Chapter 145

Our group had temporarily split into two. Twenty of us moved directly from the casino district to Alpha Iskander’s mansion, while the others stayed behind to deal with the casino’s workers. I barely registered that Bopha was with us. My focus was entirely on the mission, so much so that she became just another fighter in our ranks. No matter how much she tried, I refused to let her distract me. But when she suddenly appeared beside me, her expression razor-sharp with determination, her body taut with adrenaline just like mine, I realized she wasn’t here to test me—at least, not in the way she usually did. That was a relief. The last thing I needed was another fight with her in a moment this crucial.

We moved together, nearly shoulder to shoulder, toward the wire fence that enclosed the Alpha’s estate. As we walked, I stole a quick glance at her. Bruises were already surfacing on her right shoulder, one creeping across her collarbone, another darkening her cheek. A cut split her lower lip, fresh blood marking her skin, yet her face remained eerily composed, betraying not the slightest hint of pain.

"You all right?" I asked, nudging her elbow with quiet concern.

She shot me a glare, her voice sharp. "What do you care?"

"I'm making sure you're still fit to fight," I answered evenly.

Her lips curled in irritation. "Don't act like you're our Luna already," she snapped.

That was it. I grabbed her wrist, yanking her to a stop. "Maybe it’s my damn human nature, or maybe I just don’t feel like dragging your corpse off the ground today. That’s the only reason I asked." My voice was cold, my eyes locked onto hers.

For the first time, she looked taken aback. "I... I'm fine," she muttered, hesitating for just a second.

"Good. Hope you heal fast." I released her and strode forward, quickly catching up to Kenzo.

He was in constant communication with the rest of our teams through his earpiece. When his latest call ended, a smirk ghosted across his lips—a silent confirmation that the other groups had handled their part. As soon as I reached him, he grabbed my hand, pulling me closer.

"They didn’t hurt you, did they?" His sharp gaze swept over me, scanning for injuries.

I smirked. "They didn’t even get close."

"That’s my girl." He ran a hand through my hair. "But stay sharp. Alpha Iskander’s elite fighters won’t go down easily. They’re trained to shift almost instantly, and they will shift. The only reason the guards at the casino didn’t was because they’re vulnerable during transformation."

"I know." I nodded, already preparing for the battle ahead.

We crouched low in the thick brush a few meters outside the fence, concealed by the early morning fog. Dawn was approaching, the sky overcast and brooding—a perfect advantage, obscuring us from prying eyes. Still, we had to stay put until Soren, our tech specialist, disabled the estate’s thermal cameras.

Soren was built for this—small, agile, and fast. I watched as he moved like liquid shadow, slipping past the fence with effortless grace, weaving between security patrols without a sound. Then, in a blink, he was gone, swallowed by the mansion’s darkness.

Less than a minute later, Kenzo’s earpiece crackled—the signal was given. The cameras were down. It was time.

One by one, the wolves vaulted the fence with inhuman ease. I, on the other hand, had never tested my limits like this before. Scaling the barrier seemed like the smarter choice, so I climbed fast, flipping over the barbed wire at the top before landing on my feet.

I was only a second behind the others, but it was enough for Bopha to shoot me a mocking smirk as she landed ahead of me. Of course. She never missed an opportunity to get under my skin.

Under Kenzo’s quick directives, we broke off into pairs and spread out toward the mansion. I was paired with Leif, which I didn’t mind—his combat skills at the casino had been nothing short of lethal.

Moving swiftly to a back entrance, we dispatched the guards without a sound. Our intelligence had reported that a crucial meeting was scheduled to take place in Alpha Iskander’s audience hall at precisely eight o’clock. It was barely past seven, but we knew most of his warriors were already inside. Our objective was simple: disable the communication room before they had a chance to call for reinforcements.

We climbed the stairs, pressing forward with silent urgency. I took the lead, Leif close behind. My heartbeat was steady but strong, my body thrumming with heightened awareness. Then, I felt it—an evolution of my senses. I could smell the enemy. Not just their presence, but their emotions. I couldn’t explain how, but hostility carried a distinct scent, sharper than sound itself. I could sense them before I even heard their footsteps.

Three more floors to go. Luck was on our side—the guards were stationed elsewhere.

"We’re close," Leif murmured, glancing at the blueprints on his smartwatch. "Top floor, third door on the right."

Only three guards stood in our way.

I struck first, a roundhouse kick to the ribs sending one crashing down. Before he could react, a swift punch to the jaw finished the job. Leif took care of the second with a crushing uppercut to the chin, while I stepped in to silence the last before he could raise the alarm.

We had made it. Now, we just had to cut them off from the outside world.

We sprinted toward the communication room, and with a single, powerful kick, Leif sent the door flying open. But we hadn’t anticipated what waited for us inside. The moment the door gave way, gunfire erupted, forcing us to retreat, pressing ourselves against the walls on either side of the entrance.

"Shit! They're using aconite bullets!" Leif growled, pulling out his gun.

I hesitated. My fingers tightened around the firearm I had been given, but I couldn’t bring myself to raise it. I had never taken a life before, and I wasn’t about to start now. But the shots kept coming, and there was no doubt the entire mansion had been alerted. Within moments, that hallway would be swarming with guards, most of whom would have already shifted into their wolf forms.

