Bite of the Alpha

"It's coming from that direction—hurry!" Alexander shouted, pushing through the thick underbrush.

Raymond hesitated, glancing at the darkening forest. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Alexander shot him a grin. "What, thinking of backing out now?"

Raymond rolled his eyes. "Fine—before you call me a coward. I know it's sitting on the tip of your tongue."

"You know me well."

They pressed forward—until the forest itself seemed to shudder.

ROAR.

The sound tore through the trees, rattling leaves, shaking the ground beneath them. It wasn't distant anymore. It was close. Too close.

"Run!" Both shouted at once, instincts screaming louder than reason.

The terrain changed sharply—a ledge. Raymond leapt, landing hard but safe. Alexander followed—but halfway through, a searing pain tore through his hand. He faltered. Stumbled.

In a blur, he caught sight of it—a beast with burning red eyes, flanked by five dark shadows. Then everything went black.

"Black wolf…" he muttered, just before collapsing, his own eyes briefly glowing crimson.

---

Bryan heard the voice. He knew it.

He moved fast, ignoring the sting of exhaustion, and reached Alexander's side. But the five Alphas were already on him.

He didn't run. Not really. He only moved far enough to bite Alexander's hand—then turned back to face the pack, fangs gleaming.

Why stop? Why fight now? They didn't know.

But they knew one thing: he had to die.

Christopher lunged first, a brutal kick spinning into a stab aimed straight at Bryan's heart. Bryan caught his leg mid-strike and twisted, then snatched the dagger from the air like it was nothing.

Fredric locked his arms around Bryan's neck, straining to choke him. Rio's claws ripped through Bryan's back, blood flying—but the wounds closed slower now. His healing was weakening.

Chloe and Stella dropped from above like reapers, seizing Bryan's arms. Christopher pulled back, ready to throw the dagger again—

And then… a hand caught it.

A woman's hand.

She hurled it back with lethal force, sending Christopher ducking. The same hand threw Chloe and Stella aside like broken dolls.

Her eyes glowed a deep, violent vermilion.

"Back off." Her voice was low, deadly.

Ruth. The "Dear Devil."

Bryan gave a bloodied smile. "You showed up. You shouldn't have—but… thanks."

Fredric blinked. I'm choking this guy and he's smiling?!

I give up.

Bryan's heel slammed into Rio's gut, then he grabbed Fred's head and drove it into the ground. He vanished in a flicker of shadow—

—and reappeared beside Ruth just in time to pull her out of Chloe and Stella's next strike.

They vanished again.

"Those angry women would've killed you," Bryan said calmly.

"I saved you first," Ruth snapped.

"Fair enough."

He leaned in, whispered something into her ear. A flash of claw, and he carved a crescent into her wrist.

"Guard the boy. He's the key."

And then he vanished.

---

Ruth returned in secret, hidden by the trees.

"Find him!" Christopher bellowed.

Bryan appeared again, staggering slightly.

"Shall we continue?"

From behind, claws tore into his back. He didn't even turn. He couldn't. He was too drained.

"Duke?" Christopher froze in shock.

"Now!" Duke shouted.

Stella tossed the dagger. Duke caught it midair, sprinted—and drove it straight into Bryan's heart.

Bryan blinked, then smiled faintly. "Finally."

His skin paled. His body stilled. But it didn't burn. It didn't crumble.

He was dead… but not destroyed.

---

"He's immortal." Rio breathed.

"The Wolf's Legacy…?" Fred whispered.

Christopher clenched his fists. "We were deceived. Only the Originals know the truth."

They weren't the masters of this war. They were pawns. And now the Originals would come—to claim Bryan's body.

Behind them, Chloe and Stella watched Ruth from the shadows.

"Let's kill that bitch," Stella growled.

"With pleasure," Chloe replied.

"Not tonight," Christopher ordered. "Pull out. Have the wolves clean this up."

---

Duke grinned. "So… am I in the pack now?"

Christopher didn't even look back. "You've earned it. Welcome."

He vanished into the trees. Chloe and Stella snarled quietly but left.

"I'm in!" Duke crowed.

"Now clean this mess," Rio said.

"Huh—wait, seriously?"

"You're the new guy," Fred said, slapping his shoulder. "Don't mess it up."

They left Duke behind with Bryan's body.

Duke turned to the omega and beta wolves, sneering. "I'm Calamity Blood Pack now. Clean this up. Or die."

No one challenged him. Not now. Not with that title.

They moved quickly—gathering corpses, burning evidence, hiding the truth from the human world.

---

Hidden, Ruth watched from the shadows, touching the scar on her wrist.

It glowed faintly. Her senses sharpened. Her thoughts turned back to Bryan's final words.

"Mark of the Primordial Alpha," she whispered.

She didn't know what it meant.

But soon, she would.

---

Raymond carried Alexander home. The boy murmured in his sleep, fevered.

And far behind them, in the forest—

Duke raised his head, snarling.

"Ruth... you chose the wrong side."

"Now it's your turn."