Page 129 of The Alpha King's Fate

Most of the Hunters had their backs to him when he ran past the broken gate and rammed through them like a bull chasing a red flag. When he fought this new breed of Hunters at his hotel, he was partially shifted, only fighting at half strength. But they still felt like steel poles when he shoved them when they dug their heels into the ground. The Hunters turned back on him, but he was too close for them to fire on him. Some of them threw their weapons aside and squared up to him, surrounding him.

Like before, he noticed their eyes first. Dead. They were just soldiers following orders and nothing else. One threw a punch on the side of his head that whipped his head to the side and surprised him.

That was one hell of a punch. It would have knocked anyone else out. The pain rang through his ears but cleared quickly, thanks to Layla’s nature. He didn’t give them another chance. His jaws snapped, and his teeth sunk into any limb that came too close to him. How dare they think they could take his mate and get away with it. Limb by limb, he went through them, splashing their wall and the ground with their blood. The thirst he left unquenched in the town became only partially sated when the last Hunter lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

He lifted his head to look across the open gate with blood all over his fur and dripping from his mouth. Dylan and Chase came out from behind the cover of the trees, still in their human form.

Right. The talismans.

He expected the Hunters left inside the warehouse to come out and fight him, but they didn’t budge. It was as if they were waiting for him to enter their den.

He lowered his head and sniffed, following the pungent scent of dark magic along the wall. If they survived, he would find the witch who did this and rip them apart with his bare hands.

Finding the spelled ornaments on either side of the pillars didn't take long. Fucking gnomes again. He knocked them over and smashed them with his paw, and the overbearing scent immediately dissipated.

‘—the fuck is going on? Can you hear me?’

Dylan’s voice sounded loud in his head as the wolves inched closer.

‘I can, now. They’re waiting inside.’

He didn’t give them another warning before he turned and followed his nose. It was time. Even if the rest of the Hunters returned, they would not stop him from bathing in their blood.

Layla’s scent led him to the back of the building. The very place where the Hunters were gathered. Not just the Hunters; itwas everyone. The scent of wolf mingled with the putrid smell of the Hunters, the weak heartbeats among strong ones.

And fear. So much fear that he started to salivate.

‘There’s no door. No windows, either,’ Dylan mind-linked.

He looked back to see his people, several packs working together as they followed him, probably to their deaths.

‘Makes sense since it's a fucking prison.’

It took a while to find a door. It was small and set on a lower level with stairs leading down to it. He quickly shifted back to his human form and rushed down the narrow steps. The door was a little rusty, but it still took a few tries for him to knock it down. It fell with a loud thud, opening a dusty room with flickering dim lights.

‘A basement,’ Dylan said as he walked in behind him.

It was a forgotten room, that much was certain. Layers of dust covered stacked chairs and tables on one side and fuse boxes on the other. He stared at them for a moment before looking at Chase and Dylan. Both of them nodded as if they had the same idea.

Dylan walked over to the fuse boxes and then, one by one, switched them off. The basement lights switched off, bathing everything in darkness. Hunters were good in the dark, but wolves were better.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered.

He didn’t shift again as he headed for the door. This part of the building was empty; there would be no surprises. But there would be a wall of Hunters to get through before he found Layla.

Her scent got stronger. Each step towards her mended parts of him, but he would not be whole until Layla was in his arms again.

“What the fuck is this place?” Chase whispered.

An open door revealed a hospital bed with silver straps on it. His traitorous head of security, Ambrose, had been right.They were experimenting on wolves, and they had been dying to get their hands on Layla. His heart started to race. His anger returned in full force as he pictured Layla strapped down on one of those. Had they cut her? Broken her bones?

What state would she be in when he finally had her in his arms?

Enough. Those fuckers would not touch Layla again.

He jogged down the empty hallways with only one thought on his mind.

He’d kill them. He’d kill all of them.

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