Chapter 20
Chaos
Alexa
His aura dominates the cramped room. Even several elders, including Mr. Darius, bow their heads. They lack the courage to confront Alastair with direct eye contact.
“If you choose me, then I’ll make sure you’re protected by real power.” Alastair raises a hand to caress my cheek. “I can protect you from the Lord of Darkness.”
“Don’t touch me!” I slap his hand away from my face. “Were you conspiring with Mr. Darius?” I ask suspiciously.
“Don’t play games with me.” He growls while stepping closer toward me. “I’d appreciate a little respect from you. I could still forgive your rejection if you admitted you made a mistake.”
His tall figure towers over me beneath the oppressive darkness. Something about Alpha Alastair has turned colder. Even his gaze grows sharper now, carrying an overwhelming and chilling aura that presses heavily against my chest.
“Be careful, Alexa. I feel a different aura from him. He’s stronger than he was yesterday,” Mythril warns, instantly heightening my awareness as if she’s ready to attack at any second.
“Sorry, Alpha Alastair, but I don’t care about the prophecy or the Lord of Darkness anymore.” I lift my chin stubbornly. “I’m staying true to my heart. I love Harlow.”
I turn toward the elders with the same unwavering determination. My eyes burn as I glance at Mr. Darius and Mr. Pascoe one after another. Mr. Darius wipes sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief, while Mr. Pascoe clenches his jaw like ready to attack any minute.
“Something’s wrong here,” I tell Mythril.
I don’t want to be trampled by anyone ever again, especially not controlled like livestock dragged around by a rope through its nose.
Even if he truly is connected to the Lord of Darkness, I refuse to kneel so easily.
Even if it costs me my life, I’ll still fight back. Besides, why should I choose Alastair?
Romero hasn’t even given his opinion yet. The Alpha Blackmoore said he would come to pick Harlow up today, and I’m certain he would be furious too if he knew the situation had changed into this mess.
Alastair narrows his eyes dangerously. Clearly, he doesn’t like my answer. “Watch your words carefully, Alexa.” His voice lowers. “I’m giving you one more chance.”
“And my answer stays the same.” I gulp down hesitation in my voice. “I choose Harlow Blackmoore as my true mate.”
For a brief second, silence fills the room. Then Alastair grins crookedly. “I won’t forgive you or the Silver Moon Pack for this insult.” His eyes darken. “Y’all enjoy playing with my heart? Fine. Then let’s play all damn day.”
The next second, a piercing scream echoes from somewhere outside. People are shouting for help as loud chaos surges toward the meeting room. The elders and I rush toward the open window. I lean out and look down at the street in front of the Scott family estate.
A man is being surrounded by several men. Women run in terror while groups of men chase after them through the streets. A child cries hysterically as a burly man rips them away from their mother.
Chaos spreads everywhere. Guards lie wounded. The crowd panics. Groups of large men attack innocent people without restraint.
For a moment, it feels as though blood stops flowing through my veins entirely. My lips go numb. My body weakens. Then I notice another horrifying sight.
Mrs. Geeny is fighting two massive men using a silver dagger. Not far from her, Harlow fights five men at once. A trembling guard suddenly bursts into the room, sweat pouring down his pale face.
“D-danger, Mr. Pascoe!” he stammers. “A group of pack members is attacking us. They’re from the Blood Moon—” The moment the guard notices Alastair standing there, his face turns even paler.
“Alpha Alastair...” I stare at him in disbelief. “What have you done?”
The man lets out a disgusting laugh. Another scream pierces the air outside. I turn toward the window again and see the chaos worsening by the second.
“Stop this right now!” I roar furiously.
“You wicked bastard!” Mr. Pascoe is the only elder brave enough to shout back at him.
The others look utterly terrified, trembling in their seats. Even Mr. Darius only sits there, flicking his fingers together. Why the hell didn’t they do anything? Why are they the only ones trembling there?
“Bark all you want,” Alpha Alastair says coldly while glaring directly at me, “but I’m not leaving this pack until you kneel before me and become mine. Your power is mine.” There is no forgiveness left inside his eyes.
“Then what?” I growl angrily. “You gonna imprison me too? Never again!”
Using all my strength, I dash forward and leap to kick Alastair. The elders, including Mr. Darius, scatter out of the meeting room in panic. At the same time, Mr. Pascoe lunges forward and throws a clawed punch toward Alastair’s face.
