Chapter 80

Alexander

The moment we hit the tree line, I shifted, my body snapping, twisting, reshaping in a way that should be painful but wasn’t. A familiar rush of heat, the pull of instinct taking over, and suddenly I was running on all fours—massive, powerful, my black fur blending into the night.

Beside me, a streak of white kept pace.

Liam.

We ran, fast and brutal, the world a blur as we tore through the forest. The scent of pine, damp earth, and distant prey filled the air, but there was only one scent I cared about.

“Split up! We’ll find her!” Liam said, vering off to the right into the trees. My massive breath puffed the cold air as I took in her scent.

Lauren.

And she was close.

Her scent was different now. Darker. Wilder. A twisting, chaotic energy that made my hackles rise. The closer I got, the wronger it felt.

Then, I saw her.

And my blood ran cold.

Lauren was… not the same. A beast.

Her coat was a deep, rich brown, but it was more than that—there was shadow wrapped around her, flickering like flames licking at her fur, a dark aura radiating power. Her claws ripping into the ground with a speed that felt way too fast to be running away, but chasing.

I hopping over a log trailing her wicked pace, and that’s when my eyes widened, seeing her target.

I was right, she wasn’t running, but hunting.

I saw them.

Three small figures sprinting through the trees—a boy and a girl. Their scent hit me, and my chest seized.

Owen. Abigail.

Our kids.

And another boy I didn’t recognize.

What… where they even doing out here?

Lauren was closing in.

A savage growl ripped from my throat, the kind that made lesser wolves drop in submission, but she didn’t even flinch.

She was too far gone.

I pushed harder, muscles burning as I surged forward.

And then, just when I thought she might close in on them, enough for them to see her—I hit her.

Our bodies collided mid-stride, the impact sending us both crashing to the ground in a mess of fur, claws, and snapping teeth.

Lauren snarled, a sound so guttural and unnatural it didn’t sound like her.

She twisted under me, fighting like hell, her strength a raw, unstoppable force.

"Lauren!" My voice was a growl, desperate, demanding.

She didn’t stop.

She didn’t even hesitate.

Her teeth snapped inches from my throat, and I barely wrenched myself back in time.

Her speed, her strength—this wasn’t just some out-of-control shift.

She was something else.

Something more.

A normal werewolf couldn’t do this. Couldn’t match me.

But she wasn’t just matching me.

She was winning.

I went for her throat—just to knock her out, my only goal to pin her and stop this madness before it spiraled any further. But the second my body closed in on hers, she twisted—a move so fast, so vicious, it took me by surprise.

And then—her jaws were in my front leg.

Pain—white-hot, searing—exploded through me, radiating from the puncture in my flesh as her teeth dug deep, the pressure unbearable. It was like fire had been shoved straight into my veins.

I let out a roar, my body thrashing instinctively, trying to break free, but her hold was impossibly strong. Her jaws clenched tighter, pulling at my leg as though she meant to rip it from me entirely.

Blood—my blood—sprayed across the dirt, splattering against the trees, the ground, the air thick with the metallic scent of it. Each drop felt like a heavy weight, each breath more labored as I fought through the pain.

I gritted my teeth, every ounce of my being screaming to just force her off. But I couldn’t.

I couldn’t hurt her.

I wouldn’t.

Her eyes were wild—fury and something else swirling in those pupils. A beast, barely restrained. And it hit me, like a punch to the gut: this wasn’t just a fight. It wasn’t just a shift gone wrong. She wasn’t some wild animal anymore.

She was stronger.

More powerful.

A low growl rumbled from my chest, deep and desperate, but it wasn’t a challenge—it was a plea.

“Lauren, please!” I fought to keep my voice steady, to keep some semblance of control, but my leg was on fire, blood pumping in a dizzying rush. "You don’t have to do this. Stop."

But she didn’t.

Her teeth sank even deeper, and the pain spiked, blinding me for a moment. I shook my head, trying to clear the fog, my body thrashing beneath her, trying to free myself without breaking her apart in the process.

But it wasn’t enough.

Her jaw deepened it’s hold on me, and I knew in an instant—I had no choice.

I met her force with my own, every instinct, every ounce of strength, and I tackled her under me with like a flip of a coin.

The impact was brutal. We hit the ground hard, a violent collision of bodies, dirt, and leaves exploding in all directions as we rolled, snarling, biting, and tearing at each other.

She twisted, trying to throw me off, her massive form writhing like a beast that refused to be tamed. But I was ready.

With a snarl, I shifted my weight and caught her by the throat, using all the force I had to shove her down into the dirt.

Her claws raked my side in retaliation, sharp as blades, tearing through my fur and flesh. Her muscles coiling with power as she snapped at my face.

I only clamped down harder.

Not hard enough to kill. Just enough to stop her. To remind her that I was still in control.

She thrashed beneath me, her growls vibrating through the ground. The air was thick with the sounds of our struggle, the fierce noise of our battle echoing through the trees.

But eventually, despite her strength, her movements slowed. The energy that had been fueling her wild rage began to fade.

Her body trembled—shuddering with exhaustion, with the last vestiges of resistance. And then, finally, the fire went out of her. A long, shuddering breath escaped her, and then—her body went limp beneath me.

I held her there for a moment, my teeth still embedded in her neck, feeling the heat of her skin, the pulse of her life beneath me. I waited—listened—for any sign that she was still there, still fighting.

But there was nothing.

Her wolf form began to fade, the shift pulling back from her like a slow withdrawal of energy. Her muscles shrank, her fur receded. And soon, in place of the fierce beast beneath me, there was only Lauren.

Lauren.

Her human body lay beneath me, bare, battered, and far too still. Her breathing was shallow, slow—and I felt my chest tighten in a way I hadn’t expected.

I pulled back, my mind racing. My heart pounded in my ears. I looked at her—really looked at her—taking in the damage. The cuts on her arms. The bruises forming across her skin.

And then I saw them.

Two small black dots beneath her eyes—marked like tattoos. They looked like a mark of power, of change.

My breath hitched in my throat as I dropped to my human knees beside her, my hands trembling as I reached for her. She was so fragile now, so small beneath me. I pulled her close, cradling her head against my chest, my forehead pressing to hers as I let out a strangled breath.

“Why?” I whispered, my voice raw, wrecked. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

Nothing but silence.

Her blood was mixed with mine, the two fluids staining the dirt beneath us. My hands shook as I held her, the warmth of her body against mine grounding me in a way that nothing else had. My thoughts were a whirlwind, spinning out of control. I needed answers. I needed to understand.

What had she done?

And why the hell hadn’t she told me?

I pressed my lips to her forehead, feeling the heat of her skin. Her breathing remained steady, but there was nothing else.

I let out a low growl—more frustration than anything—my claws digging into the dirt as I leaned over her.

“Lauren…” I whispered again, my voice low.

She didn’t answer.

I pulled her tighter against me, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

I wasn’t sure if I had any time left to figure this out.

And that terrified me more than anything else.