Page 76 of Sold to the Alphas

My father’s face turned pale, his jaw clenching. “You killed him?”

“Yes,” I lied, glancing at Mily. She was too young to bear the weight of what she’d done.

My father exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Raol was lying,” he said. “The alphas were still in the trial room when the madness started. No one knows exactly what happened, but I heard they were alive. If you’re going to find them, you need to go now.”

I nodded, my resolve hardening.

I stepped forward, pulling Mily into a hug. “Stay with them,” I whispered. “I’ll come back for you.”

She nodded, her arms wrapping around me tightly.

“We’ll keep her safe, Elisabed,” my mother said.

I turned to my father. “Thank you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Go,” he said firmly.

As soon as I stepped outside, my wolf came to life. It was time. I could do this. I had to shift to protect my family. If my alphas were lost, only the telepathic bond of our wolves would break through to them.

I took a deep breath and shifted, my wolf surging forward with a desperate need to run. I sprinted toward the building where my trial had been held, hope and fear warring inside me.

I had to find my alphas.

The closer I got, the more the madness intensified. Wolves—feral and wild—ripped into each other, their growls and snarls filling the air. Some bodies lay still, crimson pools spreading beneath them, while others writhed in their final moments. The carnage was unbearable, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.

The main doors to the building had been torn off their hinges, splintered wood littering the entrance. My wolf hesitated for a fraction of a second, instincts screaming at me to turn back and run away from the danger. But then I thought of them—Marshall, Finn, August—and forced myself forward.

It was even worse inside. The once-orderly building was now a battlefield, with bodies strewn across the floor and blood smeared on the walls. My paws slid on the wet floor as I darted inside, searching desperately for their scent.

It didn’t take long to identify Marshall’s. I scented him before I saw him in wolf form, drenched in blood. His jaws were locked around the neck of a dead alpha, also in wolf form. His dark eyes were wild, glowing with a feral intensity.

This wasn’t the Marshall I knew. This wasn’t the alpha who had stood beside me, fought to protect me, comforted me, touched me.

This was something else entirely—something wild and broken.

I took a step forward, my movements slow and deliberate. His growls deepened, his body tensing as his ears flicked toward me. He didn’t turn, his focus still on the body clutched in his jaws, but I could see the warning in his posture.

Marshall, I sent through our bond.

He didn’t respond, but I kept trying. The bond was strong and steady now that I was near him. He had to be able to hear me. He had to.

He growled, low and guttural. It reverberated through the room and made the hairs along my spine stand on end.

It’s me.

I took another step. My wolf crouched low, her posture submissive, her instincts screaming at me to be cautious.Marshall’s body remained rigid, his grip on the limp alpha’s neck unyielding. I moved closer, my paws carefully navigating the blood-soaked floor.

I’m here. Come back to me.

His growl deepened, but I didn’t stop.

When I was close enough, I pressed myself against his side, my fur brushing against his. His body stiffened, a tremor rippling through him as my scent enveloped him. I wondered if the bond wasn’t strong enough to pull him back, and I yanked harder on our connection, pouring love, affection, and comfort into it.

It’s okay. It’s me,I said.

Slowly, he turned his head toward me. His eyes met mine, and my breath hitched.

I held my breath as I waited.

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