyone into the tents like sardines in tomato sauce.

Acatha went to check the packing preparation.

Desmond said something about taking all the axes and chainsaws in the pack. Kendra told him that they should get electric chainsaws from Blue Hill City instead.

The only ones who were left in the room were Ronan and Lucien. As the latter rolled the map together, he noticed the deep trench between Ronan's brows. Ronan had both arms folded before his chest. He was staring at nothing particular on the table where the map lay just a few minutes ago.

When Lucien touched his biceps, Ronan gave him a reassuring smile. He took Lucien's hand and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Let's get packing then."

Lucien pulled at Ronan's hand and asked, "Ronan, is there something I need to worry about?"

A heavy sigh escaped the Alpha. He dragged Lucien into his arms and pressed a kiss on top of his lover's head. Lucien closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Ronan's body.

"If something is weighing on your mind, you should tell me openly," Lucien said while planting a kiss on Ronan's collarbone in return. "At the very least, I can share your burden with you."

"Mhm," Ronan swayed a little with Lucien in his arms. "I need you to be extra careful during the war."

He loosened his embrace and gazed into Lucien's bright eyes.

"Not that I plan to be careless, but what made you say that?"

Ronan heaved another heavy sigh and pulled his lips into a thin line.

"Honestly, there are not many places that the Werewolf Council could choose to provoke the Night Prowler Pack. If I am not mistaken, the Night Prowler Pack must be quite pissed right now." Lucien guessed as much.

"This is a decision made by the Werewolf Council. Can we rule out any ill intention?"

.....

Ronan shook his head.

"I don't know. I just know that whatever reason lies behind choosing Shadow Mist Creek will not sit right with Kinnon Youngshaper."

In fact, Ronan could not think about one single positive reason to support the choice.

The Alpha lifted a hand and caressed Lucien's cheek gently. Tracing the latter's pale lips with his thumb, he leaned in and whispered, "There is a slight chance that this is done to enrage the Night Prowler Pack."

Ronan did not have to tell Lucien that their odds of winning the war had just been diminished by more than just a few percent. The war was difficult enough without having to face a bunch of angry werewolves from the Night Prowler Pack.

Ronan knew that Lucien did not want to hear it, but he needed to say it out loud anyway.

"If worse comes to worst, Kinnon must die," Ronan stated.

Just as he expected, Lucien's face darkened in an instant and he pulled away from Ronan's hug. The latter grabbed him from behind and pressed his body against Lucien's back.

The two of them had gone through the topic so many times. There were only two ways in which the war could end in the Silent Walkers Pack's favor: Kinnon's death or Kinnon's surrender.

Lucien had been quite adamant about the second one. He did not care how, he ordered that Kinnon must not be killed during the war. Lucien wanted him to surrender. At the very least, this was the only thing he could do for Kinnon without harming Landon and the entire Silent Walkers Pack.

"I know that you want to force him to surrender instead, but if he does not want to, we have no other way."

Ronan turned Lucien around and cupped his face with both hands. The two men looked deep into each other's eyes.

"Lulu... if everything goes well, this war will conclude within these few days. Your pack will be saved. And then we will be together forever. I need you to focus on these goals and nothing else."

""

"Promise me," Ronan pleaded as he pressed a kiss on Lucien's forehead, "that you will do your best to stay alive. Even if it means that you have to end Kinnon yourself."

Unable to answer, Lucien buried his face into Ronan's chest. Ronan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down in anxiety. It was a tough decision for Lucien. Ronan did not want to force him to answer. He merely hoped that Lucien would do the right thing when they came across a furious Kinnon Youngshaper. Time was slowly running out. The decision had to be made before they stepped into the boundaries of Shadow Mist Creek.

Ronan's fingers slipped into Lucien's hair and massaged his scalp gently. Of course, he could always take things into his own hands.

If Lucien was still unable to kill Kinnon in the end, then Ronan would do the job himself.

After a while, Lucien lifted his head and looked up at Ronan.

"Alright," he said, startling the Alpha. "I promise."

Ronan blinked at Lucien in disbelief. Against his expectations, he did not feel relieved at all. He hated that Lucien had to make such a commitment.

"I am so sorry, my love," he whispered into Lucien's hair.

Lucien merely gave an imperceptible nod.

