We enter Shady Crest territory, right on nightfall; Vanessa and Alice, who are cuffed and chained, walk in front of Kane while Leon leads the pack warriors. Alpha Zenith’s warriors are all spread out, making them easy targets. Our arrival must have sounded an alarm; they retreat back toward the pack house.
‘Alpha Zenith knows we’re here,’ I yell out. Seth is mind-linking me: Alpha! They know you’re here!
Good! I say.
Shit! Seth says.
What is it? I ask.
It’s Astrid! You need to hurry! She’s shifting! Seth says.
Shit! Tell Astrid I’m coming for her; I will be with her as soon as I can. I say.
‘Leon, Kane, we need to move faster! Astrid is shifting!’ They nod and Leon and I shift into our wolves; Kane supervises Alice and Vanessa in his human form.
‘We will be right behind you Alpha!’ Kane yells out.
We run until we can see the pack house. There are hundreds of pack warriors ready and waiting for us; I shift into my human form and put my pants on. I scan the area for Alpha Zenith, keeping my eyes on him, and slowly walk toward him. Alpha Zenith paces toward me, and we come face to face. He cracks his neck from side to side. He is shirtless and ready to shift at any given moment.
‘Hand Astrid and Seth over now. No one has to die,’ I order. Alpha Zenith laughs.
‘Astrid belongs to James and this pack now,’ he says.
‘Kane! Bring them out!’ I yell. Kane steps forward in front of our pack warriors with Alice and Vanessa. Alpha Zenith grinds his teeth and lets out a growl.
‘I thought I’d bring your Luna and daughter along for the show,’ I say with a grin.
‘Or we can trade. Astrid and Seth for Vanessa and Alice,’ I suggest. Alpha Zenith glares.
‘Or I can kill you right now, and claim your pack, and have everything I want!’ He snaps.
‘War it is!’ I say, growling.
‘War it is then!’ Alpha Zenith yells, as he walks back to his warriors. He shifts into an ugly, large, grey wolf; his ear is missing and he is worn and ragged. I shift into my large black wolf and let out a howl, signaling war; in wolf form, my warriors charge toward Alpha Zenith’s warriors. I lose sight of him and charge toward the others attacking us, crashing into them, and biting any area of fur exposed to me.
Two wolves run toward me and pounce; I quickly rip the throat of one while the other manages to bite my leg. I let out a whimper and I release the wolf I have hold of. I turn and lunge at the wolf gnashing my leg. Clawing his face, he releases me; I pounce, and bite into his side; tearing a large piece of flesh from him. He retreats yelping. I observe the two packs fighting; it isn’t a pretty scene.
I shift back into human form; I need to find Astrid! I run toward the pack house.
‘Leon! Follow me!’ I yell. Leon follows as we rush into the pack house; I can hear her screams beneath the floor.
‘Leon, a door must lead down to the cells,’ I figure.
‘Astrid!’ I yell, running through the house.
‘Alpha! Here! I found the entrance. It smells so good… like lavender and musk,’ Leon says, I push past him; too time-poor for his observations and run downstairs.
Seth is in the cell on the left, a girl is sitting on the ground in the cell on the right, and Astrid is curled up and screaming in pain, in front of me.
‘Astrid!’ I rattle the door but it’s locked.
‘Shit! Where’s the key?’ I yell.
‘Ryker!’ Astrid screams, trying to crawl toward the door. She collapses in pain, and lets out a scream as a bone snaps.
‘Astrid, I’m going to find the key, okay?’ I run up the stairs; Leon is watching the girl in the other cell.
‘Leon! What are you doing?’ The girl is also watching Leon.
‘Mate!’ They both mumble in a trance.
‘Leon, if you want to save your mate, I suggest we find the key!’ I yell.
Leon nods, gives the girl a nod, and we search in vain for the keys. I hear the sound of them dangling in someone’s grip behind me.
‘Looking for these?’ A male voice behind me asks.
James dangles the keys in front of me enticingly; John is with him. I shift into my wolf, as quick as James and John do. I lunge at James and bite into his chest; John bites into my ribs, and two snap in his lock-hold. Leon lunges at John, pushing him off of me; James and I fight each other, neither backing down. We are both covered in gashes. Astrid screams in pain. I lunge at James, biting down as hard as I can, ripping a large chunk of flesh from his neck. Knowing he will bleed out, I finish him off quickly, instantly snapping his neck. John lets out an anguished howl; Leon uses this to his advantage and rips John’s stomach open.
Back in human form, I grab the keys and unlock Astrid’s cell. I throw them over to Leon to free Seth and his mate. I hold Astrid in my arms, and our chemistry envelopes us to a cloying degree. I gently push her hair from her face.
‘Ryker! You’re here!’ She cries.
‘I promised you I’d be here for your first shift,’ I whisper.
I hold her tightly through her screams, feeling the discs in her spine snap as I hold her in my arms.
‘You can do this. It will all be over soon. I promise,’ I assure her; she cries out again as another bone snaps; her muzzle begins to develop and her fangs protrude from her top jaw. Glossy white fur clothes her body, tearing off her skirt and blouse. Her final scream becomes a majestic howl.
‘Astrid!’ She tries to stand on all fours and struggles with her balance.
‘Whoa!’ Seth and Leon say, amazed. ‘She’s a pure white wolf!’ Seth adds.
Unsteady on her feet, I help her balance.
‘Steady now, nice and slowly. I have you.’
She is beautiful: the most beautiful wolf I have ever seen. She is so large; similar to me in size.
‘Pure white wolves are only from—’
‘Moonstone Crest. Astrid is the last of her pack; her mother Alyssa was a future Luna and her father was Alpha Axton,’ she explains.
‘How do you know?’ I ask. She is holding Leon’s hand tightly; Leon has his other arm around her waist, and the biggest grin on his youthful face.
‘Alpha Zenith is Alyssa’s true mate,’ she explains. We all freeze as Astrid starts growling and yapping.
‘It’s okay, Astrid,’ I say. I kneel down so she can lick my face. She is like a gigantic marshmallow: she is so soft and squishy when I wrap my arms around her. She tries to play fight with me, nipping at my ankles and rolling onto her back in my lap.
‘I’m excited too. You’re the most beautiful wolf I have ever seen,’ I smile.
‘Seth, go and see how our warriors are going. We need to defeat Alpha Zenith.’
Astrid lets out an angry growl at his name.
‘I know. Try and shift back into human form; I promise shifting back doesn’t hurt at all. When you shift again, it will only take a moment and it will be less painful,’ I explain.
‘I’m going to fight. Amelia, stay here till the fight is over,’ Leon says.
‘No!’ Amelia shouts. ‘I’m going to fight too!’ She says, ripping off her clothes and shifting into her wolf, with Leon, and leaving the cell. It’s the first time Astrid and I have been alone since she left; my eyes well with tears as I adore the love of my life and her sweet fluffy face.
