Page 53 of Alpha's Hated Mate

Her face relaxes slightly. She believes him, or at least believes that he believes it. Thank the Goddess for those stupid myths about us.

“They’re gone.” He puts the key in the gate. I just hope he steps out of the way fast enough. “I’ll prove it.”

“No. Wait!”

The gate opens, and Aydan jumps out of the way.Go!I mind-link to the others. I bolt for the door, the others behind me. I angle myself toward Nadia, knocking her down as I come back into view, dropping my camouflage. She screeches, clawing out at me as she starts changing into her wolf. Her legs shift into haunches, and the next thing I feel is her back claws digging into my belly as she pushes me off her. I fall backward, and she scrambles to her feet, a full white wolf, and dashes out of the room.

I look over my shoulder just in time to see Aydan changing to his wolf as well.Let’s get her,he mind-links.

Out of the underground, we emerge, chasing the white flash of fur through the darkness of the woods. I’m mind-linking orders to the others to flank her and move around to cut off her path. It’s working. She tries to zig-zag off the path, but very quickly, she finds herself face to face with a line of angry Scarlet Wolves.

She stops and turns just as Aydan and I and several of the others block her way back.It’s over,I mind-link.Surrender quietly and no one needs to be hurt.

She growls and snaps at me.You do not command me, Scarlet, no matter how you’ve entrapped my brother. I am in control.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed,Aydan chimes in,but you’re outnumbered and outgunned.He steps forward, his head held high as he steps in front of me.Nadia, please don’t make us hurt you.

Hurt me? You could never hurt me. It’s what I’ve been trying to show you, Aydan. We can be the wolves that we are meant to be. We can make it all right again . . . but you will not listen to reason, so I must show you.

A blood-red streak appears on her forehead, spreading out through her fur like a gaping wound, staining the white into a shade of crimson.

I am the fury of our ancestors.Her inner voice warps as her eyes change from crystal blue to sanguine, her teeth lengthening in her ever-growing snout.I am the justice long deferred. I am your future . . .

Her body changes from the small white wolf she was and grows and morphs into a creature so large that it starts to fill the clearing. Everyone steps back as a flurry of panicked voices rushes into my mind. Large malformed claws gouge the ground, and her great head blocks the moon and the sky above us. Nadia has become a living nightmare. She crouches down and snarls at us, the sound thrumming through the air like tiny pebbles against my brain.

I am the Blood Lycan!

She rears back her head, and I realize, too late, that we’ve all rushed headlong into her plans. We were meant to be her army . . . and now we’re all around her, ready to be commanded.

The howl of a million wolves spills out of her and pierces my chest. Suddenly, I can’t breathe, and my limbs are losing strength. I stumble and fall to the dirt, and as I look around, I watch as the others collapse as well. We are hopeless against this creature.

A flash of white and a growl rush past me. I look up in time to see Aydan leaping up at the creature, attacking its neck. He latches on, and the monster’s howl stops, replaced by an angry growl.

I try to stagger to my feet, but those few seconds of her howl has taken so much out of me. I stumble and fall, then stumble again. This time, my stance is wobbly, but I’m up.

Aydan digs his teeth and claws into her as she whips her head back and forth to try to jar him loose. Unlike the last time, however, he’s staying with her, burying his teeth into her fur and staying firmly attached.

I try to mind-link to the others to attack, but . . . but something is wrong. I can barely think . . . I can barely . . .

I shake my head to force myself to stay conscious. I’m not blacking out this time. I try to rush forward, but my feet drag and I’m on the ground again. Aydan needs our help. He’s not going to be able to stop her alone.

The rumble fills the air, and the darkness splits as a rush of wolves enters the clearing and leaps at the Blood Lycan, claws and teeth bared. A silver wolf and a jet-black wolf lead the pack. Joy leaps up within me as the realization that it’s Chad and Yarra with the security team. The cavalry has arrived.

Get to safety!It’s Chad commanding us all to do what we do best. Hide in the shadows. I don’t want to hide, however. I want to fight with them. All I can do now is lie in the dirt and watch as the beast throws the wolves off one by one, swiping at them with her jagged claws. Wolves fly in all directions.

Chad, Aydan, and Yarra avoid her worst attacks, dodging her gigantic jaws as she snaps at them. My strength is starting to return, and in the noise, I hear the other Scarlets.

We’ll never win against that thing . . .

It’s enormous. It’ll rip us to pieces once it’s done with them . . .

. . . weakens us with its howl! How can we fight a thing like that?!

I climb to my feet. They’re all right, of course. All it has to do is howl and we’ll either be drained or come running to her aid. I dread hearing that sound again. I have to do something.

Aydan falls from the beast as she whips her head with one hard jolt. He rolls away for a few paces before he stops. But the monster doesn’t let him recover. She turns, teeth bared.

Chad leaps up and swipes at its left eye, blinding it momentarily. It roars out in pain, and the trees shake around us.

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