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The moment the signal was given, chaos erupted.

Students scattered like a herd of startled deer, their bodies moving forward with a singular goal to escape and win. Eyes burned with desperation, feet pounded against the damp earth, and within seconds, the wild expanse became a battlefield of newbies pushing, shoving, clawing for an advantage.

Violet’s grip on Lila tightened, her fingers digging into the girl’s wrist. Beside them, Daisy clung to Ivy, all of them moving in sync as they cut through the frenzy.

Desperate students tried to shove between them or rather, strategically separate their competition. But the four girls held their ground, pushing forward like a current refusing to be broken.

The tall grass lashed at their legs, slick with rain and mud. The damp air burned in Violet’s lungs, her breath coming in ragged gasps. But stopping wasn’t an option. Not now. Not ever.

"Fuck it!" she cursed, swiping her wet face with her left hand.

The ground beneath them had become soft and muddy from the rain that Alaric had summoned. What mercy? Asher’s so-called mercy was nothing but a cruel trick, an added layer of difficulty to an already merciless game.

"This is fun!" Lila screamed, her eyes alight with exhilaration

Violet snapped her head toward her, incredulous. Was the girl insane? What part of this game looked fun?

Behind them, she could feel the heated gazes of the werewolves, each ready to close in on them the moment the waiting time was over.

"I mean, look at this! It looks like we might actually run past—ahh!" Lila’s words were cut off by a sickening snap.

A sudden force ripped her off her feet, and in the blink of an eye, she was whipped into the air.

"Lila!" Violet screamed, skidding to a stop, her heart plummeting.

Lila dangled, suspended upside down, the blood rushing to her head. The snare bit into her skin, the coarse rope twisting mercilessly around her ankle. She twisted and thrashed, but the more she struggled, the tighter the noose became.

"Violet!" Lila shrieked, panic lacing her voice. None of them had seen this coming.

"Shit—!" Daisy barely had time to curse before she too was yanked into the air, her scream sharp and swallowed by the rain.

In mere seconds, two of them were captured, their bodies swaying helplessly from the tree.

Ivy clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with terror. "T-There are traps everywhere..." she whispered, voice trembling.

Violet’s stomach dropped.

She turned in a slow, horrified scan of the area. The blood drained from her face.

Ivy was right. There were traps everywhere.

The waiting time was a lie. This was a calculated ambush.

The Alphas had never planned to wait five minutes. That was just a cruel illusion. A way to pick them off before the real chase even began.

Lila and Daisy had been snared, but others had it worse.

Students struggled in hanging nets, their bodies twisting and fighting to break free.

It will be hell to get out of those. They were stuck there for good until the alphas captured them especially with the others — some, their friends — running and leaving them for good.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" Violet ran a hand through her soaked hair, her mind reeling.

She couldn’t go forward. Who knew how many traps were buried ahead? There was no going back, not to the Alphas. And she damn well wasn’t leaving her friends behind.

"Ugh!" Lila groaned, her body swaying slightly as she tried to twist herself up. Above her, the tree branch trembled under her weight.

"STOP MOVING, YOU IDIOT!" Daisy barked from her own trap, her voice carrying above the rain."You’ll only tighten the snare further!"

"Hold on, I’m getting you down!" Violet moved, her pulse hammering.

Daisy snapped her head toward her. "Be careful!"

Violet slowed her steps, her eyes scanning the ground. Thanks to the rain, the loose earth made it easier to spot the disturbed patches where the hidden triggers were buried beneath the grass. She dodged one, then another, her breaths came in short, ragged gasps.

Reaching Lila, she crouched beside the base of the snare, and began working on the knot. But it was tight. Too tight. Whoever set this trap had ensured it wouldn’t come undone easily.

Her fingers were slippery and cold, but Violet tried pulling at the fibers, prying them loose. Nothing. The rain only made it worse, the fibers slick and impossible to grip.

"Shit," she hissed, searching the ground. She needed something. Something sharp. Her gaze fell on a sharp, jagged piece of wood and she picked it, pressing it against the rope—

Snap.

The stick snapped in half like a twig.

"Fuck!" Violet hissed, tossing it away. She needed a knife, something sharp enough to saw through the thick fibers. But she had nothing.

"Violet." Ivy’s shaky voice reached her ears.

Violet turned, and her stomach clenched because Ivy held up her phone and the screen glowed in the dark.

Two minutes were gone. There was only three minutes left.

She knew what Ivy was implying. They had to go. She wanted to leave them behind.

"You can go but I’m not leaving them." Violet’s voice was like a whip, her glare sharp as daggers.

Ivy flinched, biting her lip, ashamed. She didn’t want to abandon them either. She was just... scared.

But so was Violet.

And she was done letting fear make her decisions.

Violet rose to her feet, her chest heaving as she turned in the direction of the wolves and saw just whom she was looking for.

Asher was standing at the distance, watching her with that infuriating smirk, as if he already knew how this would end. As if he held the solution to her problem — it hit her. Of course, he did.

Her fists clenched. Fine. He wanted to play this game. Game on.

Violet began to walk back to the startling line only for Ivy to grab her arm.

"Where are you going?" She lifted a careful brow, "What are you about to do?"

Violet’s eyes burned with determination as she yanked free. "Getting them out of that mess."

And then she ran straight into the wolves’ den.