Chapter 1
Wen
“Now,”Iwhisper,“Let’sgo, mates. It’s time to go home.”
No one stops us as we leave the council's chamber, nor as we leave the ship, and part of me is disappointed. I'm still wound up, and I'm itching for another fight. The three betas died too quickly for me to feel satisfied. Maybe an alpha will pick a fight on our way through Straf and I can beat him bloody, or maybe the seven alphas who fought me earlier are still hanging around our den and I can tear them to pieces.
Shit, that battle from yesterday is still playing on repeat in my head, along with all the other bullshit Lyra was put through.
I've experienced my fair share of dominance fights in my life, especially as a young adult before I was eligible to seek out a mate. It's common for alphas to get into physical altercations with one another; it's how we establish the hierarchy amongst ourselves on Strafor.
But none of those fights were this aggressive, this deadly.
The seven alphas are too far gone for reason with the scent of Lyra's heat in the air. The moment she opened the door to our den and exposed herself, it was done. If I don't stop them, they'll rut into my new mate until she's bleeding and broken. They might not stop until she's dead.
I can't let that happen. Iwon'tlet that happen.
If I'm not careful, these alphas could overwhelm me. I might be the strongest alpha on Strafor, but that doesn't mean I'm infallible. Six on one are shit odds, and I'm trying to protect my two omegas at the same time. Not to mention those bastard council members are still cowering off to the side. I can't count them out of this fight either.
Fuck, this sucks.
These males are giving everything they've got. My instincts are riding me hard, demanding blood, and it won't end until one side is either dead or knocked out. I'm hoping for the latter, but know the former is more likely, given how high our aggression is as the rut settles in. Before the Allagi mutated us, we handled disputes the normal human way: through discussion. Now it’s through violence.
I snarl as I slam into one of the alphas, knocking him to the ground so hard his teeth rattle. I don't pause as I turn and punch another in the jaw, then again in the stomach. He stumbles, and a kick to his knees sends him sprawling.
A pair of arms wrap around my chest from behind, trying to pin me in place for the other five alphas to move in for the kill, but I slam my head back and hear a sickening crack as I break my attacker’s nose.
Without waiting for his hold to loosen, I slam my foot on his and hear a couple cracks, telling me I’ve broken a few of his toes too. He finally lets go, but not before one of the other alphas slams his fist into my gut. I grunt, but take the hit and parry with one of my own, right into his ribs.
"Leave her alone!" Olo cries from somewhere behind me.
Panic consumes me, as do rage and fear.
I roar in one of the alpha’s faces and see him pale before I grab his head, slamming him down to the ground, the dull thud of his skull connecting with the wooden planks of my porch not satisfying enough.
"Fucking grab her, Milo!" Lorn snarls, and I see red.
"Don't touch her!" Olo growls. "She's in heat. You can't touch her!"
A punch to my stomach staggers me for a moment, but I push through the pain and lay into the alpha's face until he's out cold. The one good thing about these alphas being so consumed with their ruts is that I'm not the only threat in their eyes. They see one another as threats too, so when two of the males start to tear at each other, I leave them be and face the remaining two who are still conscious.
There's a thud behind me, and I turn in a flurry of movement, sending the males flying off the porch and into the grass. The other tries to get me when my back is turned, but I predict it and dodge to the side, slamming my fist into the back of his head as he stumbles.
Olo is on the ground, struggling to sit up, and I growl so loud the fucking windows shake. I race to him and help him up, gently pushing him back through the open door of the den. "Get to the nest and lock the door."
"They took her." He's panting, but I don't see any blood, nor any visible injuries, which does nothing to soothe my rage. He could have a broken bone I can't see and now isn't the time for me to assess that.
A quick glance behind me shows the alphas still fighting amongst themselves, too far gone to notice that their so-called prize is leaving. Those damned betas are rushing off into the treeline with my fucking omega slung over Milo's shoulder like a sack of frusi.
I see red. Furious doesn't even begin to cover how I feel right now. This rage is like nothing I've ever felt before, and even tearing these seven alphas bastards to pieces won't be enough to calm me down. I want their blood, and I will fucking have it if it's the last thing I do.
"Lock the door until I deal with these alphas, Olo." It's not a request, and my mate heeds it immediately, slamming the door with a bang. I only leave when I hear the lock click, and then I race toward the alphas still fighting.
I catch one by surprise and level a solid hit to the back of his head, knocking him out cold. His body drops with a thud, drawing the attention of the two alphas tearing each other to pieces. Before they can even think to charge me, I take down the male that was fighting the bastard I just knocked out and hit him in his dick.
Normally I wouldn't take such a cheap shot, but those fucking betas are running off with my female, and I don't have time to waste on these bastards.
The alpha gurgles and crumples, clutching his throat at the point of impact with my fist. Someone gets me in the back, and I turn with a snarl, slamming into the alpha and delivering hit after hit into his face. I have him on the ground, his blood seeping everywhere, yet I still don't stop until someone collides with me from behind. Grunting through the pain, I manage to push up and back, taking the alpha to the floor, my weight pressing him down.