Page 59 of The Alpha Wolf’s Secret Baby Boy

Her eyes...

They’re no longer hazel.

They burn a deep, unnatural crimson so vivid they almost glow against the paleness of her face. Thin rivers of blood trickle from the corners of both eyes, streaking down her cheeks as though she’s been crying blood.

Her chest heaves violently, every breath sounding painful, every inhale trembling.

She stares at me for several agonizing seconds before her lips part.

“Damian…” she whispers, her voice strained, shaking beneath an effort I don’t understand.

Hope flares inside my chest. Has she found Daniel?

“I’m here,” I say softly, taking another careful step toward her. “We’re getting you out of here.”

She shakes her head slowly. “No…” she whimpers, another tear of blood trailing down her cheek. “Take Daniel”—her breathing catches, and she stops to gulp—”and go.”

Confusion crashes into me, and I frown. “What?”

Her face twists in agony, her body trembling harder now as though she’s fighting against something invisible. “Please…” she cries, clutching at her head. “Take him…and…run…leave without me…”

“Poppy, what’s wrong? What’s happening to you?”

A scream rips from her throat, but it doesn’t sound like fear. It sounds tormented, full of unbearable pain.

Her body buckles violently before bones begin cracking beneath her skin.

“No…” I whisper, horror creeping through every fiber of my being.

She collapses onto her hands and knees as the shift overtakes her with brutal force, far more violent than any natural transformation I’ve ever witnessed. Limbs twist at impossible angles. Her spine arches grotesquely. Every snap of bone echoes through the warehouse until white fur bursts through her skin.

But this isn’t Poppy.

The wolf standing before me bears only fragments of the mate I know.

Her joints bend unnaturally, as though they were forced together incorrectly. Thick, black veins pulse beneath patches of matted white fur. Her muzzle is elongated beyond what should be possible, jagged teeth protruding from swollen gums while blood-red eyes lock onto mine with a mixture of rage and terror.

She looks like Jackson did before Dorian killed him. Like every rogue wolf I’ve ever fought.

But worse.

My heart shatters, and I shake my head slowly. “No…”

The other wolves burst into the warehouse behind me just as the monstrous wolf lets out a guttural snarl that barely resembles anything natural.

“Rogue!” one of the warriors bellows through the mind link.

I shift before anyone can react, fur replacing flesh as I throw myself between them and Poppy, peeling my lips back and growling.

“Stop!” I roar, glaring at every warrior in the room. “Don’t touch her!”

Dorian skids to a halt beside Flynn, disbelief written across both their faces.

“Damian—”

“That’s Poppy!” I shout, refusing to move. “Something’s wrong with her! Don’t attack!”

The monstrous wolf lets out a tortured whine behind me.