But Alastair is far more agile. He dodges both our attacks effortlessly before driving a brutal punch straight into Mr. Pascoe’s stomach. The older man staggers backward before collapsing onto the floor.
I launch another series of punches and kicks, but he avoids every single strike. “Those kicks are strong,” he murmurs as he catches my fist midair before it reaches his cheek. “You really are worthy of becoming my Luna.”
“I’d rather become your worst enemy,” I snap back while swinging another kick toward his waist.
But once again, he proves faster and stronger than me. He blocks my leg with one hand, catching it midair before violently slamming me onto the floor. Pain explodes through my body.
His hands pins my wrist tightly against the ground. Still, I refuse to surrender. I sharpen my free palm, straightening my fingers while channeling my energy into them. Then I slash upward toward his Adam’s apple like a blade.
Alpha Alastair’s eyes widen instantly as blood spills from the wound across his neck.
The strike forces him to cough violently and pull away from me.
I quickly push myself back onto my feet.
But before I can regain my balance, he tackles my legs again.
My body crashes hard against the floor with a loud thud.
Mr. Pascoe lunges at Alastair from behind. He wraps both arms tightly around Alastair’s neck and chokes him with all his strength. The blood from Alastair’s neck spilling more in each second.
“Go, Alexa! Find Harlow and Mrs. Geeny!” Mr. Pascoe shouts desperately. “I’ll hold him off!”
I stand up and hesitate while staring at him. Alastair grips Mr. Pascoe’s arms tightly as his face slowly reddens beneath the chokehold. Should I leave Mr. Pascoe behind to fight Alpha Alastair alone?
“Go!” Mythril urges frantically inside my head. “You heard him. Leave now and save Mrs. Geeny! She must know something to help us.”
“But Mr. Pascoe isn’t a match for Alpha Alastair. He could die.” For a split second, I still debate whether I should leave him behind.
“Run, Alexa! Hurry!” Mr. Pascoe screams at the top of his lungs.
I force out a shaky breath. Frustration twists violently inside my chest, but despite how much I hate it, I sprint out of the room like lightning. Tears spill uncontrollably down my face. Behind me, Mr. Pascoe cries, followed by the heavy crash of something slamming against the floor.
“It’s okay,” Mythril reassures me firmly inside my heart. “He’ll survive. Just go help the people down there. They need you.”
I take a deep breath as I race down the stairs. Mythril is right. There’s no time to cry or hesitate. I have to save as many people as possible.
Two enemy soldiers are fighting the same guard who came earlier to report the attack. He’s cornered now, bruised and bleeding heavily from his temple. I steady myself and summon Mythril, shifting into my full Lycan form.
“Let him go!” I roar at the two men standing before me.
In Mythril’s physical form, I swing my arm in one brutal motion toward the nearest attacker. The force launches him across the room before his body crashes violently onto the coffee table with a sickening thud strong enough to rattle the walls.
At the same time, his companion lunges at me from behind, trying to sink his fangs into my neck. But I’m faster. My hand shoots backward instantly, grabbing his tricep before I twist sharply and slam his body straight into the display cabinet.
Glass explodes everywhere. The man collapses unconscious beneath the shattered remains.
“Go,” I command urgently through the chaos. “Save everybody you can and take them to the safe post outside. Prioritize the women and children.”
The guard nods immediately without hesitation before running out of the house beside me. Once we step outside, screams and wolf howls fill the air from every direction. The entire pack sounds like it’s drowning in misery.
A man suddenly sprints past me with a small child thrown over his shoulder. Tears stream down the boy’s chubby face while panicked cries choke out of him desperately.
I step directly into the man’s path. Three men beside him abruptly stop. Shock flashes across their faces at my sudden appearance, but it quickly twists into aggression. Bones crack violently. Their bodies shift mid sprint into snarling wolves. Then they charge at me.
I meet the first attacker with a savage slash of my claws. Blood gushes from his stomach as he stumbles before collapsing heavily onto the ground. The second wolf leaps toward me, but I dodge him.
In one swift movement, I drive my foot hard into his spine near the hip. He yelps painfully before crashing to the ground like dead weight. The third one sinks his teeth deep into my calf.
Pain shoots violently through my leg, but I refuse to falter. With a guttural growl, I drive my claws into the exposed side of his neck. Blood sprays across the dirt as his body instantly goes limp beneath me.
“Let him go!” I shout at the man still trying to flee with the child.
The man drops the boy to the ground without mercy before throwing himself at me instead. We slam onto the ground together, rolling violently through dirt and blood while struggling against each other.