Chapter 9: YOU'LL NEVER BE HIM

A scream echoed through the cold, damp air of the underground chamber beneath Alpha Valen’s mansion. The walls seemed to shiver with the sound, the agony piercing through the stillness like a blade. Gwen, the proud councilwoman from Shadowclaw, was bound to a chair, her face twisted in pain and defiance.

From the shadows, a figure emerged—Vendetta, her dark eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. Gwen’s breath hitched, but her defiance didn’t waver. As Vendetta stepped closer, Gwen spat at her feet, her voice hoarse but filled with fire. “The Shadowclaw pack will come for you,” she growled. “For all of you.”

Vendetta’s lips curled into a mocking smile as she circled Gwen like a predator toying with its prey. “Will they now? I wouldn’t hold your breath,” she said, her tone dripping with condescension. “By the time they figure out where you are, you’ll be long gone.”

Gwen’s eyes blazed with fury. “You don’t scare me, witch,” she spat, her voice filled with hatred. “You think hiding in the dark and using your tricks makes you powerful? You’re nothing but a coward.”

Vendetta’s smile didn’t falter. She stepped aside, and out of the shadows came Alpha Valen, his presence imposing and filled with malice. His golden eyes flickered in the dim light as he approached, and the room seemed to grow colder with each step.

“Coward?” Valen’s voice was low, laced with venom. “You dare to call me a coward?”

Gwen’s jaw clenched, and she met his gaze with unwavering courage. “Yes,” she hissed. “You’re nothing more than a coward hiding behind the power of a woman, using her magic to do your dirty work. Lord Dorian will crush you.”

The insult struck deep, and Valen’s expression darkened. His fists clenched, and he took a menacing step forward. “Dorian,” he sneered, the name filled with contempt. “Your precious Dorian is nothing. Do you really think he can protect you? Do you really believe he’s strong enough to stop me?”

Gwen glared at him, her heart racing, but she refused to back down. “Dorian is ten times the alpha you’ll ever be. You’ll never defeat him.”

Valen’s anger flared like a wildfire. He slammed his fist against the stone wall, cracking the surface. “You fool,” he growled. “Dorian is weak. He’s distracted by his pathetic new mate, and while his attention is on her, I will tear him apart, piece by piece.”

Gwen’s stomach churned at his words, but she didn’t let the fear show. “You’re delusional,” she snapped. “Dorian will see through your plans, and when he does, you’ll be the one begging for mercy.”

Vendetta chuckled softly from behind Valen, her eyes dancing with amusement. “You really don’t understand, do you?” she said, her voice like silk. “Dorian has no idea what’s coming. He thinks he’s invincible, but every alpha has a breaking point. And when we find his, he’ll fall.”

Valen’s lips twisted into a cruel smile as he leaned down toward Gwen. “And do you know what his breaking point is?” he asked, his voice a menacing whisper. “It’s you. It’s his pack. One by one, I will destroy everything he holds dear, starting with you.”

Gwen’s breath caught in her throat, and a cold dread settled in her chest. She could see the madness in Valen’s eyes, the certainty that he would stop at nothing to see Dorian fall. 

“You can’t win,” she said, her voice trembling just slightly. “You’ll never match up to Lord Dorian.”

Valen’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You think I’m weak? You think I can’t match him?” His body began to shift, muscles rippling as his form contorted. Gwen’s heart pounded as she watched the slow, deliberate transformation. Valen’s bones cracked and reshaped, his human features fading away to reveal the monstrous form of his wolf.

He stood before her, towering and terrifying, his golden fur shimmering in the dim light. His wolf eyes gleamed with savage hunger, and Gwen’s blood ran cold.

“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” Valen growled, his voice deeper and more menacing in his wolf form.

But Gwen, despite the fear tightening in her chest, met his gaze with unyielding defiance. “You’ll never be him,” she whispered. “You’ll never be Dorian.”

Vendetta’s laughter rang out, sharp and mocking. “Oh, Gwen,” she said, stepping closer. “You never know what’s coming. The game has only just begun.”

Gwen’s eyes flickered to Vendetta, confusion mixing with her fear. “What do you mean?” she demanded, her voice cracking. 

Before she could get an answer, Valen lunged at her, his massive form moving with deadly speed. Gwen barely had time to gasp before his sharp, gleaming teeth sank into her neck. The pain was blinding, and a choked scream escaped her lips as Valen tore her head from her body in one swift, brutal motion.

Her body twitched on the ground, lifeless, as Valen stepped back, blood dripping from his wolf’s mouth. His eyes glowed with savage satisfaction as he watched the pool of blood spreading across the cold stone floor.

Vendetta looked down at Gwen’s body, a small, cruel smile playing on her lips. “Such a shame,” she murmured. “But she never stood a chance.”

Valen shifted back to his human form, breathing heavily, his body slick with sweat and blood. “Dispose her body,” he ordered, his voice rough. “Take her body to the human city. Let them find it. It’ll send a message to Shadowclaw.”

Vendetta nodded, her eyes glinting with dark amusement. “Consider it done, Alpha.”

Valen turned away from the grisly scene, his mind already moving to the next phase of his plan. He strode toward the exit, but before he left the underground, he paused, sending a sharp, piercing whistle into the air.

A hawk appeared moments later, its wings flapping silently as it landed on Valen’s outstretched arm.

“Send the message,” Valen whispered to the bird. “Tell the packs to prepare. War is coming.”

The hawk took off, disappearing into the dark corridors, and Valen turned to Vendetta, his eyes hard. “We end this soon.”

Vendetta smiled, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Yes, Alpha. Very soon.”

As Valen began to walk away, Vendetta’s voice echoed through the chamber, low and chilling. “You’re sure you’re ready for what to come next?”

Valen stopped, his back to her, the tension in the air thick and palpable. He didn’t answer, but his silence spoke louder than words.

Vendetta’s smile widened as she watched him leave, her mind already spinning with plans of her own. The storm was coming, and when it hit, nothing would be the same..