Page 71 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
"Good," I said, my voice sharp with finality. "Leak the data, every shred of it. Alpha Alfred's dirty dealings, the kidnappings, the laundering, the disappearances. Dump it to every outlet we trust. The police units, credible journalists, the entire damn internet, all social media forums, backchannels. I want his empire burning before sunrise."
Jay nodded without a word, already tapping furiously on his tablet, the blue glow flickering across his focused face.
Without wasting a breath, I pulled out my phone and dialed Darius Wren. He picked up on the second ring.
"Drew."
"It's time," I said simply. "I'm sending the location now. Bring your wolves because we are bringing Alpha Alfred down tonight."
There was a beat of silence, then Darius's voice, cool and sure: "We're in. My men will meet yours at the location."
I ended the call and looked out the window, my fists clenched at my sides. The hunt had begun. It's happening. After decades of blood, betrayal, and evasion, Alpha Alfred was finally going down. The monster who tore apart families, burned down my pack, and built an empire on greed and deception wouldn't walk away this time, not with the truth flooding the world like wildfire.
I am coming for him.
Just then, I felt a sharp searing pain in my chest. It felt raw and searing, sucking the breath out of me.
Ruby.
A wave of distress surged through the bond, crashing into me like a freight train. I staggered, gripping the desk. My vision blurred as I focused, trying to reach her across the tether that bound us. Her voice hit me like lightning.
"No! Please stop! Liora! Stop the machine! No!"
Ruby and Liora are in danger.
My wolf surged, pacing and restless. My heart stopped, and for half a second, the world went silent. Then rage detonated inside me. My whole body shook. He was hurting them. I could feel it in my marrow.
"Jay!" I roared, spinning around, my voice already thick with power. He was in the next room but raced in, his phone in hand. Send the coordinates to the pack," I growled. "Now!. Tell them to come behind me. I'm going ahead."
"Drew," Jay called.
I didn't wait. I tore out of the office, my wolf already shredding the surface, my shift blurring in a storm of silver and bone. Power surged through my veins—alpha power, ancient, wild, and unrelenting. The air cracked around me as I stepped beyond the physical plane, my alpha form surging forward, larger and faster than ever, but I wasn't just running this time.
I leaped. The wind and earth warped around me as I slipped through shadow and distance. I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. My wolf roared, a sound that shook the trees as he fully took control. We surged forward, faster than the wind, fury and purpose fused into every muscle.
Behind me, I caught sight of my pack; dozens of them in formation, their paws pounding the forest floor, eyes glowing with rage and loyalty. They followed the sound of my howls. From the eastern ridge as I climbed up a mountain, I caught sight of another wave of movement. Silvercrest wolves. Darius's pack raced through the trees, fangs bared, their silver-marked pelts glinting under the moonlight. Two forces, one mission.
The Cornerstone mansion rose ahead like a demon carved from stone, towering in the silence, but the silence shattered. Howls split the night from both flanks. The guards at the perimeter caught between the advancing thunder of two packs looked around, panicked, unsure where the threat was coming from.
They never had the chance to coordinate. We hit them like a storm. My pack and Silvercrest slammed into their lines, fangs tearing and claws ripping. Screams echoed through the dark as wolves collided in a brutal blur of blood and fury. I didn't slow. I didn't hesitate. I tore through the chaos, my senses zeroed in on the fragile, flickering thread of Ruby's pain.
Then I found the room and burst into the underground lab in a blur of light and rage. I froze at the sight of Liora screaming, strapped to a machine pulsing with shadowy energy. Ruby, my Ruby, sitting, her hands tied behind a chair, her body shaking as she wept, helpless and broken. A guard stood behind her, watching.
I didn't think, I lunged. My jaws closed around his neck before he even knew I was there. Bone crunched. Blood sprayed the sterile walls. I tossed him aside like a rag doll and steppedforward, my form shifting back to skin and breath, rage still burning in my veins.
Alpha Alfred stood across the room, wide-eyed, frozen in disbelief. "Y…you're supposed to be dead," he muttered, stumbling back a step.
I locked eyes with him, my voice a low growl. "You should know by now I'm not an easy wolf to kill." My eyes swept the room and rested on Lena, her expression hard and unremorseful. "I'm not like the last alpha who dined with a mole that gave you access to unleash mayhem on his pack. This ends tonight, Alfred. Give it up."
Alpha Alfred stood still like a crumbling god, draped in the illusion of power. His once-imposing presence now looked gaunt beneath the fluorescent lights, his face ashen and his lips bloodless. Still, he straightened his shoulders. "You're too late," he rasped, forcing the words through clenched teeth. "The machine is active. Her power is already mine."
I stepped forward, my voice cold and cutting. "I'm right on time."
He sneered. "What can you do to me?" He taunted, "You think because you brought a ragtag pack to my doorstep, a few rogue wolves and rebels can topple an empire I built with blood and dominance? You think you can walk in here like a hero? The Council won't let this stand. You're outnumbered. You brought what? Ten wolves?" He laughed bitterly, "You're nothing but a broken orphan clinging to revenge."
I smiled, slow and knowing. "Well, it so happens that I have become quite good at playing your games. The news of your crimes is buzzing everywhere right now. Besides, what makes you think I am the only one who wants you gone?"
His eyes narrowed, and his jaw twitched. Then he laughed, obviously calling my bluff. "You think a few rebels can bring me down?The Council—"
