A deafening series of cracks tore through the air.
My body moved before my mind caught up.
Lily grabbed Rose, yanking her toward a tree. Julian shoved Aries out of the open space, both moving with trained speed.
My pulse thundered in my ears. I barely had time to react before a bullet whizzed past, embedding itself in the bark beside me.
The scent of silver flooded my nose.
Hunters.
More shots. A strangled grunt somewhere in the distance. Someone hit the ground.
The pack was under attack.
My mind was racing, thoughts tangled and frantic. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't think.
Aries' voice cut through the chaos, grounding me.
"Lily, get Rose and Rexxona inside the pack house! Julian and I will take care of the hunters out here!"
"Yes, Alpha!" came Lily's curt reply.
Before I could process anything else, Aries and Julian burst from their cover. The gunfire had slowed—hunters reloading.
They took advantage of it.
Aries shifted mid-run, his body morphing into a massive, powerful wolf. It was a breathtaking sight. His wolf was huge, just as an Alpha's should be. Beside him, Julian moved with a deadly grace, his strikes precise and brutal.
Only minutes ago, Julian had been laughing, carefree. But now? Now he was a warrior, a force of nature.
I watched them tear through the hunters, their forms disappearing into the chaos beyond.
Lily wasted no time, grabbing my wrist and pulling me toward the pack house. Rose ran beside us, her breath ragged.
We were almost there when a movement caught my eye.
A hunter, weapon raised, closing in on a pack member.
Lily hesitated. I saw it in her eyes—the battle between duty and instinct. Protect us or save him?
I made the choice for her.
"Go help him, Lily!" I yelled, adrenaline surging through me. "Me and Rose will be fine—we're almost inside!"
She met my gaze, uncertain.
"Go!" I urged.
Lily gave a swift nod before shifting into her wolf, charging toward the hunter.
And then, it was just me and Rose.
"It's just us now," she murmured, a faint, forced smile on her face.
I'd never seen her like this—so quiet, so… lost. But given the blood staining the ground, the bodies scattered across the battlefield, I understood.
"Rex, hurry up!" Rose shouted suddenly.
I blinked. I hadn't realized I'd stopped moving, too caught up in the carnage around me.
"On my way!" I called back, forcing myself forward.
But then—
A flash of movement.
A hunter.
Charging straight at Rose, weapon aimed directly at her.
My body reacted before my mind did.
"Rose!" I tried to scream, but my voice barely made it through the chaos.
She turned, but too late.
The hunter was too fast.
I ran. Harder than I ever had before. But it wasn't enough. He was going to reach her first.
Something inside me snapped.
My wolf roared, a primal surge of energy coursing through my veins. My vision blurred, my senses sharpened.
And then—
The shot fired.
The bullet hurtled toward Rose.
But it never reached her.
The energy inside me exploded outward, stopping the bullet midair. The force of it sent a ripple through my surroundings, shaking the ground beneath us.
But I wasn't done.
The energy recoiled, snapping back into me. And from where I stood, I released another pulse of power—this one aimed at the hunter.
He barely had time to react before he was yanked toward us by an invisible force. His body slammed into the ground at my feet.
Lifeless.
Silence.
The energy inside me pulled back, retreating into the depths of my being.
I gasped, my vision spinning as my mind caught up with what just happened.
What the hell was that?
I staggered forward, dropping to my knees beside Rose. She sat frozen, staring at me like I was something… unnatural.
But I didn't care. Not now.
"Are you okay?" My words tumbled out, frantic. "Are you hurt?"
She didn't answer.
She just stared.
And then, in a whisper, she said,
"Rex… your eyes."
I froze.
Realization crashed into me like a tidal wave.
I had just exposed myself.
The migraine from earlier returned with a vengeance, blinding pain splitting through my skull.
I barely had time to process it before everything went dark.
And I collapsed.