Chapter 67 The Safe House
Before I could process it, more wolves emerged, six, seven, black shadows melting from the hedges, eyes glowing amber in the moonlight, fangs bared in gleaming white slashes. Their fur bristled, muscles rippling under sleek coats, the scent of them overwhelming, bloodlust, hunger, malice. Moonclaw and Ironthorn. Rivals. Hunters. The lead wolf from the first group lunged again, jaws snapping, a growl that vibrated through my bones.
Ben shouted, voice cracking with fear. "What the fuck is going on? More wolves? Answer me!"
Nobody did. The air exploded with motion, Alexander's pack members bursting from the shadows, six of them, shifting mid-stride, fur sprouting, claws extending, eyes flashing gold. They collided with the rivals in a frenzy of snarls and snaps, bodies slamming together with bone-jarring force. Fur flew, blood sprayed dark on the snow, the metallic tang hitting my nose like a punch. One of Alexander's men, Rafe, I recognized from the rite, tackled a black wolf mid-leap, rolling in a tangle of limbs and teeth, the ground shaking from the impact.
Alexander yanked me behind him, his body a shield, heat radiating off him in waves. "Stay close," he growled, voice low and urgent, the bond surging with his protectiveness, fierce, unyielding. He grabbed Ben's sleeve with his free hand, hauling him forward. "Move!"
Ben staggered, eyes wide as saucers, face pale in the moonlight. "This is insane! Wolves? Fighting? What the hell is this?"
Nobody answered. The fight erupted behind us, snarls ripping the air, bodies crashing, yelps of pain piercing the night. A black wolf broke free, lunging toward us, but a pack member intercepted, claws raking its flank with a wet tear, blood scenting the air thick and coppery. We ran, hurriedly, desperately, toward the woods, the safe house hidden deep in the trees. The path narrowed, branches whipping my face like stinging lashes, snow crunching under our boots in chaotic rhythm. My breath burned in my lungs, the cold air knife-sharp, but the awakening kept me going, senses heightened, adrenaline surging like fire in my veins.
Ben kept shouting, voice high and panicked, stuttering through fear. "What is going on? Why are there wolves after us? We need to call the police, or animal control, or whatever the fuck will come help! This can't be real, werewolves? I must be dreaming. I don't want to believe werewolves are real!"
Alexander's jaw clenched, his hand tight on mine, pulling me faster. "Shut up and focus on not getting killed!"
Ben's eyes bulged, face twisting in terror and confusion. "Wolves, humans turning into real wolves? This is fucked up! Alexander, what the hell have you dragged us into?"
The woods swallowed us, trees closing in like sentinels, branches snagging at our coats. The fight raged behind, snarls, yelps, the thud of bodies hitting ground, but it spilled closer, wolves breaking through the line. One, massive, black-furred, vaulted over a hedge, landing with a thud that shook the earth, eyes locked on us. Alexander shoved me behind him, his body tensing, but before he could shift, a pack member pounced, tackling the wolf in a blur of fur and fangs. They rolled, claws flashing, blood spraying dark on the snow.
We kept running, the safe house a dim outline ahead, stone walls, hidden door. My legs burned, breath ragged, the bond pulsing with Alexander's determination. Ben tripped once, cursing as he scrambled up, snow clinging to his coat like white accusations.
Another wolf broke through, gray-furred, scarred, snarling as it charged from the side. Alexander released my hand, turning to face it, but Rafe appeared, shifting fully, his howl ripping the air as he collided with the attacker. The impact was brutal, bodies slamming, teeth snapping inches from flesh.
"Keep going!" Alexander yelled, grabbing my arm again.
The safe house door loomed, iron-reinforced, hidden behind ivy. Alexander slammed it open, pushing me inside, then Ben. The interior was dark, lit only by emergency lights, the air cool and musty, smelling of stone and dust.
He slammed the door shut behind us, the lock engaging with a heavy thunk.
A loud bang sounded on the door, immediate, thunderous, shaking the frame.
The safe house door rattled under the assault, the wood groaning like a living thing in pain, the bangs echoing through the narrow corridor like gunshots in a tomb. I pressed my back against the stone wall, the cold seeping through my coat, my breath coming in short, foggy bursts that clouded the air. The emergency lights flickered overhead, casting harsh shadows that danced across the concrete floor, the scent of dust and metal thick in my nose. My heightened senses, amplified by the pregnancy, turned every sound into a thunderclap: the snarls outside, the claws scratching at the door, the distant howls closing in like a noose. The bond with Alexander pulsed frantically, his protectiveness a warm thread in the chaos, but my own panic drowned it. The baby, I had to protect it.
More force slammed against the door, louder, more insistent, the frame splintering with a sharp crack that made my heart leap into my throat. The wolves were here. The estate's security was crumbling, the fight outside a distant roar of snarls and yelps that vibrated through the walls.
Alexander turned to me, his face a mask of determination, eyes glowing faintly gold in the dim light. His hand found mine, fingers squeezing tight, his touch hot against my cold skin. "Maddie, listen to me. Whatever happens, don't succumb to the pressure to shift fully and fight. Stay human. Stay safe. I'll go outside and fight with my pack, I can't stay here."
I nodded, throat too tight to speak, the bond surging with his resolve. Fear clawed at me, not for myself, but for him, for us, for the tiny life inside me.The door rattled again, dust sifting from the ceiling like snow.
Ben walked closer to us, his face pale as death, eyes wide with confusion and fear. He glanced between us, mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"