Chapter 45 – The Shadows Strike

The moment Sebastian’s words left his lips, the estate erupted into motion.

"They’re coming."

Two words.

Enough to send a cold shockwave through the room.

Xavier’s golden eyes burned as he stepped forward. "Who?"

Reed’s jaw clenched. "You didn’t lead them here, did you?"

Sebastian scoffed. "Do I look that stupid?"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Not answering that."

Xavier’s expression darkened. "How many?"

Sebastian cracked his neck, his usual cockiness returning. "Enough to make this interesting. But they’re not organized—just a pack of power-hungry bastards looking for blood."

Xavier’s smirk was pure menace. "Then let’s give them some."

They moved fast.

Xavier wouldn’t let the battle reach his estate—too many risks. Instead, he led them far from the city, deep into the outskirts.

A place where rules didn’t exist.

By the time they arrived, the moon was high, casting long shadows over the abandoned terrain. A dense forest stretched for miles, its silence unnatural.

The eyes. Watching. Waiting.

They weren’t alone.

Xavier cracked his knuckles. "Well? Are you coming out, or do I have to drag you out?"

Then—a deep, echoing chuckle.

The sound sent a ripple of tension through the group.

From the shadows, they emerged.

Figures dressed in dark tactical gear, moving with an unnatural precision. Their eyes gleamed—not with the reckless hunger of rogues but with something colder. Something trained.

Raine stiffened. These weren’t ordinary werewolves.

"Great," Ivy muttered. "More assholes."

The leader stepped forward. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a silver streak cutting through his jet-black hair. His face was lined with scars, but his eyes—**piercing and calculating—**were the real danger.

Sebastian let out a low curse. "Shit."

Xavier barely flickered an expression. "You know him?"

Sebastian exhaled sharply. "Yeah. That’s Kade."

Reed frowned. "Who the hell is Kade?"

Sebastian’s grip on his blade tightened. "A ghost. The kind that doesn’t stay dead."

Kade smirked, his silver eyes settling on Xavier. "Xavier Wolfe. I expected more from the infamous Alpha."

Xavier tilted his head, unfazed. "And I expected better threats. You’re not impressing me."

Kade’s smirk widened. "I’m not here to impress you." His gaze flickered to Sebastian. "I’m here to clean up a mess."

Sebastian’s muscles coiled. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Kade chuckled. "Oh, but you do." He took a slow step forward, and the air around them seemed to tighten.

"You thought you could run from the past? From them?" His eyes gleamed. "They never forget."

Raine’s stomach twisted. Them.

She didn’t have to ask who he meant.

The Elders.

Ivy cursed under her breath. "This just keeps getting worse."

Xavier’s smirk sharpened, his fingers twitching at his sides. He was ready for a fight.

"Here’s an idea," he said smoothly. "You leave, and I won’t tear your throat out."

Kade’s amusement didn’t falter. "Bold of you to assume you can."

The air snapped.

The tension exploded.

One of Kade’s men lunged first—a blur of motion.

Xavier moved faster.

His fist connected with a sickening crack. The attacker hit the ground hard, groaning in pain.

And just like that—

The fight began.

Claws, Fangs, and Fury

Raine barely had time to move before chaos erupted around her.

Sebastian disappeared into the fray, clashing with one of Kade’s men in a brutal exchange of fists and claws.

Reed took on two at once, his movements quick and efficient. A deadly balance of precision and power.

Ivy?

A storm of knives and calculated strikes.

She ducked under an attacker’s swipe, spinning and slamming a blade into his ribs. He barely had time to gasp before she twisted the knife and yanked it free.

Xavier, however, was something else entirely.

He wasn’t just fighting—he was dismantling them.

Each movement was calculated, each strike precise. He was **ruthless, unrelenting—**a force of destruction wrapped in human form.

One of Kade’s men lunged—Xavier caught him mid-air and slammed him into the pavement with a sickening crunch.

Blood splattered.

Another enemy tried to attack from behind. Xavier didn’t even turn.

He simply grabbed the man’s arm and snapped it like a twig.

Kade watched with mild amusement. "Not bad."

Then, he shifted.

His transformation was seamless—a massive wolf with thick silver fur and glowing eyes.

Raine’s breath hitched.

Xavier snarled, his own transformation taking hold.

Where he stood, now loomed a beast of night—towering, obsidian-furred, eyes burning like molten gold.

The ground trembled.

Then—they collided.

A clash of titans.

Kade struck first, his claws slashing across Xavier’s side. Blood sprayed.

Xavier didn’t flinch.

He retaliated with a brutal bite to Kade’s shoulder, his jaws locking down with bone-crushing force.

Kade howled in rage, thrashing wildly.

The fight was brutal—pure, raw power.

And Xavier?

Xavier was winning.

The Aftermath

By the time it was over, bodies littered the ground.

Kade’s forces were either dead or unconscious.

Xavier shifted back first, barely out of breath. His knuckles dripped with blood, his chest heaving slightly.

Kade lay on the ground, defeated.

But he laughed.

Raine stiffened.

Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Something funny?"

Kade wiped the blood from his mouth, his silver eyes gleaming with something dangerous.

"You think this is over?" He chuckled darkly. "This was just a warning."

Raine’s blood ran cold.

A warning.

Sebastian cursed. "Shit."

Kade grinned. "They’re coming."

And then—he was gone.

Slipping into the shadows, vanishing before anyone could stop him.

Silence settled.

Then Ivy groaned. "Well, that was fun."

Sebastian scoffed. "Speak for yourself."

Reed wiped blood from his jaw. "At least we didn’t die."

Xavier turned to Raine, scanning her for injuries. "You okay?"

Raine let out a breath.

She had been holding it in the whole time.

The moment she exhaled—her vision spun.

Her knees buckled.

Ivy caught her mid-fall, laughing. "Oh my God, did you just pass out from stress?"

Sebastian snorted. "I knew it."

Reed smirked. "To be fair, it was a lot."

Xavier’s expression was unreadable.

Then, his lips curled.

"She’s cute when she’s overwhelmed."

Raine, barely conscious, mustered enough energy to glare.

"I hate you all."

Ivy grinned. "No, you don’t."