Page 108 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

Jack exhales sharply, but he doesn’t argue. He knows better. Instead, he turns to the others, lifting a hand—a silent signal. And that’s all it takes.

Alice is already moving. No wasted words. Her eyes sharpen, and then she shifts—seamlessly, powerfully. Her massive wolf explodes forward, muscles rippling beneath thick fur, charging straight for the house. The others follow instantly, shifting mid-motion, their wolves hitting the ground at full sprint, barreling down the hill toward the estate like a force of nature.

It doesn’t take long for the enemy to notice. And then, they shift too. A flood of dark-furred wolves pouring from the property, rushing to meet us at the base of the hill.

The distance closes fast. The first lines slam into each other in a frenzy of snarling and snapping, claws ripping, teeth sinking into flesh. Blood sprays, painting the dry earth. Pained squeals rip through the air, mixing with deep, guttural growls.

I catch a glimpse of Alice tearing through enemies with ruthless efficiency, her wolf a whirlwind of power, ripping through bodies like a butcher’s knife through raw meat. Jack shifts beside me, his wolf launching into the chaos.

And now, it’s my turn.

I inhale sharply, pulling in as much air as my lungs can hold, fueling the shift that surges through me like wildfire. It starts with the fangs—sharp, extending with a flash of white. Then the claws, unsheathing like razor-sharp daggers. My muscles coil, my body tenses, and in a blink, my bones snap and rearrange, fur bursting from my skin.

And then I am no longer a man. I am a beast. A relentless, vicious force of nature.

It isn’t just rage driving me. It’s not just some primal need to fight or a hunger for justice. No—this is desperation. My mate is out there. Katherine is out there. Trapped. Vulnerable. Under Valerian’s grasp in that torture house. And my wolf knows. It feels it. The bond between us burns like a live wire, sending a fury through my veins so raw, so consuming, it drowns out everything else.

I lunge forward, Jack right beside me, and together, we carve through Valerian’s forces like a storm ripping through a forest. Wolves fall at our feet, their bodies torn apart in our wake. My claws slice, my teeth snap, the taste of blood thick on my tongue. Paws thunder against the earth. Bones crunch beneath the weight of our attack. The battlefield is chaos—growls and yelps echo around us.

Alice is off in the distance, a deadly force on her own, shredding through enemies with raw, ruthless precision. But no matter how many we take down, they just keep coming.

And that’s when I realize how much of a disadvantage me have because of our numbers.

At first, it’s subtle. We stop advancing. We’re stuck, locked in place, slashing and biting but unable to push forward. Every enemy we cut down is replaced by another, and another, and another. And then, they start gaining ground.

My wolves—my men—begin to fall. Their pained cries ring out through the battlefield, one after another, the scent of their blood thick in the air. Jack fights harder, Alice does too, and I push forward with everything in me. But even we can’t stop our forces from thinning.

Jack’s wolf meets my eyes, and I don’t need words to understand the question in them.Do we retreat?

It’s the smart choice. We’ve already called for reinforcements. Once they get here, this island will be ours in minutes.

But Katherine is in there.

And I’m not waiting another second.

I let out a long, piercing howl and lunge forward, shoving past Jack, past Alice, past my forces, straight into the enemy ranks. The sheer desperation to get to her fuels me, drives me through the waves of bodies like a force of nature. I tear through them all—claws ripping, teeth sinking into flesh, bodies crumbling in my wake.

For a moment, it feels like I can do this. Like I can push them back, clear a path, lead my pack forward.

But then… Pain. Sharp, searing pain as teeth sink into my tail.

I snarl, spinning around, jaws snapping onto my attacker’s throat. I rip through him with ease, but then another wolf is onme. Then another. Claws rake through my side, deep and brutal. A bite latches onto my paw, sharp fangs digging into flesh.

I am surrounded.

Their weight presses down on me, their claws and teeth cutting into my body from every direction. Blood spills from my wounds, my vision blurring at the edges as I fight to stay on my feet.

I have to push forward. I have to get to her.

I summon everything I have left, every last ounce of strength, and force myself forward. But it’s not enough. I’m pinned.

My allies are behind me, fighting to reach me, but they’re too far, struggling against the never-ending waves.

And then, the worst moment of all. A wolf lunges for my neck. Its jaws snap inches away, breath hot, teeth bared, ready to rip through my throat. I push back with everything I have, claws swiping, but I feel myself losing strength. I feel the wolves closing in, pressing harder, cutting me down inch by inch.

I can’t hold on much longer.

Just then… the air shifts. The wolves around me snarl, their focus suddenly snapping elsewhere. And like a battering ram through a door, my forces storm through. Reinforcements in tow.

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