THE WOLVES OF WAR
The sound of bones cracking filled the forest.
One by one, the Alphas shifted.
Massive wolves burst from their human forms, their bodies expanding with raw power.
Fur tore through skin.
Claws dug into the earth.
Within seconds, four enormous wolves stood in the clearing.
Each one radiated dominance.
Aria’s heart pounded in her chest.
She had seen wolves before.
But never like this.
These were Alpha wolves.
Huge.
Terrifying.
Powerful enough to shake the ground beneath their paws.
The gray-furred wolf—Darius—stood at the front. His silver coat glimmered faintly under the moonlight.
Beside him was a dark black wolf with amber eyes, its muscles rippling as it circled slowly.
The third wolf had reddish-brown fur and sharp golden eyes that never left the Alpha King.
And then there was Kael.
Aria recognized him immediately.
His wolf was dark charcoal, almost black, with glowing amber eyes.
He looked even larger than she remembered.
And angrier.
The four wolves slowly spread out, forming a loose circle.
Rowan stepped back toward Aria quickly.
“Stay behind me.”
Aria didn’t argue.
Her wolf was pacing inside her mind.
This is bad.
“Very bad,” Aria whispered.
The Alpha King still stood in human form.
Calm.
Unmoving.
His golden eyes watched the wolves around him carefully.
Darius’s wolf let out a low growl.
A challenge.
The Alpha King tilted his head slightly.
Then his body finally began to change.
Aria felt the shift before she saw it.
Power surged through the air.
The ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble.
The Alpha King’s bones cracked as his body expanded.
Muscles grew.
Claws extended.
Within seconds, his wolf stood before them.
Aria gasped.
He was enormous.
Bigger than the others.
His fur was deep midnight black, but silver streaks ran along his shoulders like lightning.
His glowing golden eyes burned with authority.
Even the other Alpha wolves hesitated slightly.
Rowan muttered beside her.
“Yeah… that’s why he’s king.”
The Alpha King’s wolf stepped forward slowly.
His presence alone filled the clearing with pressure.
Darius’s wolf growled again.
Then suddenly—
He attacked.
The gray wolf lunged forward with terrifying speed.
At the same time, the other two Alphas rushed in from the sides.
Three wolves attacking at once.
Aria’s breath caught.
But the Alpha King moved like lightning.
He twisted aside, avoiding Darius’s bite.
His massive paw slammed into the reddish-brown wolf, sending it crashing into the dirt.
The black wolf leaped toward his neck.
The Alpha King caught it mid-air.
With brutal strength, he threw it into a nearby tree.
Wood splintered as the wolf hit the trunk.
But Darius came again.
His jaws snapped dangerously close to the King’s shoulder.
The two massive wolves crashed together, rolling across the ground as claws tore through fur.
Aria’s heart pounded.
The fight was fast.
Too fast for human eyes.
Fur flew through the air.
Growls echoed through the forest.
The Alphas attacked again and again, trying to overwhelm the King with numbers.
But he was stronger.
Every time one wolf lunged, he countered.
Every time they circled, he pushed them back.
Rowan shook his head beside her.
“They’re testing him.”
“Testing?” Aria asked.
“Yes.”
Rowan’s eyes stayed fixed on the battle.
“They’re trying to find a weakness.”
Suddenly Kael joined the fight.
His wolf launched forward with savage speed.
Aria’s chest tightened.
Kael’s jaws aimed straight for the Alpha King’s throat.
But the King twisted and slammed his body into Kael’s side.
Both wolves crashed into the ground.
They rolled across the clearing, snarling and snapping.
For a moment, Aria locked eyes with Kael’s wolf.
And something inside her twisted painfully.
Once…
He had been meant to be her mate.
But now he was trying to kill the one who saved her.
Her wolf growled.
He chose this.
The fight exploded again.
Darius and the other two Alphas attacked together once more.
Four wolves against one.
Claws slashed.
Teeth snapped.
The Alpha King roared—a deep, thunderous sound that shook the trees.
He pushed forward with overwhelming force, knocking two wolves aside.
But the numbers were beginning to show.
A claw scraped across his flank.
Another bite caught his shoulder.
Blood darkened his fur.
Aria felt panic rise in her chest.
“Rowan…”
Rowan’s jaw tightened.
“He’s holding back.”
“What?!”
“He’s trying not to kill them.”
Aria stared at him in disbelief.
“Now would be a great time to stop holding back!”
The wolves clashed again.
The Alpha King threw Darius aside and pinned another wolf to the ground.
But Kael seized the moment.
His wolf lunged from behind—
Straight for the King’s throat.
Aria screamed.
“LOOK OUT!”
But it was too late.
Kael’s jaws closed—
And then suddenly—
Aria felt something inside her explode.