Swallowing the bitterness into the bottom-most pit of their stomachs, the two alphas hugged and exchanged kisses with each other for some time.

"We have to go back," Lucien whispered when the dark curtain of night slowly descended around them.

"Mhm. Lulu..." Ronan's lips brushed against Lucien's jawline seductively.

"Yes?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

""

"I won't do anything. I just want to be with you. It is the last night before we depart for Shadow Mist Creek," he reminded Lucien.

"Oh, alright then."

"Okay, then let me grab my bag," Ronan said while kissing Lucien's cheek.

"Don't you need to pack?" Lucien frowned as Ronan dragged him toward his bedroom.

"I never unpacked."

44"

Ronan was too sly. He was determined to make use of the last few peaceful hours before the war. Once they arrived at Shadow Mist Creek, they could forget about their privacy. If the group did not manage to cut enough trees, Ronan might sleep with a lot more people he did not want to be close with at night. And so might Lucien.

Additional to the request of sleeping together, Ronan also wanted them to shower together. The water did not stop flowing for almost two hours. By the time they were done, Lucien felt like he became dirtier than before the shower. Ronan on the other side was fully refreshed.

When Lucien and Ronan came out of the shower in bathrobes, Lucien's phone was vibrating on the nightstand. He picked it up and saw ten missed calls from an unknown number.

"Who is it?" Ronan asked casually while drying Lucien's hair.

"I don't know."

Lucien pondered about the people from South Bedford City that might give him a call, but none of them had any urgent business with him. Just then, the phone started to vibrate. The same person called again. This time Lucien was there to receive the phone call.

A childish voice was heard at the other side of the line, shyly calling, "Mommy?"

Lucien froze on the spot when he heard Ralph's voice. Ronan furrowed his brows when Lucien tensed up all of a sudden.

"Lulu...?"

"Mommy...?" Ralph called again, causing Lucien to snap from his daze.

"Ralphy, how did you get my number? Whose phone are you using?"

"Ralphy... Ralphy just..."

The little boy's voice shook from fear. "Is Mommy angry that Ralphy called?"

Lucien smacked a hand against his face. Ralphy's crying face appeared before his mental eyes.

"No," he replied. "Of course not. I am just surprised."

Ronan finished drying Lucien's hair and went into the bathroom. Not long after, the muffled sound of a hair dryer was heard.

.....

"Mommy... Ralphy really misses you," Ralphy sobbed. "Daddy is mean to me... Daddy screamed at me when Ralphy asked about Mommy..." "Oh, Ralphy..."

Lucien swallowed hard. Why did Kinnon unleash his anger on Ralph? Ralph was his only child. Why couldn't he treasure him more?

"Mommy... Do you miss me as well?"

"I do. I miss you a lot."

"Then will you please come home? If Mommy is here, Daddy will smile again... Sob sob..."

Lucien was speechless. How did he explain the current circumstances to a three-year-old boy? Not to mention they were so far away. If only he could hug and kiss the boy while they talked...

The only thing he could say was, "I can't."

"Why not?" Ralph demanded. "When can you come then?"

I can never come back, Ralph...

"Mommy, I am so scared..."

"What is happening? Are you in danger?"

"Daddy left the pack house today. He said he was going somewhere for a while."

Ralph started to sob uncontrollably. "Daddy hugged Ralphy and said goodbye. Why did Daddy say goodbye?"

Lucien's heart twisted itself into a tight knot. He could almost see it happening before his eyes. Kinnon hugging little Ralph and saying goodbye.

"The others are saying that Daddy is going for a war. Nanny told Ralphy that a lot of people don't come back from wars. Is... Is Daddy going to leave Ralph too?"

"No," Lucien heard himself saying. "No... Ralphy, don't think that way. Daddy will come back home to you, alright?"

Ralph continued sobbing into the phone.

"Ralphy, repeat after me," Lucien demanded.

"Daddy is going to be fine and he will come home."

Ralph mumbled something unintelligible.

"Ralph, repeat what I just said."

"Daddy... Daddy is..."

"Is going to be fine," Lucien urged him.

"Daddy is going to be fine..."

"And he will come home."

"And... And he will... Will come home."

"Good boy."

Lucien smiled to himself. He wished he could just reach out through the phone screen and hugged the little boy. Sweet, precious Ralph...

"Umm..."

Some other sounds came from the other end of the line.

"Ralphy!"

