Page 59 of Rebel for Claws
"Alaric." Lena's voice carried the strain of someone who'd been coordinating disaster responses for hours. "I've just confirmed—the human operatives are attacking simultaneously across all four pack territories right now. This isn't just war, it's a mass extinction effort. Clearly orchestrated by Thorne."
Alaric's jaw clenched as he processed the scope of Thorne's final gambit. "Casualties?"
"Hard to say right now, but everyone's fighting back. The energy waves from your completed mate bond—they're working. Shifters across the territory are experiencing awakenings, enhanced abilities they never knew they possessed."
The prophecy in action. Ancient magic flowing through bloodlines that had been dormant for centuries.
"Thank you for the update," Alaric said, his Alpha voice cutting through static interference on the line. "I have to defend my estate—they're closing in on us as we speak."
He ended the call and shoved the phone into his tactical vest, his enhanced hearing already picking up the distinctive whistle of approaching vehicles through the December night. Less than two miles now, moving fast through the wooded approach roads to his estate.
"The coordinated defense strategy," Alaric said, strapping combat knives to his forearms. "Kieran and Maya are helping the leaders in Silvercrest territory, Damon and Elena are in Tidewater, and Logan and Zoe in Granite Ridge."
Vivian secured her final blade with deadly precision. "And Kelly and my spiritual rebel group are handling Shadow territory operations."
Everyone is scattered across the four territories, fighting for their lives while we're about to face our own battle here.
Alaric tested the weight of his sword, the blade singing softly as he drew it partially from its sheath. The ancient magic flowing through his veins made every movement feel charged with supernatural power, as if he could cleave through steel with the same ease as paper.
"Whatever these energy waves are doing to awaken dormant abilities in other shifters," he said, watching Vivian check her throwing knife balance with professional competence, "I just hope it's enough against Thorne's human operatives."
Because if it's not, we're all dead by dawn.
The sound of shattering glass exploded through the gym like a gunshot, followed immediately by the metallic crash of window frames buckling under assault. Alaric spun toward the source of the breach, his enhanced vision instantly cataloging the tactical situation—black-clad figures rappelling through the destroyed windows, silver weapons gleaming in the emergency lighting, military precision evident in every movement.
Thorne's elite strike team. Those bastards must have cut down my perimeter guards without a sound.
"Vivian," Alaric growled, his voice carrying the deadly promise of an Alpha pushed beyond all reasonable limits.
She was already moving, her twin swords sliding from their sheaths with whispered menace as she positioned herself at his back. "I see them."
Human operatives poured through the breached windows like a plague of locusts, their silver-enhanced weapons trained on both Alaric and Vivian with professional lethality. The lead operative, his face hidden behind tactical goggles and breathingapparatus, gestured with military hand signals that Alaric recognized from his own combat training.
Surround and contain. They want us alive—probably for Thorne's experiments.
"Alpha Silvercrest," the lead operative called out, his voice mechanically distorted through his communications equipment. "Elder Thorne extends an invitation to rejoin his research program. Your recent... enhancement... makes you a particularly valuable specimen."
Alaric's eyes blazed gold as ancient power surged through his bloodstream, the completed mate bond amplifying his natural Alpha dominance to supernatural levels. "Tell Thorne he can take his invitation straight to hell."
The operatives shifted formation, weapons tracking Alaric and Vivian's every micro-movement with military precision. Silver-tipped ammunition glinted in tactical rifle chambers, designed specifically to neutralize shifters through targeted poisoning.
They came prepared for extinction. Too bad they have no idea what they're actually facing.
TWENTY-SEVEN
VIVIAN
Vivian's violet eyes tracked the tactical formation of the human operatives surrounding her and Alaric in his personal gym, their weapons glinting with lethal promise under the emergency lighting. Each rifle bore distinctive modifications—specialized ammunition designed specifically for shifter extermination through accelerated silver poisoning.
These bastards came prepared for genocide.
The metallic scent of their weapons made her wolf recoil instinctively, but her human mind calculated angles, distances, and probabilities with deadly precision. Fifteen operatives positioned at strategic points throughout the gym, each armed with enough silver ammunition to kill dozens of shifters. If they were attacking Alaric's estate with this level of firepower, the simultaneous strikes across all four pack territories would be catastrophic.
Please let those energy waves have awakened enough power in our people to fight back against this.
Her tactical gear felt reassuring against her skin—the familiar weight of twin swords crossed her back, throwing knives secured along her thighs, and handcrafted blades that hadnever failed her before. But even with her enhanced abilities and Alaric's newly awakened ancient magic, they were severely outnumbered by an enemy that had come prepared for total extermination.
The lead operative shifted his weapon's targeting system, the red laser dot dancing across Vivian's chest with mechanical precision. "Stand down, hybrid. Elder Thorne has specific plans for specimens like you."
