Page 110 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

Katherine’s scream cuts through the haze of pain—raw, desperate, terrified. And it fuels me.

I push past the agony, forcing my body to shift again. It’s brutal this time, like ripping myself apart while already torn open. My wolf form is a mess of deep gashes and bite marks, my blood soaking into the dirt. But I don’t care. I push forward, straight for Valerian.

He shifts the second I do, but I’m faster. The moment his transformation completes, I’m already on him. My claws rake across his face, slicing deep, sending blood splattering. His wolf snarls, the sting of my strike burning in his eyes. But before I can go for another hit, he moves—fast.

Too fast.

He slams into me, and I don’t have the strength to counter. My wounds slow me down, pain locking up my limbs. I hit theground hard, the weight of his wolf pressing into me. Then the real damage begins.

One strike. Then another. Again and again, his claws tear into my chest, ripping deeper, reopening wounds that were barely holding together.

My vision swims. My wolf whines. My body fades.

I can’t fight back.

Valerian throws his head back and howls, triumphant, victorious. Then his gaze drops to mine, and even in his wolf form, I see it. The satisfaction. The way he savors this moment, dragging it out just to let it sink in that he’s won.

Then he leans in, and I know what’s coming.

His fangs lower toward my neck, and this is it. This is where he ends it. This is where he rips my throat out and leaves me to bleed out in the dirt.

But that’s not what hurts the most. The real pain is what I see over his shoulder.

Katherine. Bound. Helpless. Her face twisted in horror as she watches.

I failed her.

My wolf whines again, a broken sound, and I know what he’s saying.I’m sorry.It’s all I can think as my eyes close, accepting what’s coming.

But then. A loud snarl breaks through. A blur. A sickening crunch. Valerian howls in pain. It all happens so fast.

I gasp, my eyes snapping open just in time to see it. Alice, her massive wolf form, tearing into Valerian’s wolf with sheer, unbridled ferocity. She rips his arm clean off.

Alice lands heavily, spinning back on her paws, muscles tensed, ready to strike again. Valerian staggers, his body turning on his heels, attempting to counter strike..

But I don’t let him. I use everything—every ounce of energy, every last shred of strength I have left—and I lunge.

My fangs sink into his throat, deep, as I shake violently, my entire body rattling with raw, merciless fury. And then, with a final, brutal jerk, I tear his head from his body. His corpse collapses. His head rolls from my mouth.

He’s dead. Finally. But I can barely muster any strength to even bask in it. Everything fades. My knees buckle. My vision swims. And I fall as my body starts to shift once again into my human form.

The world around me—the battle, the blood, the pain—it’s all fading into something distant, something weightless. My body feels cold. My breath barely stirs in my lungs. I can feel the warmth of my blood spilling out of me. Death is here. It’s wrapping around me, whispering for me to let go.

I manage to look forward, my vision blurry and faint. I see Alice shift back, her wolf form melting away into her human one. She moves quickly to Katherine and kneels, her fingers deftly working at the binds around her wrists. The ropes fall away.

Katherine gasps, her hands trembling as she brings them in front of her, rubbing at the raw skin, her breath coming in frantic bursts.

She’s free.

A weak smile pulls at my lips. At least she’s safe. At least she has Alice. If I die here, if I let the darkness take me, she won’t be alone. Alice will protect her. Alice will make sure she’s safe.

A sharp cry rips through the air.

“Alex!”

Katherine is suddenly beside me, her hands grabbing at mine, squeezing, pressing, her touch so warm, so alive against my skin. She shakes me, her fingers tightening.

“No, no, no—please, no!” Her voice is breaking. Cracking with something raw and unbearable. “You can’t die, Alex. You can’t!”

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