THORN
Afew hours earlier…
A deep, dreamless sleep claims me quickly after Ember left. As though my wolf has finally found peace knowing she’s mine. When I wake, I feel lighter. Sharper. Tonight, I’ll claim my mate.
The sunset bleeds through the horizon in streaks of red and pink, and I think of her hair. Last night was the last time I’ll ever sleep alone. The thought makes me shiver, anticipation and hunger twining together in my veins.
I bathe and prepare for the chase of my life.
By the time I reach for the doorknob, the moon is climbing high above the valley. But the handle resists. I twist again. Nothing.
I shove my shoulder into it. Still nothing.
My lips peel back in a snarl. This has Olcan written all over it.
I roar and hammer the wood with my fists, but no one comes, and it doesn’t budge. The horn hasn’t blown — I still have time. I shift and batter the door until pain shoots down my arm. My shoulder gives a sharp, sick crack.
A holler outside my window drags my attention. Below, wolves begin lining up at the edge of the forest. My time to claim Ember is closing.
“Fuck,” I snarl, my fists slam into the stone sill until blood pools in my palm. Images of Olcan catching her — taking her — fueling my rage. I will not let that happen.
There’s one way out.
I crack my neck, roll my shoulders, and sprint. Glass explodes around me as I dive through the center window, shifting midair.
The fall is brutal. I land on my bad shoulder, pain splitting through me like lightning. My wolf rolls and scrambles upright, blood slicking my leg. But I am alive. I’m so shocked, I don’t notice the stinging pain for two steps before my right leg buckles underneath me.
The first horn blares.
Females sprint into the trees in the distance.
Limping and leaving a trail of blood, I dig deeper, pulling my Alpha power into each step as I dash farther into the valley. My fury turning pain into fuel until I’m running. I’m only a few feet behind the awaiting males when the second horn splits the night.
The males surge. The ground shakes with the pounding of paws, a herd of wolves stampeding into the tree line with lust. Leaves tearing, branches whipping, dirt spraying.
A few powerful leaps and I’m running with them, pushing myself faster. I’m making my way through the trees, passing them one by one. My Alpha size devouring the ground with every stride.
The forest is chaos. Some females didn’t bother to run — they wait, tails lifted, and are mounted within seconds.
Growls and guttural moans echo all around.
Others are dragged down mid-sprint, squeals of laughter and snapping teeth fill the night.
Others sprint hard for the deeper trees, desperate to catch their chosen mate.
The air is thick with musk, blood, and desperation.
I force my massive frame faster, pain fueling me. Branches whipping my fur, the ground shaking beneath me.
Then — her scent. Jasmine and cedarwood, sharp and intoxicating. But threading through it is something metallic and copper.
Blood.
My heart stops. Ember is bleeding.
A roar tears from my throat, shaking the trees. Who the fuck dares touch her? She’s mine.
Ahead, a shape lunges from the shadows — Olcan. His eyes glowing red, bloodlust already consuming him. He snaps at my flank, saliva stringing from his fangs. He’s scenting her blood too.
If he reaches her first …
I ram him, claws raking fur, teeth flashing. His bulk slamming into a tree with a crack. He snarls back, lips curling. “She’ll be mine, Thorn.”
“Over my dead fucking body.” My voice thunders through the woods.
I don’t wait for his lunge. I tear onward, lungs burning, paws pounding. Her blood is in the air, driving every wolf mad. I hear it — the frenzy of others catching the scent. Growls grow sharper. Frenetic. They’ll rip each other apart for her.
Not if I get there first.
The trees blur. My chest heaves. But then — I see her. A flash of fire darting between trunks, her red fur wild in the moonlight.
Mine.
The sight of her drives me faster, branches snapping under my weight. She glances back, eyes widening when she sees me. She pushes faster. The full moon light glistening off her red coat. Gods, she is beautiful, even in her desperation.
We burst into the field before the Sacred Circle, the blood-red leaves of the Sacred Tree swaying in the distance. My pulse roars.
I veer into her path, nudging her flank. She snaps back, shoving me. We tumble in a blur of fur and teeth, rolling through the grass until our momentum spent itself.
We shift mid-roll until I’m pinning her beneath me. Her pale skin gleams, streaked with blood at her side, red hair spread wild in the grass.
My wolf howls inside me. “Who hurt you?” I rasp, nose brushing the blood on her arm. Rage and hunger warred in me. Whoever laid claws on her will pay in flesh.
Her lips part, breathless. “You took your time. I thought Alphas were supposed to be fast. Are those big legs just for show?”
Even bleeding, even hunted, she’s smiling. Just for me.
That smile eclipses the full moon.
“I’ll show you.” I crush my mouth to hers, devouring her. She melts, opening for me. I tear down her body with kisses and bites until I bury my face between her thighs. Her taste — sweet, musky, mine — explodes on my tongue.
She arches, crying out, her nails clawing the grass. I lick deeper, sucking, tonguing until she screams my name into the night. The sound makes every nerve in me burn.
“Ember…” I growl against her, then rise, spreading her legs wide. My cock, hard and aching, presses against her slick entrance.
She trembles beneath me, pupils blown wide, lips swollen from our kiss.
“Mine,” I snarl.
“Wait—” she gasps, her hand flat against my chest.
I freeze, chest heaving, every muscle strung tight.