Page 55 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

The demons close in, and their guttural snarls fill the air as I quickly empty the vial along the edge of the portal, watching as the liquid sizzles on contact, creating a faint, shimmering barrier. But before I can breathe a sigh of relief, the portal pulses, and the shimmer dissipates as if it were nothing.

“Are you kidding me?” I grit out, grabbing another vial, but the demons are already upon us.

One lunges at me, claws swiping through the air with deadly precision. I duck, rolling to the side as I twist open the next vial, but another demon intercepts me, its teeth snapping inches from my face. My wolf howls within me, desperate to break free, and I let her take control, feeling the familiar surge as my bones shift and fur ripples along my skin. The change is swift and instinctual, and before I know it, I hit the ground on all fours, senses sharpened to a razor’s edge.

The world bursts into focus—the scents, the sounds, everything amplified as I face the demons in my wolf form. Snarling, I dodge another swipe, baring my teeth as I launch myself at the nearest one, sinking my fangs into its arm. It screeches, a sound that’s like nails on glass. I jerk back, the taste of sulfur burning on my tongue.

Chaos erupts around me as the team fights back, the echo of claws rending flesh reverberating off the cavern walls. Kai tackles one of the demons. Her gray fur is streaked with blood as she twists and tears, but two more move in, surrounding herwith vicious speed. Another demon lunges for me, and I twist, slamming my body into its side, knocking it off-balance before I swipe at its face with my claws.

But they keep coming, each one more vicious than the last. I back up toward the portal, desperation clawing at me as I fumble for another vial with one paw, even as my wolf’s instinct takes over, growling, fighting. The portal pulses again, stronger this time, as if taunting me, daring me to try and close it.

I snatch the vile in my mouth and pour it along the edge, watching it sizzle. But again, the shimmer fades, the portal’s pull growing stronger with every second. A demon slams into me from behind, knocking me forward, and I barely catch myself. My claws scrape against the stone floor as I turn and face it with a snarl.

It lunges, and I leap to the side, but another demon intercepts me, its claws raking across my side. Hot pain sears through me. I stagger, but I don’t back down, baring my teeth as I ready myself for another attack. My wolf growls, fierce and defiant, and I launch myself at the nearest demon, biting and clawing with everything I have.

But they’re stronger, faster, and their numbers are overwhelming. I’m dragged further from the team, further from the portal, until I’m cornered against the cavern wall, three demons advancing on me with lethal intent in their eyes.

I brace myself, blood dripping from my wounds, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. This isn’t how it ends—I won’t let it. I snarl, baring my teeth as I prepare to fight with everything I have. Not just for me but for the life growing inside me.

The demons close in, their snarls filling the air, and I charge, determined to take at least one of them down with me.My fangs sink into the nearest one. Its blood coats my tongue as I twist, throwing it to the ground. But the others are on me before I can react, and their claws sink into my fur, dragging me down.

Pain explodes through me, white-hot and blinding, but I bite back a scream, refusing to give them the satisfaction. I fight, clawing and biting, every instinct screaming at me to survive, to protect my baby. But there are too many, and I can feel my strength waning, the edges of my vision blurring as I struggle.

Just when I think it’s over, when the darkness starts to close in, a familiar scent cuts through the stench of sulfur and blood.

A scent that’s grounding, powerful, and unmistakably Alec.

Chapter 25 - Alec

The second my claws tear through the demon’s throat, sulfur fills my nostrils, sour and thick. The demon’s body crumples beneath me, barely hitting the ground before another lunges my way, teeth bared and eyes burning with malice. I whirl to face it, growling, fur bristling, ready to fight with everything I have.

Isadora is on her feet as soon as I’ve torn the demon off her. Once she starts moving, her black wolf is a blur as she takes on two demons at once. She’s ferocious, and my wolf instincts scream to shield her, to stand between her and each enemy. But she holds her ground, fierce and focused, her eyes catching mine briefly as she dodges a vicious swipe.

One demon charges me, snapping me back to the battle as I lunge, catching it mid-leap. My teeth sink deep, the bitterness of its blood coating my tongue. I shake it fiercely, throwing it to the ground in a final twist that breaks its neck. But there’s no time to recover—the cavern’s thick with them, a writhing mass of snapping jaws and glowing eyes. I lose count, every instinct in me focused on keeping each new demon away from Isadora.

Ahead, I catch her gaze as she backs toward the trap she’d set up earlier, before the team headed out here. Her posture shifts, signaling a plan. I understand in an instant, and my instincts kick in as I move to cover her, circling closer. She bolts suddenly, baiting the demons, her eyes sharp as they chase her into the trap’s range.

With a final darting move, she doubles back, leaving the demons charging blindly toward the trap. I take her cue, leaping forward and using my weight to drive them further in, biting and snapping at their heels as they funnel into the enclosure.She’s ready, and just as the last one barrels inside, she springs forward, sealing them in with an iron resolve.

Just then, footsteps thunder through the entrance, and I catch the scents of the other alphas and their teams. Gray and Damien, both in their wolf forms, scan the cavern with battle-readiness, reading every dark corner as they pick up the pulse of the fight around us. Behind them, Jade enters, her magic sparking as she joins us with a look of intense focus.

A fresh wave of demons surges forward from the shadows, their numbers seemingly endless. The other alphas dive into action, positioning themselves to contain the remaining demons, pushing them back toward the cavern’s center where Jade can focus her energy on keeping them contained.

Gray and Kai team up, using brute force and teamwork to cut off one group of demons as they attempt to scatter. They herd them back, circling until the demons are trapped, their fiery eyes narrowing as they snarl and swipe at the wolves surrounding them. Damien takes up position on the far side, his powerful frame a wall as he snaps and lunges, keeping the demons from breaking through.

“Keep them in place!” Jade yells, her voice carrying over the growls and clashes. She retrieves a potion from her pouch and pours it in a controlled arc around the contained area, her fingers weaving intricate patterns in the air as she activates the spell. “If they break this line, the portal might hold.”

We close in tighter around the demons, leaving them no choice but to stay within the barrier Jade is creating. The ground beneath them begins to glow faintly, pulsing with her magic. Soon, a shimmering dome of energy takes shape, holding them in place.

Jade’s face tightens with concentration as she pours another vial of potion directly over the portal. This time, the energy responds, the swirling dark mass flickering as if struggling against her magic. With a final, decisive gesture, Jade draws a pattern in the air, sealing the portal in a burst of blinding light that fills the cavern.

As the last of the demons crumples to the ground, the silence that follows is thick with the aftermath, every breath heavy with exhaustion and relief.

The alphas exchange silent nods, each wolf taking a moment to glance around at the now-silent cavern, at the remnants of the demons that litter the floor. The cheers of our surviving team echo through the cave, an energy surging around us that’s as raw as it is relieved. I’ve never been so glad to see the mix of exhaustion and triumph on everyone’s faces. But amid the crowd, it’s Isadora I search for, my gaze snagging on her the moment I spot her, standing a little apart with one arm around her waist, eyes fixed on the portal’s now-closed, silent stone.

I don’t hesitate—I’m at her side in an instant, my heart still pounding from the fight and from everything that’s happened, everything she’s risked. Relief is a wild thing in my chest as I reach out, barely able to keep myself from pulling her in.

“You’re okay,” I state. I don’t even ask; it’s a need to say it out loud, to reassure myself that she’s here, whole and safe.

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