Page 26 of Tamed By the Alpha Wolf

“Been hunting you a long while, Bassani.” A sneer twisted his cruel lips. “Who knew all it would need was a buncha broads with enough mojo to force you from your wolf and throw a locator whammy on you?”

I slid a sidelong glance to Nico. The night by the stream. It had to be. Fates thrust him into danger the same night they gave him the best chance at protection.

I willed him to look at me. To play this smart. A never-ending growl rattled in his throat. His fingers twitched as if he was aching to wrap them around the asshole’s throat.

The blast from Nico’s past reached out, grabbed a fistful of Nico’s hair, and yanked his head back.

Nico’s eyes flashed silver, a low growl rumbling in his chest. I tensed, ready to spring.

The asshole leaned in close, his breath hot against Nico’s ear. “Go a little nutso, did ya? When my boy popped that skinny twig you called a sister?”

The world exploded into chaos.

Nico shifted so fast I barely saw it happen. One moment he was human, the next a massive black wolf with fangs sunk deep into the syndicate fucker’s arm. Blood sprayed, and a scream pierced the air.

And then everyone was moving at once.

Gunshots rang out, deafening in the small space. I ducked, narrowly avoiding a bullet that whizzed past my ear. My wolf surged forward, and I let the shift take me. Bones cracked and reformed, fur sprouting across my skin.

I lunged at the nearest gunman, my jaws clamping down on his arm. He screamed, the gun clattering to the floor. I shook my head viciously, feeling bones snap beneath my teeth.

To my right, Rafe had shifted as well, his massive gray form bowling over two men at once. Kai nimbly darted between attackers while Orion’s powerful build sent enforcers flying.

For a moment, our pack bonds thrummed with unity. Despite the tension, the unresolved arguments, we moved as one. A well-oiled machine designed for violence. Some of the syndicate shifted, others stayed human. All were targets for our fangs.

Nico fought like a demon possessed, his eyes wild and feral as he tore through our enemies. For a moment, I glimpsed the monster he’d become during those years alone—and my heart ached for him.

My wolf reveled in it. His strength. His power. The lengths the inferior males went to defeat him. Hunting him, setting their traps. Trying to catch him out while he took his vengeance.

A lone wolf wouldn’t survive, but Nico wasn’t alone any longer.

Across the room, I saw Rafe and Orion working in tandem, taking down attackers with brutal efficiency. Kai held his own against two burly enforcers until Rafe and Orion crashed into their backs.

My pack. My mate. My responsibility.

This was what it meant to be an alpha—to protect, to lead, to make the hard choices for the good of everyone.

Time seemed to stretch and compress. It could have been minutes or hours. All I knew was the rhythm of battle, the pulse of adrenaline in my veins.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

The last enforcer fell, clutching at his torn-out throat. Silence descended, broken only by a savage growl and whimper of a man defeated.

“You fucking traitor,” Nico’s target snarled at him. He turned and spat blood on the ground. The wounds on his body werealready healing, but it was no use. He’d lost the numbers and surprise. “You turned your back on your family the moment you ran that fucking mouth of yours?—”

Nico lunged for the ragged man’s throat, his fangs gleaming with murder.

The crunch of bone echoed in the cabin, quickly drowned out by a gurgle of pain.

Then silence.

Nico stood over the crumpled corpse, chest heaving. Blood dripped from his muzzle. His eyes glowed bright silver in the cabin’s gloom.

Rafe took a cautious step forward, but Nico stopped him with a feral snarl.

Dominance prickled through the air, nearly suffocating in its intensity. Power surged in my veins, an instinctive response to Nico’s display. He needed comfort, stability. Peace.

I shifted back to my human form, ignoring the chill air on my bare skin. I approached Nico slowly, my hands raised to show I meant no harm. His hackles lowered slightly as I drew closer, but there was still an unsettling emptiness in his expression.

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