Chapter 40

Alexander's POV

The trail was faint, but it was enough. The forest was thick, the trees towering above us like silent sentinels, casting long shadows over the path.

Lauren walked just behind, her face tight with worry, her steps quick but careful as she followed my lead—broken branches, disturbed earth—leading us toward the hideout.

She was trying to keep it together, but I could see the fear in her eyes. Her daughter, Abigail, was still out there, and I knew this was the moment we had to act.

The tension in the air was as thick as the fog, the city was left far behind in far of the shadow woods beyond the skyscrapers.

The farther we moved into the woods, the heavier the silence grew. Every snap of a twig beneath my boots, every rustle of leaves in the wind, felt like it could be a signal that we were being watched.

I tensed, and stopped suddenly, holding up my hand. She didn’t need me to tell her; she could already hear it—the low hum of voices, the occasional harsh laugh, the unmistakable sound of something being dragged across the ground.

We were close. And by the sound of it, rogues. Banished from packs.

I nodded at her, signaling her to stay behind. She hesitated for a second, but she understood. She had to stay out of sight while I took care of this. If we were lucky, we could get in and out without alerting too many.

If not, well… we’d figure it out then.

We crouched low as we approached the clearing. I could see them now—four, maybe five of them, a group of large men sitting around a fire, laughing and talking in low voices.

Their scent was overpowering, the stench of unwashed bodies and something more dangerous—the musk of wolves.

Then I saw her.

Abigail was tied to a tree, her small frame slumped against the rough bark. Her head was down, her curly hair matted to her face, and she looked pale, sickly.

But what made my stomach twist with rage was the syringe in the hand of one of the rogues, its needle gleaming in the firelight. They were preparing to inject her with something.

I took a deep inhale and tensed instantly at the faint whiff in the air. Not good. One drop could end a wolf.

I clenched my fists, the sharp burn of anger flooding my veins. I could feel the rage inside me, its instincts urging me to attack, to take them all down. But I held back, forcing myself to stay calm.

One of the rogues stepped forward, syringe in hand. “You know what happens if we inject her, right?” he growled. “Wolfsbane. It'll take her down fast. Or maybe we let her live and sell her. Say we killed her.”

The sick satisfaction in his voice made my blood boil. Not on my watch. Not my pack.

I glanced at Lauren. Her eyes were wide, a mix of fear and determination. She was ready to fight, but I couldn’t let her get involved. Not now.

“Stay,” I mouthed.

I shifted silently, stepping out from behind the trees. The rogues hadn’t noticed me yet, but they would soon.

I lunged. The first rogue didn’t have time to react before I slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He howled in pain, but I was already on him, my claws raking across his chest. I didn’t stop until he stopped breathing.

The others reacted fast, drawing weapons, but it was too late. I was already a blur, taking down the second rogue before he could blink.

The third swung a knife, but I caught his arm mid-strike, twisting it until I heard the satisfying snap of bone. He crumpled, unconscious before he hit the ground.

The last rogue, holding the syringe, hesitated. “You don’t want to do this,” he said, his voice shaking. “You don’t know what we’ll do to her. What we’ll do to you.”

I didn’t flinch. “I don’t care.”

With a growl, I lunged again, faster than he could react. He tried to stab me with the syringe, but I grabbed his wrist, twisting it until the needle clattered to the ground. With a sharp snap, I broke his neck, leaving him lifeless.

It was over.

But the moment the last rogue fell, the sound of rustling burst from the tree line.

I turned, my heart sinking.

Sophia stepped into the clearing, her heels sinking into the ground like a death march. She was huffing, swatting away the trees and branches. “Alexander!” she said, out of breath. “What are you doing here!?”

I growled, my fists clenched at my sides. “Me? What the hell are you doing here, Sophia?”

She scoffed, flipping her hair out of her face. “I followed you! What has gotten into you—” She paused, her eyes moving to the scene, “Alexander… what did you…”

I narrowed my eyes, “We need to leave—”

Below me, one of the rogues lunged, crimson still gushing from his chest as he grabbed the syringe and aimed it directly for Abigail’s neck.

“No!” Lauren and I roared in unison.

I saw red.

I barely had any time to react. My muscles tensed, and in a blur of motion, I slammed into him, knocking us both off balance. We tumbled over the wet grass, rolling in a heap as the needle barely missed her neck.

His body was a dead weight, but his desperation made him dangerous. He twisted beneath me, trying to drive the needle into me, his teeth bared in a snarl of fury.

I gritted my teeth, growling as I shifted my weight, pushing myself up to pin him down. My hands went to his throat, but his other hand was a blur of motion, bringing the syringe back up to strike.

Time slowed, my focus narrowing to the needle.

I dodged his first strike, but I wasn’t fast enough to stop the second. The syringe plunged into my side, deep into my flesh, the cold steel sinking into my skin like a bolt of ice.

A jolt of shock and pain coursed through me. My vision blurred, and my breath caught in my throat. The wolfsbane—its potency, its poison—was already beginning to seep into my bloodstream.

“No!” A scream tore through the air as I shoved the rogue off me with everything I had. He fell backward, but I couldn’t focus on him anymore. My hand instinctively went to the wound, but it was too late.

I stumbled to my feet, disoriented. The burning sensation spread through my veins, my muscles tightening, my senses dulling.

But I couldn’t stop.

I turned back to Abigail—pale, her breath shallow. But she was still alive. Thank God.

Lauren was at her side, frantic. “Abigail, stay with me,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

I forced myself to move, standing tall despite the fire in my chest and the weakness creeping into my limbs. The rogue who had stabbed me was trying to crawl away, but I wasn’t done with him.

I grabbed him by the collar, dragging him to his knees. His eyes went wide with fear as he saw the fury in mine. He tried to break free, but my grip was unyielding.

“You think you can threaten my pack and get away with it?” I growled, my voice thick with the poison coursing through me.

The rogue sneered. “You Alpha’s are all the same.” His voice wavered, but there was no remorse.

I shoved him back, sending him sprawling to the ground. My vision blurred, but I refused to fall.

I turned to Lauren, my heart pounding as I staggered toward her. “Get her out of here,” I rasped, my throat tight.

Lauren looked at me, panic in her eyes. “What’s happening to you? You—”

“Don’t—” I gasped, struggling to steady myself. “Just get her out of here, make sure she is safe. I’ll be fine. I’ll… I’ll be fine.”

But as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie. The poison was spreading fast, and I could feel my strength slipping away. I didn’t have much time left.

“Alexander!” Sophia screeched, stumbling across the clearing.

Lauren shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “No. No, you’re not fine.” She tried to take a step toward me, but I raised a hand to stop her.

“I said, go!” I roared, my voice shaking with the effort.

Lauren froze, her eyes meeting mine, and for a moment, the world around us seemed to slow. I saw the hesitation in her gaze, the unwillingness to leave me behind, but I couldn’t let her stay.

With a pained look, she finally nodded. She turned to Abigail, gently lifting her limp body into her arms, cradling her like the fragile thing she was.

I watched them go, the world around me starting to tilt. My vision blurred, the trees swaying as if the ground itself were moving beneath me.

I took a step forward, my legs barely holding me up, the world closing in around me.

I staggered, feeling the sharp pull of unconsciousness tugging at my mind. I needed to move, but my body wouldn’t obey.

I tried to breathe, but the air felt thick, suffocating. My head spun, and the edges of my vision began to fade.

And then, just as the darkness closed in, I heard a voice.

“Alexander.”

And then, everything went black.