bChapter /bb154 /b

    bBut /bI bdidn’t /bthink sob. /bNeither did my wolfb, /bcrouching in the back of bmy /bmind, ready bto /bbfling /bbhimself /bbto the /bfront bat /bba /bmoment’s notice.

    Then, slowly, Chase’s grin took on a harsher edge. His eyes went a little wild, shifting from friendly to desperate in a sh. His gaze dropped from Alice’s face down to the ne around her bneck/b.

    In ba /bblink, he pounced.

    Using his werewolf speed, he was quick, but he wasn’t an Alpha.

    I moved quicker.

    Shifting midair, I mmed into his side with the full weight of an Alpha werewolf. He flung to the side like ba /bragdoll – but not before he hooked his fingers around the chain of Alice’s ne.

    But the chain he tugged already shattered, bits of medal scattering across the floor of the bconcourse/b.

    People panicked, running in all directions.

    In full–wolf form, I squared up, standing protectively in front of Alice and Amber, even stepping on some of the medal pieces.

    Chase was on his side on the other end of the concourse, clutching his ribs as he struggled to stand up.

    The pendant of Alice’s ne was there beside him on the cement. Chase brushed it aside as he rolled over onto all foursb, /bshifting into his own wolf as he did so.

    His wolf was smaller than mine, likely slower too. He couldn’t hope to beat me in one–bon/b–onebat.

    bIf /bbthat /bwas his n.

    Chase bwasn’t /ba bfool /bthough, and he didn’t strike me as someone brave enough to fight me head on. I had to stay on my guard, as he likely had a few more tricks up his sleeve.

    Slowly he started to move, as if trying to circle around me, but I cut him off again and again, always keeping myself between my family and this threat.

    bMy /bvow to Amber hadn’t been one of deception. I would protect her and Alice with my life.

    Though I bdidn’t /banticipate anything so dramatic here. Chase was a weakling and a cowardb. /bbWith /bba /bbfew /bwell–ced bites, he should submit.

    bThen /bwe would have our answers.

    bWhat /bbhad /bChase bhoped /bbto /baplish here? Was he btrying /bto bkidnap /bbAlice/bb? /bbWhy/bb? /b

    bWas /bOlivia involvedb? /b

    Those answers wouldeterb, /bonce Chase was subdued. For now, I growled and pushed my wolf body to his full intimidating height. I showed my teeth, growling and snarling, showing Chase I meant business.

    He had no chance ofing out ahead here. One way or the other, he was going to submit, whether willing or with my teeth digging into his neck.

    My vision was nearly red, my wolf so close to raging. Wanting to protect our family, it only wanted to eliminate the threat against them.

    While I could agree with that, the Alpha in me, the man who had run the pack for years, knew that information was also an important means of protection.

    Killing Chase wouldn’t give us any answers. I needed to know who he was working with, to discover all the dangers lurking in the shadows and keep my family safe once and for all.

    That promise of further protection was the only way bI /bcould hold my wolf back at this moment. If Chase made one more wrong move though, that light tether would snap and my wolf would break free.

    Hopefully he knew that. Hopefully he wouldn’t do anything stupid.

    For now, we just scowled at each other, growling as the concourse fully cleared out, with the expectation of Amber and Alice behind me.

    For a moment, everything was silent except for the growling and the pounding of my heart, ready for a fight.

    Then, a scream shattered that quiet.

    My heart shattered too.

    That pained scream – belonged to Alice.