A female voice gasped. "Who are you talking to?"

"Umm... It's... Mom..."

The phone call ended abruptly.

Lucien leaned backward and fell on the soft mattress, his phone slipped from his grip and fell onto the carpeted floor. He closed his eyes and groaned in frustration.

Ronan went out of the bathroom and picked up the phone from the floor. The bathrobe was Lucien's size. It was not big enough to cover the wide expanse of Ronan's chest. The more he moved, the more skin peeked from beyond the white fluffy folds. Ronan placed the phone into Lucien's hand and kissed the man on his lips.

"Was that Kinnon's son?"

"Mmm."

Ronan slipped a hand into Lucien's bathrobe and pinched one of his nipples. Lucien's eyes flew open right away and he sprang up from the bed.

"What are you doing!" He smacked at Ronan's naughty hand. Laughing, the Alpha pulled him across the bed and pinned him onto the mattress.

"I hate it if you think about other men when you are on the bed with me," Ronan growled.

"What men? He is three years old," Lucien pointed out.

"That's not the point," Ronan scoffed.

Ralph was Kinnon's son. Thinking about Ralph was equal to thinking about Kinnon.

Locking Lucien's hands above his head, Ronan pulled Lucien's bathrobe open and began to s**k on the shy red button on the latter's chest. Lucien whimpered when Ronan's teeth grazed against the sensitive bud. "Ah... Ronan, no..."

Lucien's protests were soon drowned by sighs of pleasure as Ronan continued feasting on his body.

The Alpha played with his lover until late into the night. He only stopped after Lucien fell asleep from exhaustion. Ronan rubbed Lucien's sweaty back as he lay on top of him, his warm breath blowing against Ronan's neck. With his other hand, he tossed Lucien's phone off his hand and caught it again a couple of times.

Hidden in the darkness of the night, Ronan's face was distorted into a mask of fury.

He could scarcely believe that Kinnon was the type to play such dirty tricks. He went as far as using his son to get on Lucien's soft sides!

If he thought that it would be enough to make them lose the war, Kinnon was sorely mistaken.

Lucien was too naive. Kinnon had all the advantages he could get in this war. Besides, he was ruthless enough to kill Deacon.

He claimed to have loved Lucien since they were young. If he loved Lucien as much as Ronan did, then they had a problem.

Had Lucien ended up marrying Kinnon for real, Ronan might have lost it. He was afraid to think about what he would do.

He merely hoped that Kinnon's feelings toward Lucien were a lot more shallow than his own.

Early the next morning, the war participants were ready with their backpacks and other things that were useful to clear their camping site.

Alice pulled her children into a hug and gave each of them two kisses, one on each cheek.

"Be safe, my babies," she whispered, her voice brimming with emotion. "Come back soon."

"How nice," Ronan commented when they sat next to each other in Ronan's car. "What is it?"

"Your mom sees you off with a kiss. Mine with a slap," Ronan replied full of indignation.

"???"

And so the war participants left for the Shadow Mist Creek. Alice Clearwater stood at the gate for a long time, praying hard to the Moon Goddess in her heart for the safety of every single person who fought for the Silent Walkers Pack.

The group of cars that moved like a royal procession quickly drew a lot of attention from all those in Blue Hill City.

On the front side were six air-conditioned mini-busses that could fit ten people each. And then there was one regular car with Kendra, Desmond, Acatha, and Annalynne inside. Next to it was a super luxurious car with Noah, Ronan, and Lucien inside. Behind the two cars were a lot more mini-busses to carry the remaining warriors and their stuff.

Due to lacking insight regarding the morning commute of the mortal folk, the magnificent parade was stuck in traffic.

While pedestrians enjoyed the fantastic sight, all those who woke up late and had to rush to work by car that morning were disgruntled beyond compare.

One angry man on a motorcycle made a point to stop at the side of the road and walked toward one of the mini-busses to file a complaint.

He knocked at one of the windows furiously. The window rolled down and a gigantic wild wolf emerged. It snapped fiercely at the motorcycle rider.

The man shrieked like a high school girl. He almost stumbled over his own motorcycle as he ran away while screaming, "MONSTER! WILD ANIMAL IN THE CAR! HELP! HELP!!!"

Inside the two cars in the middle of the mini-busses, the leaders sighed in exasperation.

.....

