Chapter 39
*Ethan’s POV*
The moment I heard “Claire’s there too“, I nearly lost control. My pulse quickened, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from my chest. I stubbed out the cigarette in my hand and turned to the group gathered around the long conference table.
“I need to step out,” I said.
“What’s wrong, Alpha Ethan?” someone asked, their voice barely cutting through the din of the crowded room. The meeting was chaotic, with people sitting around the table and even on the floor near the filing cabinets. Almost everyone held a cigarette in hand.
In recent weeks, dismemberment cases had surfaced in five or six packs, each one disturbingly similar. The remains were so mutilated that identifying the werewolf was nearly impossible. To prevent panic, I, along with the other Alphas and the Safety Bureau, had decided to keep the situation under wraps for now.
But the pressure hadn’t eased. I needed to find answers–and fast.
And Claire… she was tangled too deeply in all of this. I couldn’t shake the fear that I might lose her again, that history would repeat itself.
I couldn’t let that happen.
Standing abruptly, I announced, “Keep discussing. I’m heading to Fire Phantom Forest. There might be new leads there.”
The room buzzed with whispers, some clearly dissatisfied with my sudden departure. But I didn’t have time to explain.
A few Alphas and Betas offered to accompany me, but I stopped them. “No. It’s dangerous. I need you to stay here and provide remote support.”
I immediately called Keith, who was also on his way to the forest. The rush of wind against
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Chapter 39
his fur came through the phone like a sharp whisper.
“Claire told me she’s in Fire Phantom Forest,” Keith confirmed. He estimated he’d reach the
forest in about ten minutes.
Gritting my teeth, I changed course, taking a shorter but far more treacherous path–a
narrow trail choked with dense shrubs and brambles. I hunched low as I ran, sharp thorns
tearing at my skin. Growling, I swiped at the underbrush with my claws, clearing a path
hrough sheer force.
A strange heat coursed through my body, growing stronger with every step. It felt almost as if Claire was calling out to me. Memories surfaced of Claire riding on my back, urging me to take her to the highest cliff to watch the stars. Back then, the warmth I felt in my heart was
just like this.
The thought of Claire dulled the pain from my wounds. By the time I emerged from the thorns, my body was shredded and bloodied. But thanks to the Moon Goddess’s gift of rapid healing, I pressed on.
The sound of chaos reached my ears a kilometer or two away–angry shouting, growls, the
unmistakable din of a fight.
And then I heard her voice. Claire.
In that moment, a single thought gripped me: I can’t lose her again.
“What do you want from us?”
“Who are you?”
“Get off! Leave us alone!”
There were eight of them. Eight hulking Beta wolves. Numbers aside, their sheer size was overwhelming. Claire and her group didn’t stand a chance.
I caught a familiar voice yelling curses–Kai. The Omega who had joined Claire on her first
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Chapter 39
trip to the forest was with her again. For a second, I felt a brief, inexplicable pang of” jealousy in the chaos.
I felt as though I’d been in a blackout for ages, though it had only been a few minutes in
reality.
Then I saw her. Claire. Her pink fur, once smooth and shining, was now matted with mud and streaked with blood. Her eyes were bloodshot, her injuries making her look heartbreakingly vulnerable.
Why hadn’t I gotten there sooner?
Claire didn’t say a word. Instead, she climbed onto my back in one swift motion, just as she always had before. Her chest pressed against me, her heartbeat echoing with mine. I felt her warmth, her anger, and the strange, bittersweet ache tightening my throat.
For a fleeting moment, I sensed her emotions clearly. Her fury burned far hotter than her
sadness. Was she angry… at me?
“These betas are fucking vile. I won’t let them get away with this,” she growled.
It was then that I noticed the others–Kai, Steven, and a few unfamiliar werewolves, possibly Claire’s colleagues. They were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain, their bodies battered and bloodied.
I didn’t know exactly what had happened, but a few of the Betas were still destroying everything in their path, unrelenting.
With a deafening roar, I charged forward, my fury surging like a tidal wave. The Beta’s froze in fear before scattering in all directions.
But I wouldn’t let them escape. They would pay dearly for what they had done to Claire.
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