Page 49 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

Nearby, two silver warriors tore past—Logan and Tara, fierce and unstoppable, their teeth flashing like silver daggers as they charged at Linda. They moved with synchronized ferocity, their instincts finely honed from years of fighting together. A savage yelp pierced the air, followed by a chilling silence as Linda crumpled, her treachery finally extinguished.

Shifting back into my human form, I gritted my teeth against the searing pain. I pressed my palm against it, feeling the warmth of blood coat my fingers.

“Tara! Logan!” I hollered. “Stay with Seraphina!” My gaze scanned the fighting lines beyond the circle, anxious that Darius might breach these defenses as Linda had.

Seraphina took in my wound, panic flooding her face. I could feel her magic brushing up against me, wanting to heal me, but that brilliant energy wasn’t meant for me—not now, not when the dark witch Elvira still chipped away at Seraphina’s protective barrier.

I pinned Seraphina with my fiercest look, pushing every ounce of Alpha authority into my voice. “Keep fighting, Seraphina!” I urged, my body vibrating with conviction, every fiber of my being urging her onward.

“Tyler—” she began, fear lacing her voice, but I wouldn’t hear it. Not now.

“Don’t worry about me! You need to finish Elvira!” A fire ignited within my heart, a certainty that together, we could vanquish the Black Moons once and for all.

Seraphina’s expression hardened, fire returning to her jade eyes. Doubt melted away as she straightened, channeling her energy into strengthening the pentagram’s protective force against Elvira’s darkness.

Blood trickled steadily from my wound, slow against the frantic tempo of battle swirling beyond the circle. I returned my focus there, knowing I still needed to lead the pack to victory.

“Keep them out of the circle!” I bellowed back to Tara and Logan, who remained on the edges of the circle.

As I shifted, the wolves around me responded, renewed vigor sparking through their ranks as I ran with them. But unease wormed through my gut. The wound in my side would slow me down. Still, I couldn’t falter.

Our allies—the Shadow Moons, Moonlights, and Blood Moons—had surged into battle alongside us. I didn’t yet knowhowthey’d known the Black Moons were attacking, but they were here. That’s what mattered. Every yellow, red, or gray wolf set my spirit ablaze with renewed hope. With the other packs alongside us, victory was within our grasp. My paws pounded against the snow-dusted earth as I plunged back into combat.

To my left, a massive gray wolf intercepted a charging Black Moon, his size indicating he was an alpha—Kyle, Alpha of the Moonlight Pack. With speed and nimbleness, he collided with our enemy, jaws snapping as he found purchase on the flank of the Black Moon wolf. The combination of their skills exploded in a vivid display of fur and muscle.

But I barely had time to breathe when a Black Moon lunged toward me, camouflaged in the night. Crouching low, I knew Ionly had brute strength on my side—not speed, not with this agonizing heat in my side.

In that crucial moment, I threw my weight into the attack, smashing into the wolf and sending him crashing to the ground. I sank my teeth into his side, tasting the sweet release of rage as his blood splattered across my tongue.

To my right, a huge yellow streak darted across the white snow, battling against a silver wolf. Recognition surged through me: Elder Darius. The golden Shadow Moon Alpha was fighting the traitor who had framed Seraphina’s parents. Everything that the elder had done suddenly whipped through my mind, fueling my movements. He’d led the Black Moons into our midst. He’d been the cause of the sickness spreading through our pack all because he’d wanted to claim my alphahood.

Darius’s wolf feinted, pivoting to bite into the flank of the Shadow Moon Alpha, but I surged toward him, my heart roaring with fury. I wouldn’t let him live. I launched myself at him, biting deep into his left side. He flinched, a whine escaping him, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Alpha Alexis seize the opportunity, launching his own assault on his other flank.

But Darius’s blood belonged to me. I edged closer, aiming for a lethal strike as Darius raised his neck, exposing the softness of his throat. With every ounce of simmering fury, I drove my fangs deep into his flesh.

Time slowed, blood spraying warmly against my muzzle. Darius thrashed but couldn’t escape; life seeped from him in crimson rivulets. In that moment, justice coursed through my veins.

As his body hit the snow, I exchanged a fierce, knowing look with Alexis. We both felt the weight of justice. For a heartbeat, arumble of shared satisfaction passed between us, but there was no time to celebrate.

No sooner had I rejoined the battle than a vicious snarl sliced through the tumult. Alpha Marcus—massive and imposing—charged toward me, his great paws pounding the earth. I barely managed to leap out of his path, my heart thundering as he circled, relentless in his pursuit.

Marcus lunged with brutal precision. In one swift motion, he targeted my already injured flank, the very spot where Linda had marked me. His jaws snapped down, teeth sinking deep into the raw flesh, igniting a new wave of blinding pain that radiated through my body before tossing me onto the wintry ground.

Heaving myself up, I felt the air rush past the wound, blood warm and sticky against my fur, and the pain bloomed anew, sharper than before. Desperation clawed at my insides; I wouldn’t let it stop me. Not now.

Marcus prowled, a sinister grin stretching his flews up, teeth glinting in the darkness—a predator thriving upon my suffering.

Yet, a fire remained in my heart—righteous anger anchored me against the rising tide of pain. Fueled by the image of Seraphina on the periphery of my vision, I prowled low, pushing through the blinding agony, my blood mingling with the frosty earth beneath my paws. But Seraphina was the only thought I needed to keep on fighting.

A fierce snarl erupted from my throat as I charged, focused solely on the Alpha, who was the embodiment of all my pack’s suffering. Each pounding heartbeat propelled my muscles forward, igniting a rage that enveloped me, drowning out the pain as I surged toward him.

Marcus lunged, jaws snapping wide. Timing was everything. I ducked beneath his attack, using the momentum to pivot into his side, slamming my body against him.

We collided with thunderous force. The impact jarred us both, but with it came a renewed fire in my belly. I rolled away and twisted, sinking my fangs deep into his shoulder, breaking skin and tearing flesh.

His enraged roar shattered the night, sending shockwaves through me and invigorating the fight with renewed conviction. I felt his power falter, his massive frame stumbling, granting me the opening I sought.

Striking where it counted, I pushed through the haze of pain, drawing upon the last reserves of my spirit. Prowling closer, I channeled every ounce of spirit within me as I launched at his throat. The world held its breath as my fangs bit down, savoring the visceral rush that flooded my senses as I felt life ebb from him.

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