Alpha Kane

My words seemed to register with Mason, and his tense posture relaxed. He lunged at the nearest brown wolf, who had spotted the small group moving through the crowd. I watched the tension ease from every werewolf as Ryan carried Zara away.

From the battlefield, out of sight. The fighting resumed in full force, my wolves tearing brown wolves to pieces.

Left and right. I tore my gaze away from the fallen werewolves and moved forward, stopping when I found the one I was looking for.

In the center of the circle of brown wolves and demons stood Zara’s Demon father. I wasn’t sure it was him, but who else would they protect so fiercely? His hair was the color of night, his eyes a striking blue, like Zara’s.

I saw her features reflected in his face and wondered how my beautiful chosen one could have been born from such a man. The surrounding him destroyed wolves left and right, all the while protecting their King, their master.

The Alpha King’s crystal eyes fixed on me, and I felt my heated gaze burn into his skin. A serpentine smile appeared on his face, stretching the taut skin. He was pale, horribly pale, and his skin reminded me of old, worn leather. Somehow, he still looked young, but his eyes blazed with malice.

Zeke stood next to me, and I shot him a stern look, hoping he would understand. I nodded toward the King, growling when Zeke nodded. I needed his help to neutralize the brown wolves and demons surrounding Zara’s father.

Any of my warriors had the right to kill him, but I wanted the honor. Killing my chosen one’s father sounded terrible, but this man wasn’t family; he was a monster. I’d never liked him, but my hatred had never reached the same proportions as Bran’s.

With Zara by my side, I knew that being a demon was as much a part of her life as being a werewolf. One was impossible without the other, and I fully accepted that fact. Everything would change if we won this battle, and I could only hope it would change for the better.

With this thought in my mind and the image of my beautiful lover imprinted in my memory, I charged the King and the group of warriors surrounding him. Together with Zeke, we dodged random demons, leaped over fighting wolves, and burst into the circle of demons surrounding Zara’s father.

I easily dispatched two, and Zeke one. Our presence on the battlefield had been noticed.

The warriors looked at their Alphas, understanding the importance of the man the demons were protecting. Bran rushed forward, snarling and growling, destroying yet another of the King’s defenses. Left and right, demons began to fall, but not without losses among us.

I turned to face Zara’s father, seeing the calculated malice on his face as he realized the war was drawing to a close and that he was on the losing side. A familiar cold front swept over me, cutting into my bones and sending an icy current through my veins.

The night seemed to grow darker, shadows gathering eagerly at the edge of the forest. None of the other werewolves seemed to notice, but I couldn’t ignore the pulsing shadows twitching in anticipation.

I lunged forward, skidding across the grass as Zara’s father dodged my attack. Zeke and Bran ran forward, both aiming for the King. The attack gave me enough time to lunge forward, taking advantage of the distraction. I heard the hushed whispers of the shadows and knew time was running out.

Just as the King opened his mouth to speak, Zeke dove forward, brushing against his leg. The King fell to one knee, his lips moving as he stared at the gathering shadows. I wasted no time, lunging forward and sinking my teeth into his flesh.

My heart pounded with every dull beat of the King’s heart, with every trickle of blood flowing from his wound. Zeke and Bran grabbed one of his legs, pulling him in one direction, while I pulled him in the other.

The sound of tearing flesh filled the air, and I watched as the King’s head rolled across the grass, his blue eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.

The shadows gathered along the edge of the forest surged forward, skimming across the grass until they reached the corpse of the King. Zeke and Bran’s eyes widened as they, too, saw the slithering wisps of shadow slowly advancing.

The shadows descended upon the King’s body, stealing every drop of blood that stained the ground, leaving emerald grass in its place.

The King was dead, and the remaining members of his seemed to notice their leader’s absence. One by one, they stopped, raising their hands in surrender. Zeke, Bran, and I transmitted a telepathic link to our troops.

The war was over, the fighting was finally over, and we were victorious. Each wolf raised its head to the night sky, the full moon that was our beacon, and let out a deafening howl.

Even with the joy and bitterness of victory pulsing through our veins, I couldn’t shake the icy feeling that lingered in my bones, a feeling that told me I was too late.

**

Zara’s POV

As Kane’s voice faded in my head, the heat enveloping my body intensified. I felt uneasy in my own skin, unbearably hot and restless. I tried to sit up in the sedan, but I could barely move my limbs.

I knew Nova was fighting for control, resisting her instincts to give me respite from the intense heat. My eyes closed, and I savored the brief moments of unconsciousness, free from the searing heat.

When I opened my eyes, I was in Ryan’s arms, the thin blanket still wrapped around my body. Ryan’s gaze landed on my face as I let out a long moan.

A faint smile appeared on Ryan’s face. His amusement only intensified my terrible discomfort and clouded consciousness. I could do nothing but let out a low growl.

"It’s that bad, huh?" Ryan chuckled, carrying me up the stairs to a small house.

"Yes, it’s that bad," I snapped. Instead of a cold, fierce voice, my words came out as a muffled groan.

A small, one-story house, finished in sky-blue paneling, with a small white veranda. Judging by the flower pots on the veranda and the lace curtains on the window, someone lived there. Ryan pulled a key from his front pocket, holding me with one hand, and opened the front door.

"Whoever lived in this house before must have moved in recently," I thought to myself. An old sofa and an old TV stand leaned against the wall. The TV was gone, along with most of the other furniture. I saw an imprint on the wall where a row of paintings had once stood.