Chapter Six

Anna’s POV

Silence settled over the forest.

The rogues who had been holding me exchanged uneasy glances. Even the one gripping my wrist loosened his hold without realizing it.

The scarred rogue was the first to recover.

A slow smile spread across his face as he looked Kael up and down.

“So the mighty Alpha of Ironfang really came alone.” He chuckled. “I almost expected you to bring your entire army.”

Kael didn’t respond.

His cold gray eyes never left the rogue standing closest to me.

“I won’t repeat myself.”

The warning was quiet, yet every word carried enough authority to make the air feel heavier.

The scarred rogue laughed louder this time.

“You’ve always had a reputation for being fearless.” He slowly drew his sword. “Let’s see if the stories are true.”

He raised a hand.

“Kill him.”

The rogues didn’t hesitate.

They attacked from every direction at once.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Kael!”

He moved before the first blade could reach him.

One moment he was standing still.

The next, the rogue in front of him was flying through the air before crashing into a tree hard enough to snap it in half.

Another swung a sword toward Kael’s neck.

Kael caught the man’s wrist with one hand. The sickening crack of breaking bones echoed through the clearing before the sword slipped from the rogue’s fingers.

Kael drove his elbow into the man’s throat. The rogue collapsed instantly.

Three more charged him together.

One came from the front while the other two circled behind him.

Kael spun with unbelievable speed, dodging the first attack before landing a crushing kick against another rogue’s chest. The force sent the man tumbling across the ground.

Blood sprayed through the air.

Everywhere I looked, rogues rushed toward Kael, convinced that numbers alone would overwhelm him.

But they were wrong because Kael fought like a man who had been born for war.

Every movement was precise, with no wasted energy. Within minutes, bodies littered the forest floor.

The confidence the rogues had worn only moments ago vanished completely.

Fear replaced it.

The scarred rogue’s smile disappeared.

“What are you waiting for?” he roared at his men. “Attack him!”

Suddenly, a low growl rolled through the clearing before anyone could move.

It wasn’t human.

The sound vibrated through my chest as Kael’s body suddenly went still. His gray eyes flashed with something wild.

The next second, the familiar cracking of bones echoed through the forest.

I stared in shock as his body grew larger.

Muscles shifted beneath his skin.

Dark silver fur spread across his body as powerful legs replaced human ones.

Within moments, a massive wolf stood where Kael had been.

He was breathtaking!

His silver coat shimmered beneath the moonlight, stained only by the blood of the rogues he’d already defeated.

He was easily the largest wolf I had ever seen.

His presence alone was enough to make the remaining rogues hesitate.

Suddenly, the scarred rogue shouted, his voice trembling.

“Now!”

Instantly, six enormous Alpha wolves burst out of the darkness.

My eyes widened.

So this had been their real plan? They hadn’t intended to fight Kael themselves. They had been waiting for the strongest among them.

The six wolves surrounded him in a wide circle, moving slowly as they searched for an opening.

Kael’s wolf didn’t move.

He simply watched them calmly. For one brief moment, no one attacked.

Then one of the Alpha wolves lunged, and the others followed immediately.

The clash between the Alpha wolves was unlike anything I had ever seen.

Massive bodies slammed into each other with enough force to shake the ground beneath my feet. Blood stained the forest floor while broken branches rained down around them.

I could barely keep up.

One of the Alpha wolves lunged at Kael’s throat, but he twisted out of the way just in time before sinking his fangs into the wolf’s shoulder. The wolf howled in pain as Kael threw him across the clearing, sending it crashing into two others.

Another attacked from behind.

Before it could reach him, Kael spun around and met it head-on. The impact sent both wolves sliding across the ground, but Kael recovered first. With one powerful swipe of his claws, he ripped across the wolf’s shoulder, forcing it to stagger backward with a painful howl.

The remaining wolves didn’t back down.

If anything, they fought harder.

They circled him carefully, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike together.

For a brief moment, neither side moved.

Then all four charged at once.

My heart nearly stopped.

“Kael…”

Their bodies disappeared beneath a storm of silver and black fur. Growls filled the air as they rolled across the ground, each fighting for the advantage.

Suddenly, one of the wolves was thrown into a nearby tree.

The loud crack echoed through the forest.

Before it could stand, Kael was already on top of it.

His jaws closed around the wolf’s throat.

A sickening snap followed.

The wolf went completely still.

Another rushed toward Kael, hoping to catch him off guard.

But it never got the chance.

Kael spun around and slammed his full weight into it, knocking it flat on its back before driving his claws across its chest.

Blood sprayed through the air.

The wolf let out one final cry before falling silent.

The last two Alpha wolves exchanged uncertain glances.

For the first time since the fight began…

They looked afraid.

One slowly stepped backward.

The other followed.

Then they turned and ran.

Kael didn’t let them get far.

Within seconds, he caught up to the nearest one and brought it down with terrifying force. The second barely made it a few more steps before Kael pounced, ending the fight just as quickly.

Silence slowly returned to the clearing.

The only sound left was my own breathing.

Kael stood in the middle of the battlefield, his silver fur soaked with blood.

Most of it wasn’t his.

But not all.

A deep gash stretched across his abdomen, and fresh blood continued to drip onto the ground beneath him.

Even for an Alpha as powerful as Kael, that wound wouldn’t heal immediately.

Guilt twisted painfully inside my chest.

He got hurt because of me.

Slowly, his wolf turned toward me.

The warriors immediately lowered their heads as he walked past them. Some even dropped to one knee, refusing to meet his eyes.

He ignored them.

His attention remained fixed on me.

For some reason, I couldn’t look away.

He stopped only a few feet in front of me.

Our eyes met.

Instead of fear, a strange warmth spread through my chest.

It wrapped around me so gently that it almost felt familiar.

For reasons I couldn’t explain, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.