Page 102 of Taken By the Alpha Priest

The thought surges through me, hot and undeniable. He’s a threat—a coward hiding behind a gun, who would sell me out in a heartbeat if it suited him. He’d betray his own people, let them starve, just to keep his illusion of power intact. Ending him now would save me, save the pack, and maybe even save Homestead from itself.

My hand tightens into a fist, trembling as I hover over him, my breath ragged.

“Do it,” he spits, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “You think you’re so much better than me? Prove it.”

The full moon urges me to violence. My blood surges, hot and wild, as Patrick lies beneath me, vulnerable and pathetic. The gun is so close—just an arm’s length away. I could grab it now, pull the trigger, and be done with him. Or I could ignore the gun entirely. My claws, my teeth—they’re more than enough.

I’ve killed before, more times than I care to count. And if I’m being honest with myself, some of those people probably didn’t deserve it. Patrick, though? Patrick does. He locked me in a cage for six straight days. He pulled a gun on me. He let his petty hatred and ego get in the way of an alliance that could have saved lives. If he lives, he’ll keep hurting people. He’ll keep hurting my sister.

My hands twitch, aching to finish this, but I force myself to stillness.

If I kill him now, it won’t just be me proving his worst fears about lycanthropy—it’ll be me proving them to Enid, too. And I can’t do that to her.

My breath hitches as I grab the gun. The weight of it in my hands feels almost too familiar. For one terrifying moment, I think I might use it anyway. But I don’t. Instead, I thumb the safety on, holding Patrick’s gaze the entire time, letting him see just how much control I have. Then, with a sharp flick of my wrist, I toss the gun into the brush. It lands with a dull thud, swallowed by the shadows.

Patrick cowers, his chest heaving with shallow, panicked breaths. His eyes dart between me and the place where the gun disappeared, as though he’s still holding out hope he might get it back. He won’t.

I plant my feet firmly on either side of him, standing tall. My shadow stretches over him in the moonlight, and I can feel the power in my stance, the dominance that he can’t begin to match. “I want to make it very clear that I’m making a choice,” I say, my voice low and steady. Each word lands like a blow, and I watch as his body flinches with every syllable. “My choice is not to kill you, even though I have the opportunity and you certainly wouldn’t have hesitated to kill me.”

Patrick swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he nods, but I’m not done. I crouch down, leaning closer so that my face is just inches from his. My voice drops even lower, a dangerous growl beneath the words. “Do you know why I’m letting you live, Patrick? It’s not because you deserve it. You don’t. It’s because my pack aren’t monsters. I’m not a monster. You’re the only monster here.”

He doesn’t say anything, his wide, terrified eyes fixed on mine.

“Homestead would be safer without you,” I continue, my voice dripping with venom. “But I’m giving you this one chance to make it right. If you want to lead these people, then you better start acting like a leader instead of a coward hiding behind a gun.”

Patrick’s lips tremble as he mutters, “Okay. I get it. You’re in charge.”

I bare my teeth in a mockery of a smile, leaning even closer. “And one more thing,” I say, my voice soft but no less deadly. “If you ever lay a hand on my sister—or even think about hurting her—I will come back. And I will end you.”

The weight of my words presses down on him, and he nods frantically, sputtering half-formed promises of compliance. His hands dig into the gravel, his body pinned by fear as much as my presence.

I straighten slowly, taking my time as I rise back to my full height. Patrick stays glued to the ground, his trembling hands still clutching the dirt like it might save him.

“Stay down, Patrick,” I say, my voice cold and final. “That’s where you belong.”

Without sparing him another glance, I turn on my heel and stride toward the fence. My heart pounds with adrenaline, and my senses stay sharp, scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. I’ve made my point. Enid will be safer with the pack, and Patrick knows better than to test me again.

She’ll be safe. She has to be. Because if she’s not, I won’t hesitate to come back and finish what I started.

The moonlight catches me mid-step, its glow filtering through the red haze of the Celestial Curtain. I’d never thought much of the full moon before—not like Reyes or the others do—but tonight it feels different. It’s not just a light in the sky. It’s a force, searing and commanding, far more powerful than I ever imagined.

I choke out a grunt as the power washes over me, dropping to my knees in the dirt. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my body shuddering as though I’ve been struck by lightning. My skin feels too tight, my muscles burning with a heat that’s both agonizing and exhilarating.

Something is wrong.

No. Not wrong.

It’s inevitable.

My fingers dig into the ground, nails scraping against the dirt as my hands tremble. No, not hands—claws. I watch, wide-eyed, as my fingers lengthen and twist, nails darkening and curving into sharp points. My arms ripple with new muscle, the bones beneath shifting, popping, reshaping themselves into something entirely other.

I scream, or try to, but the sound that escapes my throat isn’t human. It’s guttural, raw, the growl of an animal. My back arches, my spine stretching and snapping with each agonizing shift. My clothes strain and tear, falling away in tatters as fur begins to sprout across my body—sleek and dark, catching the faint moonlight.

The pain is unbearable, but beneath it, something else stirs. A power I’ve never known. A sense of belonging, of completion. Like this is what I was always meant to be.

My vision sharpens as my eyes shift, the world suddenly brighter and clearer. Every blade of grass, every crack in the fence ahead of me is illuminated with stunning clarity. My senses explode—scents, sounds, and sights I’ve never noticed flooding my mind all at once. The world is alive, vivid, and so am I.

I don’t know how long it takes. Seconds? Minutes? An eternity? But when the pain finally subsides, I rise to my feet—or rather, to my paws. My limbs are powerful, every muscle honed and ready. I glance down at my claws, flexing them experimentally, and a shiver of exhilaration runs through me.

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