Mag-log inWe'd just cleared the iron gates of the manor when we found ourselves surrounded.Hundreds of feral wolves poured out from all directions. Their eyes were a deeper, more rabid red than before, and the saliva dripping from their jaws carried the same foul, sweet scent. The pheromones Chloe had released had drawn every monster in the manor and whipped them into an absolute frenzy."Damn it!" Marcus raised his pistol. "There are too many!""We've got five minutes of ammo, max!" Sofia's voice trembled.The stench of death closed in around us."Elena, take the artifact and go!" Ryan yelled, stepping in front of me, ready to die. "We'll hold them off!"In that moment of pure despair, a blood-soaked figure stepped out from behind us.It was Liam."I will," he said, his voice quiet. The arrogance was gone from his eyes, replaced by a dead calm. An unshakeable resolve."Liam?" Ryan stared, shocked."This is my fault," he said, his voice a dead calm. "All of it. It's only right that I'm the on
Then I walked out of the passage without another look back. Liam’s desperate sobs echoed through the manor behind me.I would not turn back. Not ever again.We had just stepped through the manor's main gates when a piercing scream tore through the air."Help! Somebody, help me!"The voice came from a ruined courtyard to the west."That's Chloe," Sofia said, frowning.Ryan sneered. "Good. Let her rot."But I stopped. "Let's go take a look.""Elena?" Marcus looked at me, confused. "Why bother with her?""I want to see what she looks like now."We followed the sound and found her. The scene was even more brutal than I'd hoped. Three massive ferals had her pinned against a crumbling wall, tearing chunks of flesh from her body. Her left leg had been ripped clean off, the ground beneath her soaked in blood. Her once-beautiful face was a mess of scratches and gore.Looks like even with the artifact, she wasn't skilled enough to make it out."Elena!" Seeing us, her eyes lit with a despera
"She played me!" Liam knelt in the blood, his voice a raw, broken rasp. "I thought... I thought she loved me! I thought we could escape this hellhole together, build a better life!"Tears and blood streamed down his face. "She said the Alliance leaders were all corrupt, that we had to look out for ourselves! She said you were too ruthless, Elena, that you'd use us as cannon fodder!"Marcus sneered. "And you believed her?""I'm an Alpha! I'm supposed to protect my woman!" Liam clawed at his hair in despair. "I couldn't stand seeing her in that filthy barracks!""Protect?" Sofia scoffed. "You were protecting a snake!""I know! I know that now!" Liam's head snapped up, his eyes filled with regret. "She never loved me! She was using me from the start!"He started to crawl toward me, his knees scraping raw on the stone. "Elena... please..." He reached my feet, his hand trembling as he tried to grab my boot. "I was wrong! I was so wrong! I never should have trusted her! I never should have b
"Chloe, you hold this."I handed her an ornate silver box, its surface carved with ancient runes that gave off a faint, holy light."Me?" Chloe took the box, looking flattered. "Why me?""Because you're an Omega," I lied smoothly. "Your scent should help mask the artifact's energy from any ferals. Remember, this is more important than your life. If you lose it, I will kill you myself."Chloe shivered and clutched the box to her chest. "I... I understand.""Good." I turned to my team. "We have what we came for. Time to pull out. The curse energy here is too strong to stay long."We started back the way we came. Liam walked beside Chloe, protecting her. "Here, baby, let me carry that. It looks heavy.""No," Chloe said, holding the box tighter, a strange glint in her eyes. "Elena said it's important. I'll protect it."We made our way through the long, underground passage and were nearing the exit. Suddenly, Chloe stopped."What's wrong?" Liam asked.Chloe didn't answer. Instead, she turne
I had other betas keeping me updated on Liam and Chloe's new life. But first, I had a mission to deal with. Then I would think about my revenge."PRIORITY MISSION: RECOVER THE ANCESTRAL ARTIFACT FROM VALHALLA MANOR."On the massive holoscreen in the Alliance Mission Hall, the details were laid out.Mission Class: SSSThreat Level: CatastrophicReward: 1 Million Alliance Credits per person, Diamond Sector Residency, Lifetime Medical Coverage.I stood before the screen, my loyal team behind me."Elena, that whole manor... isn't it completely overrun by the curse?" Ryan asked, worried. "They say the ferals there are more vicious than anywhere else.""The danger is precisely why the artifact is still there for the taking," I said calmly, analyzing the map. "The Ancestral Purifier. It's our only real shot at ending this curse for good."Marcus checked his weapon loadout. "When do we leave?""Tomorrow, at dawn."Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind us. "Elena, wait!"I turned
"Welcome home, heroes, to Sanctuary."A cold, robotic voice echoed through the hall.This was the last bastion of the werewolves."Captain Elena, your accommodations are ready."An Alliance officer in a crisp uniform hurried towards me. He was deeply respectful. In his hand, he held several keycards, each glowing a different color."Your team is assigned to the core sector. These are your access cards."He began to hand them out."Ryan Clark. Class-A suite, with a private water purifier and energy station."Ryan took the blue card, his eyes wide with shock. "Elena, this... this is too much.""Marcus Wayne. Class-A suite...""Sofia Ross. Class-A medic's suite..."Every one of my loyal packmates received a room of their own—a symbol of safety and dignity.More importantly, their cards granted them Class-A rations. Real food. Not the synthetic paste that barely kept you alive.Liam and Chloe were left on the side, their faces a mix of envy and expectation."What about us?" Chloe pushed fo







