Alpha Kane

The transformation had always been easy for me, even the first time. I met Zeke’s wolf’s gaze, and an unspoken understanding formed between us. We would go where the battle was fiercest, to the thickest and bloodiest place.

Time seemed to slow as Zeke and I raced through the crowd, dodging werewolves and striking them. Zeke howled as his claws slashed through a brown wolf’s chest and neck, nearly decapitating him.

The pungent scent of blood filled the air within seconds, and every werewolf’s body lying on the ground was a wound in my chest.

"Kane?" Zara’s voice filled my mind, causing a wave of power that tore through the huddled crowd of brown wolves. "Where are you?"

I groaned inwardly, but I’d expected it. Some part of me hoped Zara would show common sense and seek refuge with Sophia and Govinda. Somehow, I knew she would come and fight.

She wouldn’t abandon me, just as I wouldn’t abandon her. It filled me with both love and irritation.

"In the middle of all this, where else?" I chuckled, my heart skipping a beat at the sound of her distant chuckle.

While fighting and covering Zeke’s back, I spotted Zara rushing through the crowd. I’d underestimated her at first, but now I was amazed by her movements. Her wolf.

She was larger than most, but possessed a grace most lacked. She was an experiment.

She skillfully dodged attacks and missed the silver blades of countless brown wolves. I chuckled, remembering our first meeting and how upset she’d become when we fought during training. We were evenly matched from the start, as we should be.

"Where are Sophia and Govinda?" she called through the telepathic link, her bright eyes meeting mine. Zara rolled aside, barely avoiding a strike from a silver blade. "Is my dad safe?"

"Sophia and Govinda are with her aunt. Your dad fought back, but he’s far from town," I replied, trying to keep my voice brief, as two brown wolves pounced on me. One of them was larger than most humans, with broad shoulders and arms as thick as tree trunks.

The enormous brown wolf grinned at me, baring bloodied teeth. His companion was much smaller, a female, with an even happier expression. They seemed to enjoy this, and I grinned furtively at them both.

I lunged at the larger one first, determined to knock him down. Even with the brown wolf’s increased speed and strength, it was no match for me. Alpha, I was stronger than they; that’s what had ensured our survival for thousands of years. Our animal side worked with us, supporting us, while the animal side controlled them, making them eternally bloodthirsty.

Dodging the smaller brown wolf, I felt a silver blade graze my ankle. The pain was brief, and the wound healed fairly quickly. They had no idea it would take more than a thin cut to hurt me. I laughed dryly and lunged at the two brown wolves, feigning a left turn before sinking my teeth into the female’s throat.

I tossed her body aside and watched as the larger brown wolf roared in rage. His bloodied teeth gnashed, and his dark eyes blazed with a murderous fire. I couldn’t feel an ounce of guilt as I realized I’d killed the she-wolf.

The loss enraged the brown wolf, who swung the silver blade furiously in his meaty hand. It was all too easy to disarm him, watching as the knife became entangled in the long shoots of grass that stretched across the field.

Sinking my teeth into his neck and decapitating him, I sent him back into the arms of his mate.

As I attacked the closest brown wolf, a strange feeling washed over me. An uncontrollable warmth coursed through my veins, along with a sickening sense of panic. My eyes automatically landed on Zara, as if I knew the feeling was coming from her.

She lay on the ground, writhing in the grass. Zara’s moans erupted from her muzzle, and the fur on her body began to thin. I realized she was going into heat. A growl echoed through me, spreading through the night and reaching every wolf nearby.

I rushed forward, breaking through two brown wolves who turned to attack. I didn’t have time to reach her, I knew that. The two brown wolves I’d crashed into joined the third, and all three were closing in on me.

While I was fighting the three brown wolves, I noticed Mason protecting Zara, who had transformed back into a human. She lay naked in the grass, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso.

An echo of pain coursed through me, along with a gust of melancholy so powerful that it shattered my concentration.

"We need to get her out of here," my wolf growled. "I can’t hold back for much longer."

The urge to possess her was overwhelming, fueled by the other wolves around us. Each of them would smell her; each would fight for the chance to mate with her.

"Get her out of here, Ryan," I snapped through the telepathic link. Ryan held Zara in his arms, pushing through the crowd of brown wolves, his gaze wary. "I can smell her from here. Get her somewhere safe, just get her out of here."

It took all my strength not to growl at the wolves who were looking at her. I was worried not only about my chosen one, but also about the warriors in my pack. Zara could become a distraction that would cost many lives.

The best thing was to get her out of here, to find a safe place, despite what my instincts told me. "Mason, cover them both," I growled. "Keep an eye on them until they escape."

Mason rushed toward Ryan, surrounding him as they advanced across the battlefield. I watched as Mason’s wolf tensed, baring its teeth at Ryan.

Before it could take a step forward, I shouted through the telepathic link. I used just a fraction of my Alpha power, just enough to pierce the fog that had enveloped Mason’s mind.

"Mason, if you touch her... I swear I’ll kill you," I promised. "Ryan, take her to Sophia. She’ll be safe there."