Page 93 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
Movement rippled through the pack members positioned along the barricades. They'd heard every word, their enhancedhearing picking up the conversation easily. Dominic sensed their anger, their determination. Whatever doubts Xavier hoped to plant found no fertile ground here.
"You're not here to debate philosophy," Dominic said coldly. "State your terms or leave."
Xavier's false smile vanished, replaced by something ancient and terrible that ill-fit his human face. "Return the witch to me, and I'll allow your pack to live. Continue this pointless resistance, and I'll slaughter every last one of them while you watch."
Luna came forward before Dominic could stop her, her voice firm and fierce. "My name is Luna Mitchell, and I belong to none."
Stubborn, brave woman.
Xavier's gaze locked onto her, hunger evident in those bottomless eyes. "The little witch. How interesting you've become." His head tilted slightly. "There's more to you now, isn't there? Something…new."
Dominic moved instinctively, positioning himself between Luna and Xavier's gaze. "You have your answer. She stays with me. My pack stands united."
Xavier's expression hardened. "Such certainty." His eyes swept across the defenses, assessing. "Let's test that, shall we?"
He raised one hand, and the front line of hunters moved forward in perfect, unnatural unison. Dominic pressed the transmitter at his ear.
"Prepare to engage," he ordered. "Remember—the hunters are victims. If at all possible, avoid killing, but don't be afraid to defend yourself.”
Luna's body was warm against his as she pressed close to his side. "I can try to break his hold on them," she murmured desperately. "The spell might work, like it did for you."
Dominic shook his head. "Not yet. Save your strength." He nodded toward the darker shapes moving behind the hunters—twisted forms that no longer bothered with human pretense. "The demons are the greater threat."
The first wave hit the barricades with military precision, corrupted hunters using tactics Dominic himself had taught them. His pack fought back with coordinated resistance, years of training evident in their disciplined defense.
"Marcus," Dominic called into the transmitter. "Status on the western approach?"
"Clear so far," came the tense reply from where he was now disguised among the enemy hunters. "They're concentrating on the eastern front."
Too obvious. Xavier's smarter than that.
"Send a team to reinforce the northern perimeter," he ordered. "It's too quiet there."
As if summoned by his suspicion, howls of alarm sounded from the north. Dominic cursed under his breath.
"They're trying to flank us," he told Luna. "Stay here. Coordinate with Roman. I need to—"
"Go," she urged, already opening her grimoire. "I’ve got this."
He paused for a heartbeat before launching from the platform, his body changing mid-air. Bones cracked as they shifted, fur burst from his skin, and his wolf form emerged—a massive black wolf with silver streaks that stood out against the darkness. He was the largest wolf in the pack.
When he hit the ground, he sped across. His powerful legs propelled him forward, tearing through the forest toward the northern edge faster than any human could ever dream.
He spotted them.
Three demons had broken through the barriers. Their real shapes were monstrous, long limbs ending in claws sharp enough to slice through anything, faces stretched and warped, and their eyes burned with a cruel, unnatural fire. Two pack members lay nearby injured and bleeding on the forest floor.
Dominic lunged at the closest demon, sinking his massive jaws into what counted as its throat. The taste of ash and sulfur filled his mouth, stinging as his teeth ripped through the flesh. The demon let out a piercing shriek that rattled in his skull like shattering glass.
Pain tore into his side before he could go after another target. Sharp claws cut deep into his flesh as he spun around with a snarl to face the second demon.
This one moved faster, anticipating his attacks with unnerving accuracy.
He changed strategies, becoming unpredictable, calling on instincts rather than training. The demon faltered, not expecting the sudden shift in fighting style. Dominic pressed the advantage, driving the creature back toward where Kieran waited with a silver blade coated in blessed oil.
With a single, flawless stroke, the sword flashed and separated the demon's head from its body. After giving Dominic a somber nod, Kieran turned to help another pack member with the third demon.
An advantage of the magic inherent in the changes of born shifters, Dominic's tactical vest and pants reformed when he transformed back into human form as he concentrated.
