Chapter 4 4

Angela's hand was still wrapped in his, her thumb tracing the rough lines of his palm. She studied his face, illuminated only by the flickering firelight. He looked every inch the fearsome Alpha-yet right now, he was just a man, tired, burdened, and afraid.

A knock sounded on the suite's heavy wooden door. Raymond tensed, but a female voice called softly, "Alpha, it's me."

He relaxed, releasing Angela's hand reluctantly. "Come in."

Selena slipped inside, her eyes sharp. "The perimeter is secured for now, but our scouts spotted Nightfang messengers heading back into the city. They'll regroup."

Raymond rose, his posture straightening to that of the Alpha. "How many casualties?"

"Two of ours injured, but they'll recover," Selena reported. Her gaze flicked to Angela. "The warriors are asking about... her."

Angela felt a spike of unease. "About me?"

"They want to know if you're... what you are to the Alpha," Selena said bluntly. Her eyes softened slightly as she added, "You saved him, but this changes things for everyone."

Raymond stepped forward, a quiet but unmistakable growl in his chest. "Angela is under my protection. Anyone who questions that answers to me."

Selena inclined her head, but Angela caught the flicker of approval in the Beta's eyes. "Very well, Alpha. I'll let them know."

After Selena left, Raymond rubbed a hand over his face, exhaustion clear in every line of his body. Angela stood, crossing the few feet between them. "You don't have to protect me from your own people."

His eyes met hers, intense and unwavering. "You don't understand. This pack is my family. But to them, you're a human-an outsider. And humans don't survive long in our world."

Angela lifted her chin defiantly. "Then they'll just have to get used to me."

His mouth quirked, a small, reluctant smile breaking through the storm clouds of his expression. He lifted a hand, brushing her hair back from her face. His fingers lingered, tracing her cheekbone.

"You're fearless," he murmured.

"And you're stubborn," she shot back, a smile tugging at her lips despite the situation.

Their eyes locked, heat crackling between them. For a moment, the chaos outside the room fell away. Then a wolf's distant howl pierced the night, low and mournful, echoing through the woods.

Angela stepped to the window. The moonlight washed over the treetops, casting the forest in silver shadows. "What happens now?" she asked softly.

Raymond joined her, his presence warm and solid beside her. "Now we prepare. The Blood Moon's final eclipse is in three nights. If the Nightfangs attack before then, we hold them off. But if they wait until the eclipse... that's when the prophecy says everything will end."

She shivered at the finality in his voice. "And if we don't find a way to break the curse by then?"

He didn't look at her as he answered, voice raw. "Then I die. And so does everyone I care about."

Angela's heart clenched. "No," she said fiercely. "We're going to find a way."

A knock interrupted them again, this time firmer. A young man with sandy hair and a fresh scar across his cheek entered, eyes wide with urgency. "Alpha, you need to see this."

Raymond and Angela followed him down the grand staircase to the war room-a massive space lined with old maps of the city and forest. Warriors crowded around a bank of monitors showing security camera feeds. One screen displayed the winding road leading to the lodge's gates.

Angela's stomach dropped.

Dozens of Nightfang warriors moved like shadows through the trees, their eyes catching flashes of moonlight. Far behind them, black SUVs rolled up a forest road.

"They're coming sooner than we thought," Selena said grimly, arms folded.

Raymond's eyes blazed gold. "They want to end this tonight."

Angela stepped forward. "What can I do?"

Raymond turned, eyes narrowing. "You'll stay here."

"No," she snapped. "I'm not hiding while you fight."

He growled softly, the sound almost a plea. "Angela-"

Selena cleared her throat. "Alpha, she's right."

Raymond looked at his Beta in surprise. Selena nodded firmly. "She knows medicine. We'll need a healer tonight."

Angela met Raymond's gaze, refusing to look away. Finally, he exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. "Stay close to me. Don't leave my sight."

The pack mobilized with ruthless efficiency. Warriors armed themselves with silver-edged weapons, checked radios, and reviewed positions on maps. Angela helped Selena prepare medical supplies: bandages, antiseptics, syringes filled with adrenaline. The air thrummed with urgency and barely contained fear.

In the armory, Angela found herself alone with Raymond for a moment. He strapped on a chest rig of knives, the lean muscles of his arms shifting like coiled steel under his shirt. She handed him a fresh pistol.

"You look ready for a war," she said quietly.

He glanced at her, eyes softening. "It is a war."

She stepped closer. "Then I'll fight it with you."

His hand cupped the back of her neck, pulling her close. He kissed her-hard, desperate, a clash of need and fear and something dangerously close to love. She kissed him back, matching his intensity, her hands fisting in his shirt.

When they pulled apart, they were both breathless.

Outside, horns blared-a signal that the enemy had reached the gates.

Raymond's face hardened as he pulled away. "Stay with Selena."

