Page 45 of Alpha's Unclaimed Mate

It’s an ad for a hotel, but the couple in the background is hard to look away from. Especially when one half of that couple is my mate—Seren. She has a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in a sea of people, but my gaze is locked on her.

Her hair has grown down to her shoulders, her body is toned, and her eyes glow with excitement. She laughs as a strange man leads her onto the dancefloor and dips her, his arm tight around her waist.

The sight hits me like a punch to the stomach. Anger flares,but a deeper, gnawing fear settles in. What if I never see her again?

The hotel’s in NYC. The information that rogue gave me was correct after all.

I know I can’t wait any longer.

Two hours later, I’m pacing the sterile lounge at Mammoth Airport when my redeye flight to NYC is announced. Exhaling deeply, I grab my bag. I’m ready to plead, beg, and cry. I can humble myself. I’ll do anything to bring Seren back.

Just as I’m about to board, my phone rings. “The Warren Road office is on fire.” Luke’s frantic voice cuts through the noise in the background. “The fire department is on its way, but the two lower floors are already a loss. Ryan says it’s due to a short circuit late evening when the guard change happened.”

I’m shaking my head. There’s no way I’m changing my plans for this. “Listen, I?—”

Before I can continue, there are a few screams and growls on Luke’s end. He breathes heavily into the phone. “This was planned. Landon’s got his army here. You need to come back.”

The girl behind the counter looks at me and asks for my boarding pass, and I want to scream.

With my wolf gone, my connection to my pack isn’t strong, but these are my people. My parents are back there, too.

Fuck!

I shake my head and rush back.

The area surrounding the packhouse is utter chaos. Hundreds of wolves—both in their human and beast forms—clash in the dark. The ground is slick with blood and the air is thick with screams, grunts, and growls.

“How did they even get here?” I yell, pulling out my dagger and charging at a rogue. Once he’s down, I scan the battleground for Landon. His death will end the war.

I notice my father holding the fort in the middle of the action.

“Theron, we’re losing ground!” Luke’s voice cuts through the noise. His face is smeared with dirt and sweat as he fights off a rogue with his bare hands, his blade flashing in the darkness.

“I can see that!” I shout back, blocking a rogue’s swipe. “We need guns!”

“Jake’s handling that, but we’re swamped until he gets back! Vanessa’s on the front line with Phil. They’re holding them off, but we need to reinforce them!”

I glance to where Vanessa, in wolf form, tears through the rogues with ferocity. Her fur is stained with blood, a blur of silver and red. Phil fights at her side with equal intensity.

“Vanessa!” I call out, trying to reach her. The combatants make it nearly impossible.

A rogue’s claw slices the air, narrowly missing me. I realize I’m more a liability than an asset, but my presence boosts the pack’s morale. Maybe my death here would be a mercy—after I’ve killed Landon.

A loud whistle from the back of the packhouse draws my attention. Landon’s men are breaking through, heading for the safe zone where the women and kids are.

“Stop them before they get to the safe zone!” I scream, racing in that direction. Two enforcers and I manage to interceptthe rogues, but five wolves are hard to stop. They kill one of my enforcers immediately. A sharp blow lands on my ribs, stealing my breath, and then another strikes my skull. My vision goes dark. Another blow, and I should be free. A loud growl snaps me back into the fight.Vanessa.

Three of my pack warriors charge in, flanking Vanessa. Together, they manage to overpower the attackers, but Vanessa sustains multiple stab wounds.

Shifting to her human form, she staggers, blood seeping through her skin as she stumbles away from me. Landon’s wolves lie on the ground.

Phil stands nearby, horrified. I throw my T-shirt to her.

“Vanessa!” Luke’s voice is choked with worry as he fends off a rogue closing in on his sister.

“I’m okay!” Vanessa’s voice is strained. “Get back, everyone!” she screams, continuing to fight in human form, her movements slower.

Gunfire erupts, bullets striking down several rogues. I focus on Vanessa.

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