Mag-log inSage woke strapped to a metal table.Silver restraints. They burned her wrists and ankles. Made shifting impossible.The lab coat woman stood over her. “I’m Dr. Sarah Wright. I developed the lycanthropy cure.”“There is no cure. We’re born this way.”“You were. But I can change that.” Dr. Wright held up a syringe filled with blue liquid. “This serum rewrites your DNA. Removes the genetic markers that allow transformation. One injection and you’re permanently human.”“That’s murder. You’re killing what I am.”“I’m saving you. Making you safe. Normal.” Dr. Wright smiled. “You should be grateful.”“I’ll kill you first.”“You can try. Once you’re human and powerless.” She turned to her assistants. “Prepare the injection site.”They swabbed Sage’s arm. Brought the needle closer.“Wait!” Sage struggled against the restraints. “You can’t do this. It’s illegal. It’s—”“It’s government sanctioned. Approved by Congress. Funded by taxpayers who want the werewolf problem solved.” Dr. Wright posit
Finally made it to the exit. Shifted to human. A federal agent threw her a blanket.“Where’s the rest?” Chen asked.“Still inside. Some dead. Some alive. I don’t know.” Sage was shaking. “We have to go back for them.”“We’re trying. But Richard’s people are barricaded. Using the other Alphas as shields.”The standoff lasted three hours. Finally Richard emerged. Hands up. Surrendering.“Where are the Alphas?” Chen demanded.“Inside. Alive. Mostly.” Richard smiled even as they handcuffed him. “But it doesn’t matter. I already won.”“What do you mean?”“The world saw werewolves attack humans. Saw them die fighting. Saw proof they’re dangerous.” He laughed. “Public opinion just turned against them. Permanently.”He was right. Sage saw it on the news later. The attack. The fighting. Edited to make wolves look like aggressors.Victoria died in surgery. Two other Alphas dead. Three wounded.The remaining seven gathered that evening. All exhausted. All traumatized.“What do we do now?” one as
Richard walked into the safe room like he owned it.His people herded the twelve Alphas into a corner. Weapons trained on them. One wrong move and everyone died.“Cameras are live,” Richard said to someone outside. “Broadcasting to every news outlet. The world is watching.”Sage looked at the camera being set up. This was planned. Coordinated. They wanted the world to see werewolf leadership captured.“What do you want?” Victoria asked. Her voice was steady despite the guns pointed at her.“What we’ve always wanted. A world without your kind.” Richard smiled. “But since extermination takes time, we’ll settle for control.”“Control how?”“Registration. Tracking devices. Designated living areas. Sterilization for those who don’t comply.” He counted on his fingers. “Basically everything we’d do to any dangerous animal population.”“We’re not animals.”“You shift into animals. Close enough.” He gestured to his people. “Bring her forward.”They grabbed Sage. Pulled her away from the group.
Sage called an emergency pack meeting at midnight.One hundred wolves gathered in twenty minutes. All armed. All ready.“We have intel about an attack tomorrow,” Sage said. “Multiple hate groups coordinating. Target is me, Kade, and Hope. They want to make an example of us.”“Then we evacuate,” Cole said. “Get you somewhere safe.”“Running proves we’re scared. Shows weakness.” Sage looked around the room. “We stay. We defend. We show them we won’t be intimidated.”“That’s suicide,” Beth argued. “How many hate groups? How many attackers?”“The informant didn’t say. But enough that he felt the need to warn us.” Sage touched the gun at her hip. “We have twelve hours to prepare. Fortify the compound. Set up defensive positions. Get civilians to the bunker.”They worked through the night. Building barricades. Checking weapons. Moving families underground.By dawn the compound looked like a military base. Guards on every wall. Snipers on rooftops. Everyone is waiting.Sage stood at the gate
Sage shot first.The bullet hit the human leader in the shoulder. He went down screaming.“Traitor!” she yelled at Claire.Claire shifted to wolf form. Ran toward the fence. Escaping.Riley intercepted her. His gray wolf tackled her brown one. They fought while chaos erupted around them.Kade fired from his wheelchair. Taking down humans trying to breach medical. His aim was perfect even sitting down.Sage moved through the compound despite her body screaming in protest. She’d given birth twelve hours ago. Should be in bed. Instead she was fighting for her pack’s survival.A human came at her with a silver knife. She shot him. Point blank. Kept moving.Cole appeared beside her. “Medical is secure. Margaret got Hope and the other patients to the bunker.”“How many attackers?”“Fifty when they started. Maybe thirty left. But they’re armed and organized.” Cole shifted and took down two humans trying to flank them. “We’re holding but barely.”The fight lasted twenty minutes. Felt like hou
Sage woke in the medical building for what felt like the hundredth time in her life.Margaret was beside her. Kade on the other side. Both looking exhausted.“The baby?” Sage asked. Her voice was hoarse.“Still there. Heartbeat strong.” Margaret showed her the ultrasound screen. “But you’re on strict bed rest. Any more stress and you will miscarry.”“I can’t be on bed rest. The war—”“The war will happen with or without you running around making it worse.” Margaret’s voice was firm. “You’re pregnant. High risk. You don’t get to be Alpha right now. You get to be a mother protecting her child.”“But the pack needs—”“The pack needs their Alpha alive and sane. Not dead from stress.” Kade grabbed her hand. “Cole can lead temporarily. You focus on staying pregnant.”Sage wanted to argue. But the cramping pain was still there. A reminder of how close she’d come to losing this baby.“Fine. Bed rest. But I want updates. Every day. On everything.”Cole came by that evening. Brought reports on
Sage was supposed to stay in bed for three days but by the second morning she was going crazy.Margaret had cleared her for light activity. The silver bullet wounds were healing faster than normal thanks to her hybrid nature. Human enough to process the silver. Wolf enough to heal quickly.She foun
The next attack came two days later at the worst possible time.Sage was at the clinic with Jenny treating a line of patients that had been backed up since the warehouse ambush. Three injured wolves. Two human patients with the flu. One kid with a broken arm.It was noon, bright daylight. The last
Kade spent three more days in bed before Margaret would let him stand for more than ten minutes.He hated it. Being weak, being dependent. Having pack members see their Alpha unable to walk without help, but Sage wouldn’t let him push too hard.“You almost died,” she said for the tenth time. “You n
Sage pressed her hands to Kade’s chest and pushed energy through the mate bond with everything she had.His heart stuttered. Stopped. Started again.“Drive faster!” she screamed at Riley.“I’m going as fast as I can!” Riley took a corner so hard the SUV almost flipped.Kade’s eyes were closed, his







