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Limbs exploded outward with familiar agony, reforming rapidly into regal lupine splendor. Dark fur bristling with rage, Callum cast skyward the song of the Alpha Protector, his pack brothers raising voices with concern.
Nostrils flaming hot on her fading, sweet scent's trail, the monstrous wolf bolted headlong through the halls.
The alpha's volcanic fury infected the grand mansion instantly, revelers recoiling as he barreled past, teeth bared in a horrific snarl. Shouting questions trailed uselessly in Callum's wake amid fearful murmurs.
"Our Luna … taken!" Guard cries echoed Callum's bloody thoughts. His vision tunneled only on shadow-strewn forest sanctuary, now sheltering her abductors as his heaving legs propelled him recklessly through a tinted window.
How dare soulless cowards rip his vulnerable mate from him. Powerful legs kicked to rapidly eat up the ground under the cold moon.
No finesse remained in Callum's graceless charge into the woods that shielded the soon-to-be-dead kidnappers.
Flaring nostrils filtered each molecule of Fiona's lingering perfume through the undergrowth. Her muted scent lured the fearsome wolf deeper until faint sounds filtered to him from ahead … snapping branches, grunts, the peal of frightened tears.
Scarcely had Callum burst snarling onto the forest clearing before one of Rocco’s thugs launched himself screeching from a tangled brush.
But Alpha Fury would never be leashed by such a pathetic surprise. Callum spun lightning-quick, blood and spittle flying as he met the charge head-on. The forest erupted with the terrible impact of two supernatural powerhouses converging.
The fool Rocco had dispatched was no match for an enraged mate seeking his lost beloved. Mere seconds later, Callum stood heaving over the broken mess of his tackler, life flowing feebly onto thirsty roots below.
Callum stalked into the tense standoff to find Rocco fully shifted, dark fur bristling along his arched spine, haunches raised, and snarling violently. Behind the posturing rival alpha, two brutish betas in lupine form flanked a bound Fiona's trembling figure.
Callum refused to be goaded, his vast experience warning that Rocco would fight viciously if cornered.
Circling each other, Callum probed for weaknesses, searching for any opportunity to exploit. The dance continued. A deadly game where every step could be the difference between victory and defeat. Rocco, however, proved elusive, mocking Callum with a taunting woof that echoed in the night.
A sudden surge of power emanated from Callum as he committed to a decisive strike. But Rocco, quick as a blink, danced away, sinking his fangs into Callum's straining neck … a humiliating reminder that this battle would be far from easy.
Undeterred, Callum held his ground, fighting and refusing to let Rocco's bite shake him. With a decisive plunge, Callum pinned Rocco to the forest floor. Rocco writhed in a futile attempt to break free, spewing muffled curses.
Claws raked against Callum's iron, vise-like jaw, but he held on unrelentingly. The temptation to deliver a decisive blow, to maim Rocco's hindquarters and teach a ruthless lesson, roared within Callum like a primal instinct. Yet a greater wisdom prevailed, checking his wrath.
In one swift and final motion, Callum brought an end to the threat that Rocco posed. His jaws closed on Rocco's neck, a move both primal and merciful. Only the forest bore witness tothe act of an Alpha protecting his own, the struggle ending in a permanent resolution.
The air hung heavy with the weight of the moment, the sounds of the struggle replaced by an eerie stillness. In that moonlit clearing, Callum had made the ultimate sacrifice for love, extinguishing the threat to ensure the safety of his pack and the woman who held his heart.
The metallic taste of blood filled his maw, a stark reminder of the primal nature of the conflict. The crunch of bone and sinew resonated in his ears.
The scent of victory and the lingering echoes of the confrontation hung in the air as Callum rushed to Fiona's side. His powerful strides carried him through the aftermath of the battle, and he paid no heed to any remnants of Rocco's pack that dared to even contemplate challenging Callum. The defeat of their alpha had left them in disarray, and Callum's aura exuded an unyielding dominance that kept even the boldest at bay.
Finding Fiona amidst the moonlit shadows, Callum approached with a mix of urgency and tenderness. The wounds she bore were not just physical. They were marks of the emotional toll the night had taken on both of them. With a gentle nuzzle, he reassured her of their shared victory and the safety that now enveloped them.
She no longer had anything to fear.
TWENTY-THREE
FIONA
Callum had refused to let Fiona out of his sight or allow her to exert any strength at all.
“I can walk, really,” she protested.
“But you’re not going to,” came his swift reply as he scooped her into his arms.
“Really. You don’t need to carry me all the way up to the bedroom.”
“It’s nothing for me. You know that. You’re like carrying a twig. Besides, I don’t want you doing more than you have to right now. A lot happened, and I want to make sure you and the baby are okay, first and foremost.”
Fiona had learned to let Callum have his protective moments. It was part of his nature, and, truth be told, she had started to enjoy it. That protective side was also what had just saved her and their baby’s lives.
