Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby novel Chapter 223

Chapter 223: A Failed Ambush

"Everyone, focus!" Eleanor’s voice cut through the clash of water and snarls. "Points mean nothing if we don’t survive. Jaciara... move faster!"

The urgency in her tone jolted Maíra, Joshua, and Kiara. Their scattered minds snapped back into sharp focus. Fists, claws, and bursts of water met the river beasts again and again, until they stopped counting distance altogether. The world had narrowed to the press of monsters, the small platform beneath their boots, and the need to endure.

At last, the attacks thinned. When the river finally spat them onto the far bank, they staggered forward, battered, bruised, and soaked in blood. Their stamina faltered; every breath ragged. Though the enchanted academy robes dried the river water within minutes, they could do little to mend the cuts and bruises, especially the raw scratches across their hands.

The team dragged themselves to a safe distance from the shoreline and collapsed in the grass. Silence reigned for several minutes as each caught what breath they could.

Then Eleanor’s eyes snapped open. Her senses prickled. Someone was approaching... fast. "Everyone, alert!" she ordered, already on her feet. "Someone is coming along the shoreline."

Everyone took a battle stance, claws bared, breath held. Then a familiar black wolf came into view.

"Stand down," Eleanor said firmly, lowering her stance. "It’s Ophelia."

Relief washed over the others. They eased back down, still weary but no longer tense. The wolf slowed, paws thudding against the earth, before shifting into her human form.

"Ma’am, are you okay?" Ophelia asked at once, hurrying towards her.

"I’m fine," Eleanor answered. "But why were you in your wolf form?"

Ophelia inclined her head. "You’ve moved more than a kilometre from the main troops. I crossed the river early to gather intelligence, then returned to find you. When I couldn’t see you among the cadets, I asked around. Some mentioned a smaller team drifting downstream. Wolf form was faster, so I turned and ran this direction." She said it all in one breath, chest heaving slightly.

Eleanor nodded. "Understood. Take a moment to rest... we move only at peak condition. Ah, this is Joshua Cordillera, the newest member of our team." She gestured towards Joshua before focusing her mission screen. "I’m sending you an invitation. Accept it."

Ophelia gave Joshua a polite nod, then accepted Eleanor’s invitation.

The system flickered into Eleanor’s sight:

[Status]

Primary Objective: Kill the Troll King and recapture the stronghold.

Secondary Objective: Eliminate the monsters.

Team members: 6

Points: 338 (Rank-5)

[Do you want to hide the status screen? Yes/No]

With a thought, Eleanor dismissed the screen.

"Nora. What is my current physical condition?" she asked in her mind.

Nora’s voice chimed immediately. "Your health is fully restored. Stamina will require eight more minutes to recover fully. Bloodline ability will require thirty-two minutes until complete reset. Activating again before cooldown will cause adverse effects."

Eleanor blinked, momentarily surprised. "When did you gain the ability to calculate my bloodline’s condition?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"I didn’t," Nora replied matter-of-factly. "I merely track your bloodline’s use, recovery intervals, and the physical toll it takes. Calculations, nothing more."

"I see..." Eleanor murmured. She inhaled deeply, then straightened her back. "Good. Then I’ll need your report on my teammates. Their fighting prowess matters as much as mine... I’ll need it to plan ahead."

"Jaciara didn’t join the fight," Nora reported, her tone crisp. "Her control over water is good, but I can only comment on the others. Joshua formed water blades and wielded them as swords. He’s highly proficient in close combat, and with a nearby water source he can project blades at range. Maíra fights hand-to-hand, using short bursts of movement that look like instant teleportation, though they’re not. She used a water shield defensively, but made no offensive use of the element. Kiara is a shooter, as my previous data suggested. In close combat she performed adequately, nothing more."

"Thanks," Eleanor murmured, weighing the assessment. After a moment’s thought, she addressed the group.

"Joshua, you’re a swordsman. Craft something from the wood around us to complement your style."

Before Joshua could respond, Ophelia interjected, "There’s an orc pack not far from here. They’re armed with swords, shields, and bows. Crude weapons, but in our state, it will be more than enough for us. I scouted them from a distance."

The team spread out, each with a target assigned. Ophelia’s task was the most dangerous... eliminate the leader once the others engaged.

Eleanor advanced with silent precision, keeping her body hidden behind tree trunks and thick bushes. A scattering of boulders dotted the clearing, but none large enough to conceal her. Ophelia remained in her shadow, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a killing blow.

She had almost closed the distance... barely ten metres from the nearest orc, when a thunderous battle cry shattered the stillness. From somewhere behind her, a cadet roared and charged with reckless abandon.

Every orc’s head snapped in Eleanor’s direction. Their guttural cries shook the air as they scrambled to their feet, weapons flashing in the red glow.

"Fuck! So much for the element of surprise. Curse my bloody luck," Eleanor hissed under her breath.

There was no time to form a new plan. The entire pack locked onto her as prey.

A massive orc surged forward, axe raised high. Its footsteps made the earth tremble.

With no choice, Eleanor triggered Overdrive. Her body blurred, narrowly avoiding the downward cleave. In the same motion, she rammed a sharpened branch she had carried into the creature’s eye.

The strike landed, but imperfectly. The branch lodged deep in the socket, yet failed to reach the brain. Instead of collapsing, the orc howled in unbridled fury, blood spraying as it staggered past her before wheeling back with murderous rage.

Eleanor did not pause. Her bloodline was already active... hesitation would be fatal. She pivoted and drove her partially transformed fist into the throat of the pack leader.

But the leader was quicker than expected. Anticipating the strike, it twisted aside, her blow glancing across its shoulder instead. The impact was like striking stone... her knuckles throbbed from the force.

A hiss of air warned her. From behind the leader, two arrows whistled through the crimson haze. She dropped, rolling across the dirt, feeling the arrows slice past where her chest had been a heartbeat before.

She came up crouched, breath sharp, eyes locked on the encroaching pack.

The ambush was broken. Now it was a battle for survival.