Page 2 of My Fated Mate

My muscles burn as I wrestle him to the ground, determined not to let any of his pack leave here alive. It seems I've been too lenient in the past. I need to make a statement. No one challenges my territory.

My teeth graze his throat, and I see the first flicker of fear in his eyes. With one last burst of strength, I plunge my fangs into his neck, feeling the resistance give way under the force of my bite. As his life drains away, I release him and rise to my feet, panting heavily.

With their leader dead, the remaining wolves start to retreat in fear. My enforcers look to me for orders.

“Shall we chase after them, Alpha?”I hear one of them mind-link me.

“No, that's enough. Now they know what they’re up against. Let’s go home.”

Under the moon's silver glow, my enforcers and I start the trek home through a forest so dark that a human couldn’t see their own feet.

Some humans are brave but know not to step foot in here. The ones that do? Well, they never return. This forest is unforgiving to those who underestimate it.

As we march through the ancient woods, I suddenly catch a foul scent riding the soft night breeze. I halt abruptly, my fur standing on end.

Everyone stops behind me.

Alpha?Everything alright?Rylan's voice echoes in my mind.

Blood. I smell the stench of smoke and blood.

A low growl forms in my throat. It’s the familiar scent of death, but not the death we just left behind. Its source sends a shiver down my spine.

Just ahead lies our neighboring pack.

And something is drastically wrong.

Smoke.

Death.

Ash.

As I approach the once lively territory, I now face a canvas painted with agony. The air is thick with a metallic tang, and my paws crunch on the remnants of decimated homes and dead bodies.

The scene unfolds before my wolven eyes. Blood paints the ground in wide strokes, mixing with the ashen remains of burnthomes. I take in the lifeless bodies of our adjacent pack. Wolves I once exchanged greetings with now lie motionless.

Who could have done this?

Why?

The battle we have returned from is like child’s play compared to the carnage I see here.

And somehow, deep within me, I know who is responsible for this.

Dark Moon.

No one else is this brutal.

Dark Moon is a chilling assembly of rogue wolves that moves through the shadows with sinister intent. They are led by a malevolent, unknown alpha, who some call Varis.

The Dark Moon Pack is named for the growing darkness in their hearts. Each kill propels them toward an insidious goal—unrivaled power. They are fanatics.

They believe that with their power, they should rule the world. And they’re not just killing humans. They’ll kill any fellow supernatural who stands in their way.

They’re all mad.

I’ve only ever heard rumors of them, but now, the realization chills my bones. I fear it is inevitable. They will soon come for my pack. They have left their unmistakable mark here.

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