Chapter 138 Moonlight and Blood
Author's POV
Malia climbed the stone stairs faster than she'd descended them, heart pounding from what she'd overheard. The Council. Containment protocols. Extraction. The words echoed in her mind, each one more terrifying than the last.
She needed to tell Aiden. Rowan. Cian. Everyone. Needed to warn them about what was being planned.
The door at the top of the stairs opened easily this time—her abilities still responding, still unlocking barriers without conscious direction. She slipped through, back into the old administrative wing, and hurried toward the exit.
Evening had fallen while she'd been below. The hallways were darker now, lit only by emergency lights at intervals. Most of campus would be at dinner or in dorms. The old wing was completely deserted.
Perfect for getting back unseen.
Except—
Footsteps behind her. Quiet. Deliberate. Matching her pace.
Malia's steps faltered. She glanced back but saw nothing in the dim hallway. Just shadows and empty space.
Keep moving. Don't panic. Just get to the main campus where there are people and lights and safety.
She walked faster. The footsteps behind her quickened too.
Definitely being followed.
She pushed through the exit door into the courtyard between old and new buildings. The space was empty, lit only by scattered lampposts creating pools of light in the darkness. Trees lined the edges, their shadows deep and concealing.
The footsteps were closer now. Multiple sets. Moving with predatory grace.
Malia broke into a run.
Behind her, she heard the sounds—low growls, the rustle of movement through grass. Not human footsteps anymore.
Wolves.
She risked a glance back and her blood froze.
Three massive shapes emerged from the shadows. Wolves—larger than any natural animal, eyes reflecting the lamplight with an unnatural gleam. Pure black coats that made them nearly invisible in the darkness.
Not students. Not campus security. Something else entirely.
They were hunting her.
Malia ran faster, legs pumping, lungs burning. Her backpack bounced against her shoulders. The main quad was just ahead—lights, people, safety—
The wolves were faster.
One cut across her path, forcing her to veer left. Another flanked her right side. The third stayed behind, herding her away from campus proper, away from witnesses.
Away from help.
She tried to scream but fear closed her throat. Tried to think but panic was taking over.
The wolves closed in. Circling. Teeth bared. Growls vibrating in the air.
Her wolf surged in response—instinctive, defensive, trying to force the transformation that would give her a fighting chance.
But the pain came with it. Sharp. Burning. Bones trying to shift. Body resisting. The forced transformation from the preserve had damaged something, made the change harder, more painful.
Malia dropped to her knees, gasping. The wolves moved closer.
One lunged.
"MALIA!"
The shout cut through the night. Familiar. Desperate.
Aiden.
He appeared at the edge of the courtyard, running at full speed. His eyes found her immediately—on her knees, surrounded by wolves, clearly in danger.
His expression transformed. Not fear. Not panic.
Pure, primal fury.
The lead wolf turned toward him, growling warning. The other two held position around Malia.
Aiden didn't slow. Didn't hesitate.
He shifted mid-stride.
One moment running on two legs. The next, transformation flowing over him like water—smooth, practiced, effortless. Everything Malia's painful attempts weren't.
His wolf was massive. Bigger than the three attacking her combined. Brown coat with lighter highlights, powerful muscles rippling under fur, eyes blazing electric blue with alpha power.
Beautiful. Terrifying. Absolutely magnificent.
He hit the lead wolf like a battering ram.
The impact was brutal. The black wolf yelped, thrown backward by pure force. Aiden followed immediately, teeth baring, claws extending, every movement controlled violence.
The wolf tried to fight back—snapping at Aiden's throat, trying to use speed against size. Useless. Aiden was faster despite being larger. More powerful. More experienced.
He caught the black wolf by the scruff and threw it. Actually threw it like it weighed nothing. The wolf hit a tree with a sickening crack and didn't get up.
The second wolf abandoned Malia and lunged at Aiden from the side. He twisted—impossibly fast for something that size—and met the attack head-on. They crashed together, rolling, a blur of fur and fangs.
Aiden came up on top. Jaws closed around the wolf's throat. Not crushing—not yet—but the threat was clear. Submit or die.
The wolf went limp. Submitting.
Aiden released it and it scrambled away, limping, defeated.
The third wolf—the largest of the three—had stayed back, watching. Calculating. Now it moved, circling Aiden with predatory focus.
This one was different. Smarter. Not attacking recklessly like the others.
It feinted left, then lunged right, going for Aiden's flank.
Aiden pivoted, met the attack, and they collided with bone-jarring force. This wolf was stronger than the first two. Faster. Actually trained for combat instead of simple intimidation.
They fought in earnest now. Truly dangerous. Claws raking. Teeth flashing. Both wolves bleeding from multiple wounds.
Malia watched in horror, unable to look away. Unable to help. Her own wolf still trying to emerge but the pain keeping her human, keeping her useless.
The black wolf got a hit in—deep claws across Aiden's shoulder. He snarled, blood darkening his fur, but didn't slow. Countered with a vicious bite to the wolf's leg that made it stumble.
They broke apart, circling again. Both bleeding. Both panting. But Aiden—
Aiden looked like he was enjoying this.
His eyes blazed brighter. Power radiating from him in waves. Not just defending anymore. Dominating.
He lunged again, faster than before. The black wolf tried to dodge but Aiden was already there, inside its guard, using sheer mass and strength to bear it down.
They hit the ground hard. Aiden's jaws found the wolf's throat again. This time his teeth broke skin. Not lethal—not yet—but the message was unmistakable.
Leave. Now. Or die.
The black wolf went completely still. Submitted.
Aiden held the position for five more seconds—making absolutely certain the message was received—then released.
The wolf scrambled up and ran. Disappeared into the darkness with the other two following close behind. Limping. Bleeding. Thoroughly defeated.
Aiden watched them go. Making sure they were truly gone. Making sure no other threats lurked in the shadows.
Then, slowly, he transformed back.
The shift was as smooth in reverse. Fur receding. Bones reforming. Until Aiden stood there on two legs, breathing hard, covered in blood and dirt.
His shirt was torn—shredded from the transformation and the fight. His jeans survived but were stained with blood, grass, and mud. Scratches covered his arms and chest where claws had found purchase. But he was standing. Victorious.
He looked—
Like a warrior. Like something ancient and powerful and absolutely terrifying.
Like a war lord who'd just defended his territory against invaders.
The moonlight caught his features—sharp angles, intense eyes still holding that electric blue glow, blood on his skin looking black in the dim light.
Dangerous. Beautiful. Utterly compelling.
He stood there in the center of the courtyard, chest heaving, fists clenched at his sides, radiating power and violence and protective fury.
And Malia—
Malia couldn't breathe, couldn't move.
Could only stare at him, backlit by moonlight, looking like every myth and legend about alphas made flesh.
The silence stretched.
Aiden's eyes found hers across the distance. Still glowing, still wild with the aftermath of battle.
Still absolutely, undeniably hers.