He shifted mid-stride, body expanding into his enormous black wolf form. Angela stared, awe and terror battling inside her. His eyes met hers one last time before he bounded through the double doors into the night.

Selena grabbed Angela's arm, pulling her toward the lodge's makeshift infirmary. "We'll need you here," she said briskly. "Warriors will bring the injured."

Angela's mind raced. The Nightfangs were here. They were outnumbered. And she was trapped in the middle of a supernatural battle she barely understood.

The first sounds of combat reached her ears: snarls, screams, the crack of gunfire. Shadows flickered beyond the windows as warriors clashed under the moonlight.

A young warrior staggered in, clutching a bleeding shoulder. Angela rushed forward, tearing his shirt away, pressing gauze to the wound. His eyes-bright yellow-locked on hers, wide with pain.

"Hold still," she ordered, voice steady despite the chaos. Selena passed her a curved needle, and she began stitching as calmly as if they were in her ER.

Another injured wolf shifter came in moments later, blood trailing behind him. Then another. The air filled with the metallic scent of blood and the ragged groans of the wounded.

Between patients, Angela kept glancing at the door, her heart leaping every time it opened. But each time, it was another warrior, not Raymond. The minutes stretched into an agonizing eternity.

A massive crash shook the lodge, dust sifting from the rafters. The doors burst open and two Nightfangs tumbled inside, wrestling with Pride Pack warriors. Selena drew a long dagger, slashing with lethal precision. Angela ducked as a body flew past her, slamming into a cabinet of medical supplies.

She grabbed the fallen Nightfang's discarded knife, heart hammering. A Nightfang loomed over her, mouth twisted in a snarl, claws raised.

Before he could strike, a black blur slammed into him. Raymond tore the Nightfang away, his wolf form a whirlwind of fury. He ripped the attacker's throat out, blood spraying the walls.

Angela stared, breathless. Raymond shifted back as he turned to her, face and chest streaked with crimson. His eyes blazed gold.

"You're okay?" he demanded, voice low and dangerous.

She nodded, too stunned to speak. He pulled her into his arms, pressing his forehead to hers.

Selena barked orders behind them, organizing warriors to push the remaining Nightfangs back outside. The clash of steel and claws faded into the distance as the Pride Pack drove their enemies from the lodge grounds.

Raymond straightened, breathing heavily. His eyes locked on Angela's, raw emotion swirling in their depths. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered.

"You didn't," she said fiercely, clutching his shoulders.

He kissed her again, slower this time-aching, hungry, full of everything they didn't have time to say. When they parted, Angela pressed a hand to his chest.

"How bad is it?" she asked, voice trembling.

His eyes darkened. "Bad. But we survived the first wave."

Selena approached, hair matted with sweat, eyes fierce. "They're retreating to regroup," she reported. "We wounded them, but they'll return."

Angela looked between them. "Then what do we do?"

Raymond's jaw tightened. "We end this before the Blood Moon's final eclipse. We go on the offensive."

He turned to Selena. "Assemble the council. Tonight, we plan our strike."

Angela's heart pounded. "Where?"

Raymond's gaze fell to her, hard and determined. "We attack the Nightfangs in their lair. If we kill their Alpha, we break their power. It's the only way."

Selena hesitated. "And if the prophecy is triggered by killing him?"

Raymond's eyes burned like molten gold. "Then I'll face it. But I won't let them come for us again."

Angela stepped forward, laying a hand on his chest. "You won't do it alone."

He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "You're not coming," he said roughly.

She glared. "You're not leaving me behind."

Selena cleared her throat, trying-and failing-to hide a smile. "You'll never win this argument, Alpha."

Raymond sighed, pulling Angela close. "I know."

They spent the next hours poring over maps, marking known Nightfang hideouts in Silverhaven. Angela sat with them, listening intently as Selena detailed the Nightfang Alpha's movements. The Pride Pack's inner circle debated strategies: a frontal assault, sabotage, infiltration.

Angela offered an idea. "What if we draw him out? Use myself as bait."

Raymond growled instantly, but Selena's eyes widened thoughtfully. "If we can control the location... it could work."

Raymond's head snapped toward her. "I will not risk her."

Angela grabbed his hand. "Raymond, it's the only way. You said the Nightfangs see me as your weakness. So let's turn it into our strength."

His eyes searched hers, torn between fury and reluctant acceptance.

Before they could argue further, a warrior burst into the room, face pale. "Alpha, the Nightfang Alpha just broadcast a message."

He handed over a tablet, its screen flickering. The image showed a tall man in a dark suit standing atop a skyscraper overlooking Silverhaven, red eyes glowing. His voice rolled through the room like ice:

"Raymond Anderson. Bring me the human. By the next sunset. Or I will burn your precious pack from the forest to the sea."

The room fell silent, tension humming like a drawn bowstring. Raymond's gaze locked on Angela, unflinching. "Then it's decided," he said quietly. "We end this tomorrow night."