Desmond lowered the window at his side and screamed toward the mini-busses at the backside.

"You idiots! Stop fooling around!!!"

Lucien shuffled closer to Ronan and leaned against the latter's shoulder.

"Tired?" Ronan asked while rubbing Lucien's shoulder.

"Mmm. A little."

"Sleep a little. Come."

Lucien curled up on Ronan's lap and closed his eyes to sleep. Ronan buried his fingers into Lucien's soft hair and played with it.

They had not talked about Ralph's unexpected phone call. If Lucien did not plan on breaching the subject, Ronan too did not wish to push him. And yet the longer they delayed talking about the elephant in the room, the bigger the elephant became. Ronan sighed in his heart.

'If you want to ask him, why don't you just ask him?' Beowulf suggested. 'Better than sulking before the fight!

'I don't know what to say, Ronan thought helplessly. 'It was hard enough for him to agree to kill Kinnon if things get rough. What do you want me to do? Ask him to repeat his promise after that little dwarf called him?'

'Talk to him about your feelings!

'I can't.

'Why not?'

'Because.'

Ronan clenched his jaw.

He messed up too much in the past.

He wanted to be the best version of himself in front of Lucien.

He didn't want to ruin the chance of happiness that he finally got.

He was so afraid of losing Lucien that he would rather swallow all the indignation and lock away all his resentment.

Sigh, Lucien.

If only you know the anguish in my heart. I just hope that the war will not scar us too much.

Ronan closed his eyes and leaned against the car seat.

On his lap, Lucien opened his eyes and sneaked a peek at the sleeping Alpha. The corner of his lips tugged up into a smile as he watched Ronan's sleeping face. The cute boy from seven years ago had grown into such a handsome man. And this man loved him so. It was not an easy decision to give them both another chance. Ronan might be overly cautious about their relationship, but Lucien too wanted to protect the little seedlings that grew in their hearts.

As he watched Ronan's handsome features, drowsiness overcame Lucien and he fell asleep for real.

After exiting Blue Hill City, the trip was relatively smooth. Even the warriors were lulled into some sleep after they got tired of fooling around. The ten-hour ride by car took them to a small town by the name of Amberport. It was the closest town to Shadow Mist Creek, which they could only reach by foot. Or in their case, by paw.

Amberport was a small town. There was a small family diner that was located just near the entrance of the town. The diner was established in the first month of the town's inauguration by the patriarch of a very old family. He passed the family business to the son, the son then to the grandson, and so on. The current owner went by the nickname "Big Joe". Big Joe was a grumpy old man who needed time to get used to new people.

When the group from the Silent Walkers Pack thus stopped by the diner, the town folks half expected Big Joe to turn purple from so many foreign visitors. Not to mention that Big Joe specifically closed early that afternoon. Against all expectations, Big Joe rushed out of the diner just to welcome the group of almost two hundred people to his humble diner.

As soon as all the guests entered, the diner curtains were pulled down so that no one could see what was going on inside.

In the middle of the room, Big Joe and his family knelt before Ronan Silverback.

"Alpha Ronan, what an honor," the old man said, his lips trembling from happiness. "It has been a while since your last visit. This old man is so happy to be able to serve you again."

Ronan gave them a gracious smile.

"Thanks for hosting us, Joe. This time we are here for more than just a visit."

Big Joe knew. He too had heard about the upcoming war.

"We are here to serve you, Alpha," he replied, bowing his head as low as possible.

"We plan to head to Shadow Mist Creek. The vehicles will be left in your care until we return."

"Very well, Alpha."

Ronan then turned to look at all the warriors who gathered inside the diner and spoke to them in an authoritative tone.

"Then let's not dally any further. Once we arrive there, we need to start clearing the campsite."

Amberport was a good fifty miles away from Shadow Mist Creek, but alpha wolves could easily reach the spot within an hour. In order to not alert the residents of Amberport, the wolves travel in groups of five with an interval of ten minutes between the groups. The first groups were loaded with electric chainsaws and instructed to start cutting trees as soon as they landed.

Lucien and Ronan were the last ones to leave, of course with only their personal belongings to carry.

Ronan took off his jacket and shirt, revealing broad shoulders that hung above the powerful torso. Within an instant, he completed his transformation. Big Joe and his family could barely take their eyes off the majestic wolf, the Alpha of their pack, that graced their home with his presence.

