Page 46 of Talk Howly to Me

Her eyes went wide, and a fierce blush colored her cheeks. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt. But we have a major problem."

Every trace of contentment vanished from Ronan's body as his Alpha instincts slammed into high alert. He sat up immediately, the sheet pooling around his waist, his entire focus shifting to the crisis at hand.

"What's wrong?" His voice carried the unmistakable authority of leadership.

Emerson's hands twisted together, her usual cheerful confidence replaced by genuine fear. "Jarvis and Bruno just got radioed. There's been a perimeter breach. A small army of rogue wolves are approaching from the southern border, and they're moving fast."

The words hit Ronan like blows, and for a moment, he was twenty-three years old again, watching his world burn as rogues tore through their territory like a plague. The same cold dread that had filled his chest that terrible night twelve years ago now threatened to overwhelm him.

Not again. Not my pack. Not when I finally have my mate and a future I want to build with her.

Beside him, Kozue sat up sharply just as Sloane began to sit up, clutching the sheet to her naked body.

"Kozue, take Sloane and go with Emerson," Ronan commanded, his mind already shifting into tactical mode. "Get the guests to safety. I'm going to the perimeter."

"No." Kozue's voice was firm, brooking no argument. "I'm going with you. You're not facing this without me."

The declaration hit Ronan with sheer force, and through the completed bond, he could feel Sloane's spike of panic and fear—not for herself, but for both of them. The thought of losing what they'd just found, what they'd just claimed, was written clearly across her face.

"Sloane, I have to do this," Ronan said, his gaze moving between his Beta and his mate. "I have to protect our people."

"Sloane, I have to protect my Alpha and our people," Kozue replied with equal intensity.

Sloane's voice was steady despite the fear. "I know."

Then she leaned forward to capture Ronan's mouth in a fierce, claiming kiss that tasted of desperation and love and a promise to survive whatever was coming. When she broke away, she turned immediately to Kozue, kissing him with the same desperate intensity.

When she pulled away from Kozue, her voice was firm. "Protect our people."

At that moment, Ronan felt the weight of everything they'd built—the lodge, the pack, their newfound bond—balanced on a knife's edge. But as he looked at Kozue's determined face and felt Sloane's unwavering trust through their connection, he knew one thing with absolute certainty.

This time would be different. This time, he wouldn't let them take what he loved.

Five minutes later, Ronan was pulling on his black tactical pants and boots while Kozue grabbed his own gear from the closet they'd shared countless times during pack emergencies. The familiar ritual of preparing for battle felt different now—charged with the desperate need to protect not just their territory, but the mate they'd finally claimed.

"Ready?" Kozue asked.

Ronan nodded, his jaw set with grim determination. "Let's go."

They moved through the lodge with brisk efficiency, taking the stairs two at a time and crossing the lobby in long strides. Several guests looked up from the massive stone fireplace where they'd been chatting over evening drinks, but Ronan kept his expression neutral, offering a brief nod that suggested routine business rather than imminent danger.

The front doors of Hale Lodge came into view, where Jarvis and Bruno stood like twin sentinels. Both enforcers straightened as their Alpha approached, their postures radiating lethal readiness despite their casual stance.

"Don't let any rogue get inside Hale Lodge," Ronan commanded, his voice carrying the authority that had kept his pack safe for twelve years. "No matter what happens out there, this building stays secure."

Jarvis gave a sharp nod. "Understood, Alpha. Nothing gets past us."

Bruno cracked his knuckles. "We've got your back here. Go handle business."

Without another word, Ronan and Kozue burst through the front doors and into the cool night air. The moment their feet hit the gravel drive, they broke into a dead sprint toward the southern perimeter. Adrenaline surged through Ronan's veins as they covered ground with inhuman speed, their enhanced wolf stamina allowing them to maintain a pace that would exhaust any human within minutes.

The lodge's warm lights faded behind them as they plunged into the dense forest that surrounded their territory. Pine branches whipped past their faces, but they barely noticed, focused entirely on reaching the battle before it could spread closer to their home.

When they'd covered a quarter mile and were safely beyond any curious human eyes, Ronan felt his wolf surge to the surface. Without breaking stride, he allowed the transformation to take him. His bones cracked and reformed, muscles expanding as thick black fur erupted across his skin. Within seconds, his massive black wolf was racing through the forest on four powerful paws.

Beside him, Kozue's shift was equally seamless. His enormous brown wolf emerged in a blur of motion, chocolate-colored fur gleaming in the moonlight as they ran side by side through their territory.

Just like old times, Ronan's wolf thought grimly as they closed the distance to the southern border.