After Lina finally drifted into a restless sleep, Nicole slipped out of the master suite. Her skin felt too tight, her blood simmering with a hunger that synthetic Group O couldn't quench. She stepped onto the moonlit terrace and pulled out her phone, dialing the one person who truly understood the weight of a forbidden crown.
"She's the one, Mother," Nicole whispered as soon as Alex picked up. "The human girl... Lina. She's the mate Luna has been screaming for."
"I know," Alex's voice came through, smooth and unsurprising. "I felt the shift in your aura the moment you came to the meeting. You've always been a poor liar, Nicole."
"I haven't mated with her," Nicole said quickly, her voice cracking. "I can't. She's human, Mother. If I lose control, if I trigger the full bond, it will shatter her. I won't hurt her like that."
"You are being a fool," Alex hissed. "The bond is her only protection. Without it, she is just prey. Claim her, or you will lose her to the shadows."
Selfish, Luna's voice rumbled deep in Nicole's mind, dripping with resentment. You keep her from us to satisfy your own guilt. You let us starve while she is right there.
Nicole ended the call, her head in her hands. She didn't hear the soft creak of the floorboards behind her. Lina had woken up, the space beside her cold and empty. She had stepped out to find Nicole, but the words she overheard mate, claim her, protect her, had her frozen in the doorway.
Before Lina could speak, the forest went deathly silent. The humming vibration of the house's security field flickered and died.
"Lina, get back!" Nicole roared, sensing the shift in the air.
She didn't need to call Freddi. The soft click of his shotgun echoed from the hallway as he appeared, his face grim. "Sensors are gone, Ms. Blair. They've breached the perimeter."
Suddenly, a massive impact rocked the glass wall of the living room. The reinforced panes spider-webbed as a heavy body slammed against them. Outside, eyes of sickly yellow and amber emerged from the treeline. The Afgan pack.
"Nicole, get away from the glass!" Lina cried, running toward the railing.
The window shattered with a deafening explosion of shards. Two massive grey wolves burst into the room, followed by a man whose presence felt like a physical weight of rot and malice. Thoros Blair stepped over the debris, a cruel sneer twisting his scarred face.
"So, the little hybrid has finally found a pet," Thoros mocked, his eyes moving to Lina. "Is this the girl Michael was so worried about? She smells of fear and human weakness."
Nicole stepped forward, her fangs descending and her claws digging into the hardwood. "Leave this house, Thoros. You are trespassing on Alpha ground."
"This ground belongs to the strongest, Nicole," Thoros countered. He looked up at Lina, his grin widening. "And you are weak. You haven't ascended because you're too afraid to take what is yours. If you won't claim your mate, maybe I should take her instead. A human soul would be a fine snack for the pack."
The word mate struck Lina like a physical blow. The dreams, the electricity, the "invisible wall" it was a soul-binding connection. She wasn't just a guest; she was the other half of the monster.
Thoros's threat was the final straw. Nicole didn't just shift; she exploded. The massive white wolf, larger and more radiant than any of the attackers, let out a roar that shook the very foundation of the lair. She lunged at Thoros, her jaws snapping inches from his throat.
The living room became a blur of fur, teeth, and blood. Freddi held the stairs, his shots ringing out to keep the lesser wolves back. Lina gripped the railing, watching in horror as Nicole took hits, her white fur staining crimson as she fought three wolves at once to keep them away from the balcony.
"Nicole!" Lina screamed as a dark wolf sank its teeth into Nicole's shoulder.
Nicole let out a pained yelp but threw the attacker through a marble pillar. However, Thoros was closing in, his bones snapping as he shifted into a gnarled, black beast of pure shadow. Nicole was pinned, her strength flagging from the lack of fresh blood and the incomplete bond. She looked up at Lina, her golden eyes pleading and fading.
Nicole needed the spark. She needed the bond.
Without a second thought, Lina climbed over the railing, her heart screaming for the wolf. "I'm not staying away, Nicole!" she shouted and she jumped.