Chapter 165

Chapter 165
Erin's POV

After successfully escaping from the East Claw base, I ducked into a shadowy alley, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. Holy shit, that was close! I leaned against the cold brick wall, breathing heavily. In the distance, explosions and wolf howls were already clearly audible. No time to rest.

I pulled my hat lower and wrapped my coat tightly around me, blending into the rapidly moving crowd on the street. My wolf sensed the tension permeating the air—like the oppressive calm before a storm, except this storm would bring blood and fire.

Alexander, where are you? My wolf paced restlessly inside me, ears perked and alert to everything around us.

On Seattle's streets, werewolves moved as if pulled by invisible strings, all heading in the same direction. I carefully merged into this flow, ears pricked to catch surrounding conversations.

"East Claw won't back down tonight," a muscular werewolf muttered to his companion, his eyes flashing with excitement. "Fletcher's been waiting for this moment for a long time."

"Black Stone's reign needs to end," his friend responded, licking his lips. "Seattle will have a new master tomorrow."

Damn it, this is worse than I thought! My heartbeat accelerated, cold sweat breaking out on my palms.

A tall werewolf covered in tattoos suddenly bumped into my shoulder. He leaned down and sniffed forcefully, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Omega?" he growled, "Get back to your den, bitch. Tonight's not your night to be out."

I lowered my eyes in fake submission while frantically searching for an escape route from my peripheral vision. Just as his rough hand was about to grab my arm, a strong arm reached out from the darkness and yanked me into the alley.

My wolf instincts triggered instantly, claws half-extended, ready to attack—

"Jesus, Erin! It's me!"

I blinked in surprise and retracted my claws. "Chris? What are you doing here?"

"Shit, I've been looking everywhere for you!" He gripped my shoulders tightly, his anxious eyes quickly scanning my body. "Lila called me six hours ago saying you'd disappeared! I've been going out of my mind!"

"I'm sorry, I—" Just as I started to explain, a group of East Claw werewolves passed by the entrance to the alley. We both held our breath, pressing closer to the shadows of the wall.

"What the hell is happening?" Chris whispered once the werewolves had moved on, his brow furrowed. "The entire city's gone crazy. I've never seen so many werewolves active on the streets at once."

"East Claw is planning a major attack," I explained hurriedly, "Alexander is the target. We need to find him NOW!"

Five minutes later, we were in Chris's car navigating the chaotic streets. I frantically dialed Alexander's and Greyson's numbers, but only endless busy signals answered me.

"FUCK!" I slammed my fist against the window. "This is all my fault for not seeing through Jasper's game sooner! Alexander must be in danger now."

"Wait, Jasper? Your intern?" Chris nearly hit a parked car and swerved sharply to avoid it.

"He's not just a regular member," I said through gritted teeth, a complex mixture of emotions rising in my chest. "He got close to me to get to Alexander."

The car radio suddenly burst into urgent tones: "Breaking news! A major explosion has occurred at the Seattle Art Center, with multiple casualties confirmed. Police are cordoning off the area, and preliminary investigations suggest this might be a terrorist attack..."

Just then, Greyson finally answered his phone, his voice tense. "Now's not the time, Erin."

"Listen!" I was practically shouting, "The Art Center is just a diversion! The real target is Alexander! East Claw has already—"

"We know," he cut me off, "Alexander is safe."

"No, you don't understand!" I clutched the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. "I saw them gathering hundreds of werewolves! This isn't a normal territory dispute—this is full-scale WAR!"

A deafening explosion came from the other end of the call just as Chris jerked the steering wheel, distracted. Our car crashed into a fire hydrant. Water shot up like a fountain, drenching the windshield.

"Greyson!" I yelled into the phone, "Tell me where Alexander is!"

After a few seconds of silence, he said in a low voice, "Black Stone territory border near Mount Rainier." Then the call disconnected.

"Drive!" I commanded, and Chris hesitated for just a second, looking at the damaged hood, before restarting the car.

---

Fifteen minutes later, we parked the car beside a forest path at the foot of Mount Rainier. Wolf howls echoed from deep within the forest, and the air was thick with the smell of blood. My wolf clawed anxiously at my insides, desperate to rush out.

"We need to find Alexander," I told Chris, already removing my jacket to prepare for shifting.

"Wait, Erin!" Chris grabbed my arm. "This is insane! Listen to those sounds—there must be dozens of werewolves fighting!"

"No time to hesitate," I shook off his hand. "You wait here."

"Not a chance! I'm coming with you."

We moved quickly through the dense trees in the darkness, each step careful and deliberate. Suddenly, Chris tripped over something and let out a muffled grunt.

I turned to see a person lying on the ground. Her golden hair and features were strikingly similar to Lydia's, but her right leg had a horrific wound, white bone clearly visible.

"Help... me," she moaned weakly, blood gushing from the wound on her leg.

I immediately crouched down, pulling a clean handkerchief from my pocket and pressing it against the wound. "Who are you?"

"Sarah... Black Stone warrior," she twisted her face in pain. "Been impersonating Lydia since the truck attack... protection plan..."

So that wasn't Lydia at all! My eyes widened in shock.

"Where's Alexander?" I asked urgently.

"We... were ambushed," Sarah coughed, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. "He led those bastards away... buying us... time..."