SURROUNDED
The night air suddenly felt colder.
Aria’s heart pounded loudly in her chest as she stared into the dark forest surrounding them.
“Twenty?” she whispered.
Her voice came out smaller than she expected.
The Alpha King’s sharp eyes scanned the trees, his senses fully alert now.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“They’re moving carefully.”
Aria swallowed.
“Rogues?”
“Most likely.”
Her wolf growled inside her mind.
More than rogues.
Aria stiffened slightly.
“What do you mean?” she asked silently.
But before her wolf could explain—
Branches snapped somewhere to their left.
Then another sound came from behind them.
Footsteps.
Low growls.
Aria turned slowly.
Shadows began appearing between the trees.
One by one.
Dark figures stepped into the faint moonlight.
Wolves.
Large.
Rough-looking.
Their eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Some red.
Some yellow.
All focused on her.
Aria instinctively stepped closer to the Alpha King.
The wolves slowly began forming a loose circle around them.
Trapping them.
The Alpha King didn’t move.
His posture remained calm.
But the power radiating from him grew heavier.
Dangerous.
One of the rogues stepped forward.
Unlike the others, he stayed in human form.
Tall.
Scarred.
His long hair hung loosely around his shoulders.
His eyes glowed the same unnatural red as the rogue from before.
“So it’s true,” the man said slowly.
“The Alpha King found her first.”
The Alpha King’s voice was cold.
“You should leave.”
The rogue laughed.
“You think we came all this way just to leave?”
His gaze slowly moved toward Aria.
She felt her stomach twist under the weight of his stare.
“She really is just a girl,” he said with a crooked smile.
Aria’s wolf growled angrily.
I hate him.
The Alpha King shifted slightly, placing himself more directly in front of Aria.
“She’s not yours to look at.”
The rogue raised an eyebrow.
“Possessive already?”
Then his expression darkened.
“You can’t protect her forever, Alpha King.”
His voice lowered slightly.
“Everyone is searching for her now.”
Aria felt fear creep into her chest.
“Everyone?” she whispered.
The rogue smiled again.
“Rogues. Packs. Hunters.”
His eyes gleamed.
“The Shadow Bloodline is worth more than gold.”
The Alpha King’s eyes burned.
“She’s not a prize.”
The rogue shrugged.
“Maybe not to you.”
He gestured toward the surrounding wolves.
“But to us…”
The wolves around them began growling louder.
Their circle slowly tightened.
“…she’s power.”
Aria’s breathing quickened.
The Alpha King glanced down at her briefly.
“Stay behind me.”
Aria nodded quickly.
But fear still crept through her chest.
There were too many of them.
Her wolf spoke quietly.
We’re not helpless.
Aria almost laughed nervously.
“Have you seen how many there are?”
Yes.
The wolf sounded calm.
And we’re stronger than you think.
Before Aria could ask what she meant—
The rogue leader lifted his hand.
Immediately, the wolves around them crouched low.
Ready to attack.
The Alpha King sighed softly.
“Well,” he muttered.
“That was quicker than expected.”
His golden eyes suddenly flashed brightly.
And for the first time since Aria met him—
His wolf began to emerge.
Power rolled off him like a violent storm.
The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly.
The rogue wolves hesitated.
Even their leader’s smile faded for a moment.
Because everyone in the werewolf world knew one thing.
The Alpha King was not just another Alpha.
He was the strongest wolf alive.
The rogue leader slowly smirked again.
“Good,” he said.
“I was hoping you’d fight.”
Aria’s heart raced as the wolves around them prepared to lunge.
The Alpha King’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
“Last chance.”
The rogue only laughed.
Then he snapped his fingers.
And every wolf in the clearing attacked at once. ????