"Thalassa!" Leif’s voice cut through the chaos, his sharp gaze locking onto my frozen stance. "You don’t have to kill. Aim for the legs, arms—shoulders, if you have to."

I swallowed hard and nodded. Taking a steadying breath, I closed my eyes for just a second, focusing on the sounds inside the room. Two shooters. I had to wait for at least one of them to reload.

"Now!" I roared, rolling into the doorway before either of them could react. My fingers squeezed the trigger.

My bullets found their marks—one shooter collapsed instantly, clutching his leg, while the other staggered, dropping his weapon as pain overtook him. It gave Leif the opening he needed. In a flash, he was inside, disarming both men with brutal efficiency. The rest of the communications staff never stood a chance—they weren’t warriors. Taking them down was the easiest part of the mission.

Now, all that remained was the destruction of their communication system.

Leif and I exchanged a glance, wicked grins stretching across our faces. If we had to fight this war, we might as well enjoy the satisfying part. In seconds, we tore through every console, every device, and every system we could find. Screens shattered, sparks crackled, and the air filled with the acrid scent of burning tech. It felt like we had been given free rein to destroy someone else’s toys without consequence. It was brief, but for a moment, we found a sliver of reckless joy in the chaos.

Then, reality came crashing back.

"They're coming." My ears caught the telltale sound of rushing footsteps—too many to count. My stomach clenched.

Leif didn’t hesitate. He pressed a finger to his earpiece, signaling Alpha.

"Get out of there now!" Kenzo’s voice thundered through the line. "Head to the audience hall on the second floor. Move it!"

I winced at the sheer force of his command, but Leif didn’t even flinch—he was used to Alpha’s intensity. Peering into the hallway, he found it still momentarily empty, but I knew that wouldn’t last. The footsteps were getting closer, faster, heavier. Then, a new sound struck fear straight into my chest.

The rapid pound of paws.

"Leif..." My voice came out tighter than I intended. "They've shifted. There are six of them."

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, already stripping off his shirt and pants. "Listen, take the right corridor. There's a second staircase—use it to get down to the audience hall."

"What about you?" I asked, my stomach twisting.

"You’re strong, Thalassa, but we can’t take six wolves in a straight fight—not like this." A smirk tugged at his lips. "My wolf is fast. I’ll lead them away and circle back."

I didn’t like the plan. I didn’t like the idea of leaving him alone. But we had no time to argue.

A second later, the first wolf lunged into the room.

Leif shifted instantly, fur bursting forth as his bones snapped and reshaped into a powerful beast. I reacted on instinct, flipping forward and landing a brutal kick against our attacker, sending it reeling back just enough to create an opening for us to escape.

But the rest were waiting.

Five massive wolves prowled in the corridor, eyes glowing with bloodlust. Leif let out a low, dangerous growl, fangs bared, muscles coiled in anticipation. I reached for my knife, cursing myself for wasting all of our aconite bullets. I would never complain about carrying a loaded gun again.

Leif lunged first, claws flashing. I knew he wanted me to run—but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Instead, I threw myself into the fight.

With my blade in hand, I became just as lethal as any of them. Sliding beneath the nearest wolf, I slashed deep into the tendons of its legs. It howled in agony, collapsing, and I finished it off with a swift, heavy blow to the skull. Across from me, Leif tore through the others with raw, ruthless efficiency, his fur now streaked with red.

We exchanged a glance—then we heard them. More were coming.

Leif jerked his head toward the staircase. No more hesitation. It was time to split.

I sprinted for the right-side stairs while he veered left. My pulse pounded violently in my ears as I hurtled downward, leaping entire flights, desperate to reach the second floor before more wolves found me. My energy was draining fast, but I couldn’t afford to stop. Not now.

Fear clawed at me. There were too many of them. The Moon Valley Pack wasn’t holding back—they wanted our blood. My only hope lay with Kenzo and the others.

I crashed through the second-floor doors, gasping for breath. The corridor ahead was empty. Relief swept through me, but I didn’t slow down. The audience hall was just around the corner.

I had never wanted to see Kenzo more in my life.

I forced my legs to move, pushing past exhaustion, sprinting forward—until I felt it.

A presence.

I skidded to a halt just as a voice filled the corridor.

"Well, well. What a surprise."

A sickening chill crawled down my spine. I turned, fists clenching.

Merrick stepped into view, that infuriating smirk twisting his face, his eyes alight with cruel amusement.

I stiffened, rage simmering beneath my skin.

"I was just visiting Alpha Iskander when I heard about this little... betrayal." His gaze swept over my battered form, slow and calculating. "Imagine my shock when I learned Alpha Kenzo brought you along. Guess he doesn’t care about you as much as you thought, huh?"

"Go to hell, Merrick," I snarled.

His laughter echoed through the hall. "Oh, this is too good. I couldn’t kill you back in vampire territory, but here? This is different." He licked his lips, his stare sending a wave of disgust rolling through me.

I smirked, despite the fury boiling inside me. "Then come on, Merrick. Show me what you’ve got."

His smirk widened. His eyes darkened.

"Oh, I will," he murmured, his voice dripping with malice. "And trust me, I’ll make you scream first. Then I’ll send you straight to your dead mother."