Page 63 of His Mate

It could only be one thing. They’d found us. The wolves that had been chasing us all this time—they were here. And they were coming for us.

Kendra growled low in her throat, her muscles tensing as she turned toward the warehouse door, her entire body going rigid with readiness. I could see the instinct kicking in, the wolf inside her rising to the challenge, ready to defend what was hers.

Ready to defend me.

Another howl pierced the air, this one so close it made the walls of the warehouse tremble. I strained against the chains, but there was nothing I could do. I was helpless, pinned by the drugs still coursing through my veins.

But Kendra—she was anything but helpless.

The door to the warehouse groaned as something slammed into it from the outside. Kendra’s growl deepened, her eyes locked on the entrance as the pounding continued, growing louder with every vicious impact. The wolves were trying to break in, their claws scraping against the metal, their snarls filling the air.

And then, with a deafening crash, the door burst open.

The first wolf that barreled through the entrance was massive, its silver fur matted with dirt, its golden eyes wild with bloodlust. It let out a guttural snarl as it charged toward us, but Kendrawas faster. She met it head-on, her body a blur of black fur and flashing teeth.

The two wolves collided with a bone-rattling crash, and before I could blink, Kendra had the silver wolf pinned beneath her. Her jaws closed around its throat, and with a savage jerk of her head, she tore into its flesh. Blood sprayed across the concrete floor as the wolf let out a strangled cry before going limp beneath her. The fight was over in seconds.

But there wasn’t even time to breathe.

Two more wolves stormed through the door, their eyes blazing with rage. Kendra didn’t hesitate. She launched herself at the first one, her muscles rippling with power as she slammed into it, her teeth sinking deep into its shoulder. The wolf yelped, trying to shake her off, but she held on, dragging it down with her.

The second wolf circled behind her, its jaws snapping, but Kendra was relentless. She ripped into the wolf beneath her, her claws tearing through fur and muscle like they were nothing. Blood pooled on the floor, slick and dark, but she didn’t stop.

She couldn’t.

The second wolf lunged, but Kendra was ready. She spun on her heels, dodging the attack, and in one swift motion, she was on top of it. Her fangs found its neck, and she bit down hard, the sickening crunch of bone echoing through the warehouse as she crushed its windpipe. The wolf went limp beneath her, its life snuffed out in an instant.

I could barely breathe, my chest tight with a mixture of awe and adrenaline as I watched her. She was incredible—unstoppable.

The Kendra I knew was strong, but this—this was something else. This was pure, raw power. She was tearing through them like a force of nature, her black fur streaked with blood, her eyes blazing with fury.

She was lost in the throes of her first shift.

The third wolf hesitated at the door, its eyes flicking between Kendra and me as if it were weighing its options. But it didn’t stand a chance. Kendra growled, low and dangerous, her lips pulling back to reveal her bloodied fangs.

The wolf made a mistake—it charged.

Kendra met it halfway, her body a blur of movement as she sidestepped its attack and swung around behind it. Before the wolf could recover, Kendra lunged with a snarl, her jaws closing around its spine with brutal force. The wolf let out a high-pitched yelp before collapsing, its body twitching as she finished it with a quick, savage bite to the throat.

More howls echoed in the distance, but they sounded different now. Softer. More uncertain. The pack knew. They’d felt the shift in power, the deadly force that Kendra had become. And now, they hesitated.

They feared her. And to be honest, they really should.

The only one that didn’t was me.

Turns out, though, we weren’t alone in this fight. The piercing sound of bullets suddenly cracked through the air, followed by the unmistakable clang of metal doors slamming open as the humans stormed the compound. I could hear the pounding of boots against the ground, shouts echoing through thewarehouse, and the distinct rattle of weapons being cocked and loaded.

It could only be the Resistance.

“Kendra,” I rasped, trying to get her attention as she still stood over the bodies of the wolves she’d just torn apart. Her ears twitched, and I could see her sense the shift, hear the humans coming, just as I did.

The howls of the wolves outside turned frantic, higher-pitched—fear lacing through the night air. They knew, too. The Resistance soldiers were prepared for this. I heard the distant pop of grenades, the crack of more automatic gunfire, and the unmistakable roar of flamethrowers igniting the night.

A roar of flames burst outside the warehouse, lighting up the entire space as the fire licked up toward the sky. The wolves out there were caught in the crossfire, scrambling away from the inferno, their yelps of pain filling the night as the humans pressed forward.

Suddenly, the door to the warehouse flew open again, and this time it wasn’t wolves who entered—it was the humans.

The Resistance fighters stormed inside, their faces hard and cold, weapons drawn. There was no hesitation as they fired at the remaining wolves, mowing them down with ruthless efficiency. The sound of the gunfire was deafening, bullets ricocheting off the concrete floor as the remaining wolves tried to make a last stand, snarling and lunging toward the soldiers. But it was no use. They were outnumbered and outgunned.

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