Track them down

Track them down
TERENCE

I shiver in anger as the truth sinks deeper into my bones—my own adopted son dared betray me. Betray me, the Alpha who raised him, fed him, gave him purpose. My hands shake as I pour another drink, the strong liquid burning down my throat. It does nothing to calm me. The rage inside me is too big, too alive.

I slam the glass on the table so hard it cracks. “Joseph!” I growl his name like a curse, my claws almost tearing into the wood. “You dare humiliate me in front of everyone? You dare free Shanella when I was about to make her my Luna?”

My wolf is pacing inside me, snarling, restless. Rip him apart. Hunt him. Tear him limb from limb, it whispers.

The door bursts open and several rogues rush inside. One of them, covered in dirt and sweat, bows quickly.
“Alpha Terence!” he pants, “Joseph and Marla have escaped too!”

I rise so fast the chair crashes to the ground. “What did you just say?”

“They’re gone, Alpha!” the rogue repeats, almost stumbling backward under my glare. “They took one of the old motorbikes and headed east!”

My breathing becomes ragged. My vision blurs with red. My hands turn to claws as I grab the rogue by the collar and slam him against the wall.

“You mean to tell me,” I snarl through gritted teeth, “that the traitor and that useless she-wolf managed to slip through all of you? And no one caught them?”

The rogue whimpers. “We—we tried, Alpha. They were fast. Joseph must have planned this. He knew the patrol schedules—”

“Of course he knew!” I roar, shoving him away so hard he crashes to the floor. “I raised him! I taught him everything! He used my own training to run from me!”

My chest heaves as I pace the room. I can hear my pack outside, whispering, their fear spreading like wildfire. Good. Let them fear me. Let them know what happens to those who cross me.

Another rogue, a tall one named Felix, steps forward carefully. “Alpha… do we chase them?”

I turn, my lips curling into a cruel smile. “Chase them? Oh, we won’t just chase them, Felix. We will hunt them down like the traitorous rats they are. And when I find Joseph…” I pause, my claws flexing. “I will make sure his death is slow.”

“But Alpha…” Felix hesitates. “What about Shanella? If she makes it to King Philip, she could tell him everything. The White Fur Kingdom will—”

“I don’t care!” I snap, my voice booming. “Let the White Fur Kingdom come! Let the Moon Crest Pack, Mystic Shadow, Golden Fur—let them all come! I am not afraid of any of them! They will learn what it means to cross me!”

Inside, my wolf howls with bloodlust. War, it whispers. Let them come. We will crush them all.

I grab my bottle again and drink deeply, letting the alcohol scorch my throat. Then I slam it down and turn to the rogues.

“Gather every warrior we have,” I order. “I want patrols in every direction. I want trackers on their scent before the moon rises tonight. I want Joseph and Marla dragged back here, alive if possible—so I can kill them myself.”

“Yes, Alpha!” the rogues say in unison before rushing out.

I stand there for a moment, breathing heavily. My heart is still thundering, my body buzzing with fury. I can still see Shanella’s face when she escaped, those defiant eyes staring at me. And Joseph—my so-called son—helping her.

I smash the cracked glass against the wall, shards scattering across the floor.

“She was supposed to be mine,” I mutter to myself, my voice hoarse. “My Luna. My Queen. No one says no to me.”

I grab a chair and throw it across the room. The wood splinters, satisfying but not enough. Nothing will satisfy me until I have her back, until I have Joseph kneeling before me, begging for mercy I will never give.

Minutes later, Felix returns, panting. “Alpha, the trackers have picked up their trail. They’re heading to the river crossing.”

“Good,” I snarl. “Send the fastest warriors. Cut them off. If they resist, kill Marla. But bring Joseph to me. He dies by my hands.”

Felix bows. “As you command.”

When he leaves, I sink into the remaining chair, my claws digging into the armrest. My mind is racing. Shanella thinks she can run back to her precious kingdom, to King Philip, and be safe. She thinks she can bring her pack and her allies against me.

I grin darkly. “Let her try,” I whisper. “Let her gather them all. I will burn every pack that dares stand with her. I will paint the forest with their blood.”

The door creaks open again. One of the she-wolves who dressed Shanella yesterday steps inside timidly. “Alpha,” she says softly, “do you… want us to prepare another ceremony when we catch her?”

I laugh, a dark, cruel sound that makes her flinch. “Oh, there will be no ceremony next time,” I say. “Next time, she will not wear a wedding dress. She will wear chains.”

I stand, towering over the she-wolf. “And if she dares defy me again, I will end her life in front of every rogue here. Let them all see what happens when you cross Alpha Terence.”

The she-wolf nods quickly and backs out of the room.

I stare out the window, watching the sun dip lower. Somewhere out there, Joseph and Shanella are running. But they can’t run forever.

My wolf growls in agreement. We will find them, it promises. We will tear them apart.

I take a deep breath, the air thick with the scent of anger, fear, and determination. “Run while you can,” I whisper to the empty room. “Because when I find you, Joseph, you will wish you had died the night you betrayed me.”

My claws scrape the wooden table as I let out a final, low growl. The hunt has begun.