"All done," Lucien patted Ronan's back after he finished tying their bags on Ronan's back. He then took off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt.

A sudden chill emanated from Ronan, his eyes flashing with danger.

Big Joe was about to tell his family to turn around, but Ronan was faster. Before Lucien showed even a strip of bare skin, Ronan went behind him and hoisted him unto his back. He landed just behind the bags.

44

It was so sudden. Lucien was not prepared at all. He ended up holding tightly onto Ronan's neck in order to not slide off his body.

"I can run on my own," Lucien pulled at Ronan's pointy ear and whispered into it. Unfortunately, it did not make any impression on the latter.

.....

The big black wolf merely flicked his ear and trotted toward the door with Lucien on his back.

"Safe trip and good luck, Alpha Ronan and Mr. Clearwater," Big Joe sincerely said while opening the door to let them out.

"Thank you for the hospitality," Lucien said in return.

Ronan gave him a slight nod before dashing off into the night.

After Ronan and Lucien left, Big Joe and his family were finally able to breathe out.

"Papa, that was intense," the eldest daughter Polly started to chatter. "I never thought that Alpha Ronan would be so handsome! Oh my gosh! I want to marry him!"

The girls started to squeal in delight while the only boy, a young lad of the age of thirteen merely gaped at his sisters.

Big Joe's wife, a hearty woman who was popularly known as Mama Sally, snorted after hearing her daughter's words.

"Do you think you are some princess? Go sleep now, kids. Up, up, we are switching off the lights in ten minutes!"

Polly and her siblings started to groan.

"Mama, you are such a mood spoiler!"

"Mama, why don't you tell us more about Alpha Ronan? I want that instead of bedtime stories!"

"Me too!"

Big Joe did not bother responding to his daughters' lovestruck chatter. Were they blind? Ronan Silverback did not even take one look at them. The only person in his eyes was his handsome companion, the one with red hair and sparkling caramel eyes. The one who had the privilege to ride on his back.

It was such a sweet gesture among werewolves, one that Big Joe did not expect to see from a Silverback.

It was easy to see how deeply in love the Alpha was.

He was so possessive over Lucien Clearwater that he did not even let his lover expose his body and transform before others.

In his wolf form, Ronan was very fast. Before long, the silhouettes of Big Joe and his family, the diner, and Amberport altogether disappeared. Strong gusts of wind whipped into Lucien's face. When they entered the forest area, he had to lay low on Ronan's back to avoid catching some branches and leaves on their way.

The wolf growled when they were running toward a small river, a warning for Lucien to get ready for the jump. Lucien hugged Ronan's neck tight when the latter stepped off the edge of the stream and crossed it in a single jump.

The route to reach Shadow Mist Creek was not smooth at all. Lacking any human touch, the barely existent path was entirely at mother nature's mercy. If Ronan had accidentally stepped on a slimy surface, he would lose his balance and sprain his ankles. Despite the difficult trip, Ronan did not hesitate to maintain his speed. In a way, it could be considered some kind of training, too. The battleground itself would not have a better appearance, he was pretty sure of it. Meanwhile, at Shadow Mist Creek, the werewolves quickly worked hard to clear the piece of jungle area that they were supposed to utilize as a camping site. By the time Ronan and Lucien arrived, almost fifty trees had been cut off.

Half of the group went out to hunt dinner for the whole group, while the rest were busy putting up tents for everyone to rest in. Kendra, Annalynne, Desmond, and Acatha stood by the side, chatting animatedly while they were waiting for Lucien and Ronan to arrive. Once Ronan was done transforming and putting on his clothes again, the four werewolves approached them to share their newest replaceing. "We took some time to check the battleground out. It is quite interesting. Why don't we go and take a look?" Desmond offered with a sly smile.

The Beta did not want to explain in detail, so Lucien and Ronan were led to the battleground to take a look with their own eyes.

It only took them around twenty minutes on foot to reach the perimeter of the battleground. Lucien stopped walking as soon as his foot stumbled upon the edge of a cliff.

Beneath the cliff was a huge area that extended as far as eyes could see. It was covered with thick vegetation. The leaves were so wide and piled on each other so closely that they formed a possibly impenetrable barrier to sunlight.

Ronan whistled once he saw what stood before them.

"It is going to be an interesting war," he remarked with a smirk.