Chapter 42 42
\[Rhea’s POV\]
The mansion was supposed to be my safe place. The walls were thick, the doors were locked, and I was alone. But I still felt unsafe. The air felt heavy and hot, like the oxygen was being replaced by steam. My skin started to itch. It was a deep, restless feeling that lived under my muscles and in my bones.
I tried to sit on the floor and breathe. I tried to focus on the silence. But my eyes drifted to the window and I gasped.
The moon had cleared the trees and it was a deep, dark red. It looked like a drop of blood was hanging in the sky, staining everything it touched. The moment that red light hit my skin through the glass, I felt a snap inside my head.
Nyra began screaming.
The "pull" I had felt earlier became a physical force. It felt like a hook was buried in my chest, dragging me toward the door. I tried to fight it. I gripped the edge of the heavy wooden table until my knuckles turned white.
"No," I whispered. "I have to stay inside. Lucien told me to stay inside."
But Nyra didn't care. She didn't care about the locks or the danger. She could feel her mates out there. She could feel their power, their rage, and their hunger. The Blood Moon was calling to the beast inside me, and I was losing the battle to stay human.
I didn't even realize I was moving until I heard the front door click open. I stepped out into the night. The air was cool, but I felt like I was burning up. I didn't stop to put on shoes, I didn't even grab a jacket. I just started to run.
I ran past the iron gates. I ran past the quiet houses on the outskirts of the university. My feet hit the bumpy pavement, but I didn't feel any pain. I felt fast. I felt strong. As I reached the edge of the forest, I didn't hesitate and dived into the trees.
I wasn't in control anymore. Nyra had taken the wheel. My vision changed, becoming sharper. The woods weren't dark to me; they were filled with smells and vibrations. I could smell the damp earth, the pine needles, and something else, something powerful.
I ran for miles. I didn't know where I was going, but my wolf knew. She was following the golden thread that connected us to the twins. The red moonlight filtered through the branches, casting long, strange shadows on the ground. I pushed through bushes and jumped over fallen logs, my breath coming in steady puffs.
Finally, I reached a clearing.
I slowed down, my chest heaving. In the center of the clearing, near a massive, ancient tree, two figures were standing.
I stopped behind a thick bush, my eyes wide. I couldn't move. I couldn't even speak. I watched as the two men I loved began to change. I heard the sound of bones snapping, furs pouring out.
Within seconds, they were two massive wolves.
One was a shimmering, powerful silver. The other was a deep, midnight black. They were huge, much larger than any normal wolf I had ever seen in pictures. They stood nearly as tall as a horse at the shoulder. Their fur was thick, and their eyes glowed with a fierce, crimson light that matched the moon above.
They were beautiful and terrifying at the same time, exactly like Alphas.
I realized then why my wolf had been so impossible to suppress. They were calling to me. Their presence in the forest was like a beacon, and Nyra had followed it home.
I didn't feel afraid. Even though they looked like monsters from a nightmare, I felt a deep sense of peace just by being near them. I stepped out from behind the bush.
The silver wolf and the black wolf turned their heads at the same time. Their nostrils flared as they caught my scent. Instead of growling or attacking, having lost control. They instead low, vibrating howl.
I walked toward them. My feet were bare and covered in dirt, and my clothes were torn from the branches, but I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was only a few feet away when the silence of the forest was shattered.
Suddenly, a sharp sound sliced through the air. An arrow, tipped with a glinting silver head, flew past my shoulder. It missed me by inches and slammed into the trunk of the tree behind the wolves.
"Ah." I jumped, a small cry escaping my lips.
Immediately, the two wolves moved, stepping in front of me, their massive bodies forming a wall of fur and muscle. They shielded my tiny frame from the darkness of the woods.
Then, they roared.
It wasn't a howl. It was a deep, chest-shaking sound that made the ground beneath my feet vibrate. It was a warning.
From the shadows of the trees, figures began to emerge. They were dressed in tactical gear, black vests, heavy boots, and masks. Some held compound bows, while others carried rifles. They moved with with military control, telling me they had done this many times before.
Hunters.
I peered around the side of the black wolf, my heart hammering in my chest. And then I saw him.
A man stepped out into the center of the path, flanked by two guards. He wasn't wearing a mask but was wearing a dark jacket, and he held a high-powered crossbow in his hands.
It was Mark.
He looked different. The fake, "perfect fiancé" mask was completely gone. His face was cold and hard. He hadn't noticed me yet; his eyes were locked onto the two Alphas in front of him. To him, I was just a shadow behind the beasts.
"Settle down," Mark commanded his men. His voice was loud and clear in the quiet clearing. "Don't get too close. We’ve been tracking these two for weeks. These are the Alphas who have been wreaking havoc in our city. They think they own this forest. Tonight, we show them they don't own anything."
"Orders, sir?" one of the hunters asked.
Mark raised his crossbow, aiming it at the silver wolf's chest. "Kill them. No mercy. We want the heads for the collection. Use the silver-tipped bolts. I want to hear them scream."
"Fire!" Mark yelled.
A volley of arrows and bullets flew toward the wolves. I ducked, covering my head with my arms. I expected the wolves to fall, but they didn't even flinch. The bullets seemed to bounce off their thick hides, and the arrows were swatted away by their massive paws. They were too fast and strong, standing their ground, a solid wall of protection between me and the men who wanted to kill them.
The silver wolf lunged forward, letting out another roar that made the hunters stumble back in fear.
In the chaos, one of the hunters panicked and aimed wide, his hand shaking as he released an arrow.
The arrow flew through the small gap between the two wolves and I felt a sharp, stinging heat across my upper arm.
"Ah!"