Page 56 of Fated to the Enemy Alpha

My breath hitched as wolves poured in through the garage door, their totem marks gleaming across their spines, a tribal banner of resistance against Magnus’s rule. Hope surged back through my veins, swelling and warming me from within. Stephen had brought reinforcements—his rogue wolves.

They streamed through the open space of the facility, zeroing in on the Blackthorn wolves circling the edge of the room. I caught glimpses of their fierce, determined faces amid the chaos, the sight igniting a fervor I had not anticipated. The blend of ferocity and loyalty was intoxicating, dissipating the darkness Magnus had cast over us for too long.

My heart raced as my gaze shot toward Betty and my mother, still visible through the door. Betty struggled to untie her grandmother’s bound hands, her small face etched with determination and fear.

My protective instincts ignited—heavy and fierce.

I have to get to them.

As I edged around the fighting wolves, I stole fleeting glances at Stephen, who stood his ground against Magnus’s hulking form, teeth snapping dangerously close to his son’s flank. Each rush of their jaws and rake of their claws threatened to distract me.

Yet, in the midst of my panic, I couldn’t help but admire Stephen’s formidable strength. His wolf was a majestic embodiment of the power he wielded. His grey coat shimmered in the fading light, muscles rippling beneath the surface as he moved with assured confidence. Every move exuded a powerful resolve, a clear declaration of his commitment to protect our daughter and me, alongside an unwavering intent to take Magnus down. In that moment, confidence surged through me. I knew he’d come through for us. That certainty in him allowed me to focus on my mother and daughter.

Darting toward the edge of the room, I dodged rippling muscle and fur, weaving between Magnus’s guards, who erupted from the shadows, snarling at the rogues. My heart raced as danger pulsed around me, but my focus thrummed with necessity—I needed to reach my family.

With one final push, I reached the door that separated me from my mother and daughter.

“Lina!” My mom gasped with relief.

“Mommy!” Betty’s voice lifted like a prayer amidst the chaos swirling around us, hope etched on her face.

“Keep her safe, Mom!” I shouted, determination surging through me. I dashed at the door, shoving it closed. The memory of my mother’s fierce protectiveness during my mate ceremony all those years ago, closing the hall’s door on me, shielding me from our enemies, echoed through me now. It was my turn to protect her and my daughter. A strange sense of comfort enveloped me, making me feel as if fate were on my side.

With that thought and all the fierceness of a mother’s love, I shed my white bridal dress and transformed into my wolf—bones cracking, muscles reforming under the weight of instinct. Clarity enveloped my senses, honing my resolve to guard my pup and my mom with every ounce of strength and breath in my body.

As my consciousness melded with my wolf, I felt her ferocity course through me. A massive Blackthorn wolf—a muscular brute with a dark grey coat and savage, hungry eyes—lunged for me, his claws glinting menacingly.

I barely dodged his attack, rolling to the side as he crashed into the door I’d just closed. The rush of adrenaline spiked through my system, transforming my fear into raw power and igniting my instinct to banish him away from my family.

When I sprang to my feet, I met the Blackthorn wolf head-on. There was no time to hesitate. I launched myself at him with a primal growl.

Teeth bared, the Blackthorn wolf lunged for my throat, his jaws snapping with lethal intent. I twisted and dodged, narrowly escaping. Pain jolted through me like fire as he scraped my side with ferocious claws. My wolf’s growl intensified, a fusion of pain and fury as he turned back to face me.

We collided—teeth and claws snapping together. My instincts sharpened as I maneuvered, finding my footing and dodging his blows. My heart raced, muscles propelling me forward, until finally, adrenaline fueled every sinew as I sank my teeth into the scruff of his neck.

With a howl that echoed off the walls, I pinned him down, needling my fangs into his shoulder with a ferocity that surprised me. The world around me faded as instinct drove me forward, my focus narrowing to the need to protect what mattered most. His growls transformed into whimpers as I claimed my victory, and he shrank away from me, keeping his belly low to the ground and cowering.

I turned my gaze back to the center of the room, the blur of the two greatest wolves locked in battle igniting my heart with dread and uncertainty clawing at my mind. One of them landed a decisive blow on the other’s flank, and a howl tore through the air—a sickening and haunting sound that shattered the chaos surrounding us. My stomach dropped as dread unfurled inside me.

Please let it be Magnus.

But with the two still entwined in a flurry of motion, I couldn’t tell if it was Stephen or Magnus who had been injured. The thought twisted into my gut, an icy grip constricting around my resolve.

No, it can’t be Stephen. Please, it can’t be Stephen.

Time seemed to stretch, the roar of the battle fading as I concentrated on their movements, praying that my mate would emerge unscathed. And, at that moment, when I didn’t know whether he’d won in the deadly dance we’d been engaged in for so long with Magnus, I realized that I’d been wrong. I did need him. Every fiber of my body and being ached with need for him.

I ran toward the blur, protectiveness surging through my veins, preparing to defend the man I loved with everything I had.

Chapter 22

Stephen

The pungent scent of blood filled the air, warm and metallic, as my claws sank deep into Magnus’s flesh. A howl tore from his throat, raw and anguished, as he pivoted away from me. He still leaped, dangerously, feigning going left, and I didn’t let my guard down yet but raked another claw over his shoulder so that he yelped and weaved again.

But he went to jump again and then collapsed…

Fuck, I’ve done it. Magnus is down.

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