Page 136 of The Alpha King's Fate

The Commander turned to run to the end of the aisle but stumbled to a stop. The Alpha King stood at the end, his grey fur splattered with blood, his huge teeth bared, and his hackles raised. The Commander had nowhere to go.

“I order you to attack,” the cowardly Hunter spluttered. He removed the gas mask and looked at the Hunters near him. His face paled, but his scars remained prominent. “Why aren’t you moving?”

Because they were hers. It was a relief to know that, whatever the hunters decided to do, their creations would still have to follow their true masters.

‘Open the cages and free my people,’ Nia commanded.

The Hunters turned to the cages with their weapons and started hitting the locks until the doors opened. The wolvesinside quickly slid out to the floor, tears flowing down her cheeks as they finally stretched their legs without the risk of silver poisoning.

“What are you doing?” the Commander whispered repeatedly.

The monster’s heart was still racing, and his breathing came out harshly as he looked around the darkened room.

The moment he surrendered showed in his beady eyes. Layla’s relief was palpable as the Commander dropped to his knees.

“I worked my whole life for this. Why would you betray me,” the Commander whispered.

Jax shifted and walked towards the monster.

“You think you can play God with no consequences? You will never win. Once you’re dead and gone, I will destroy the rest of your people. I will not rest until I do,” Jax growled.

He lifted his hand, ready to bring it down on the Commander.

‘Stop!’

The Commander was hers. For forcing her to betray her people, for putting them in cages and watching them die.

When Nia got the Commander, she didn’t recoil as she did when they killed Hailey. She watched everything. Felt everything. Enjoyed everything.

When the lights flickered on a long time later, there was nothing identifiable left of the Commander. She lifted her head, breathing heavily, and realised she was surrounded.

One by one, the wolves lowered their heads.

She redeemed herself. She’d saved them. There was no one left to fight. Nia did the job she was born to do.

Her pain surged back up when she looked back at Jax and saw the worry in his eyes. She felt it. They were so deeply connected that he could tell something wasn’t right.

‘I need everyone able-bodied to come and tend to the injured,’ Jax commanded in the pack link. ‘I need to tend to the Queen.’

She turned away from him and walked out of the warehouse. The hounds were standing still outside, the same way the Hunters were. She walked past them, following her nose and ears to the front door.

The other wolves stopped and lowered their gazes when she walked past. Two giant wolves that she knew were Ryker and Brax whined and waged their tails like excited puppies. They were enamoured with her the most when they learned what she was.

But she would never be the red wolf again.

The fresh air outside the main entrance cleared her head. She couldn’t even remember how long she was stuck inside without the sun on her face.

“What’s wrong, Layla? Why are you feeling so... lost?”

She turned back to the man who walked out behind her.

‘Run with me, Jax,’ she pleaded.

For the first and last time.

She could give Nia that, at the very least, for her sacrifice.

She didn’t have to ask twice. The sun was shining, so the risk of being discovered was very high. But Jax shifted and came to stand beside her. He briefly licked her bloody face before leading the way out of the base. There were bodies littered everywhere, both wolf and Hunter, but Jax didn’t stop. He walked out of the front gates that looked broken beyond repair and headed for the woods beyond.

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