5. The Wolves

ALEJANDRO

The kids were having a fucking blast, and as much as I wanted Kiara to have been here, I knew yesterday that whatever happened was on her mind and she needed rest. I made sure the villa was surrounded by guards. The kids were safe with me, but I was not going to fucking risk leaving her alone.

This place was pretty fucking neat, with the mountain backdrop, the waterfall and the clear river. The greenery and the trees were in full bloom, and the sound of birds chirping in the trees rang in the clear blue sky.

I frowned, watching Dante take his shirt off, seemingly irritated, and I realised what he was about to do.

"Dante, don’t." I warned, closing the gap between us and grabbing his hand as he was about to yank the necklace of concealment off.

"Dad, I just want to go in the water without this, I feel stronger without it." He frowned.

A sliver of guilt rushed through me, knowing we were practically subduing him as a person, but without it, he had the aura of a full-fledged Alpha… That was something I couldn’t risk anyone finding out. He had worn this necklace since birth, it had been given to us as a repayment gift by a witch when Kiara healed her.

"Dante, listen to me son." I crouched down placing my hands on his shoulders. "I know you don’t want to keep it on, but it’s for your safety."

I hope he understood, the annoyance in his eyes told me he did but he didn’t like it.

"When I grow up, I'm never hiding who I am." He said defiantly.

I nodded, brushing his wet hair off his forehead.

"Got it, I just need you strong enough to protect your-"

Something was wrong. I could feel it, like a wave of darkness and unease washing over me.

My heart thundered as I stood up, scanning the area - Sky and Kat. Where were they? Skyla’s heartbeat reached my ears.

"Girls!"

I turned sharply, seeing the top of both their heads behind a large rock. Thank the fucking goddess they were together. Kat’s ability of being able to hide her heartbeat fucking messed with me. I grabbed Dante despite his protests, rushing over to the girls. Something was off, and I wasn’t going to stay in this opening when–

Suddenly, wolves burst from the trees, in every fucking direction. There were far too many to count, their fur all similar shades of auburn and browns, and their eyes burning a shade of crimson-orange that I had never seen before. But the thing that fucking threw me was that I hadn't sensed, smelt or heard them. At all.

"Stay with your sisters." I told Dante as I shifted.

In a flash, I ripped the first wolf that reached us to shreds, turning my head to swipe another one away from my pups. Fuck, I couldn’t even mind link anyone, I was out of range...

I heard Kat whimper, feeling Skyla’s aura. We didn’t know what her ability was, but when emotional, she had an aura, although it was faint. I slammed another one away from them. One fucking wolf or a hundred, I would handle them all.

The smell of blood, the menacing growls of the burning eyed wolves and the beating hearts of my pups were filling my senses.

My only thought was to protect them by all fucking means.

"Dad!" Dante shouted.

I turned, ripping the heart of one of the wolves right out of his chest, before it could attack the girls. Blood sprayed over them, making Skyla shriek, her arms tightly around Kataleya whilst Dante stood there defensively.

I hissed as I felt the claws of another wolf dig deep into my back. I growled, throwing him off, allowing my aura to roll of me in waves, but it did nothing to stop the wolves from advancing. I turned, ripping through two more. If I was alone, I’d be fine, but this was a fucking nightmare…

"Dad’s phone." I heard Dante mutter.

I knew what he was planning, calling for help. Fuck no!

I growled, but he didn’t even pay attention, darting out from behind the rock and aiming for my phone that lay on the rock a few metres away. Several wolves hissed, turning their gaze on Dante.

Over my dead fucking body.

I growled, launching myself at the back of the closest one. Another barrelled into my back and I was thrown to the rocky ground, a wolf ripped into my leg and another four jumped at me.

"Dad!" Dante’s voice came.

Fuck.

I turned, killing two instantly, my blazing red eyes filled with a rage. The darkness of my aura enveloped the area, yet even then the flame eyed wolves refused to back away. Almost as if they didn’t feel pain, relentlessly attacking until they faced fucking death.

I ripped another two hearts out, the taste of my own blood in my mouth. I lunged forward, blocking the girls from being attacked. I never ran... But for their safety, I needed to. I wasn’t going to win without them getting hurt.

I grabbed the girls, rushing for Dante, who was fighting a wolf off with a stick. He may be eight, but he was already an impressive fighter. Yet, he was still just a pup, he was no match for these. Growling menacingly, I ripped the attacker off him. I was about to grab Dante when I was thrown to the ground. The girls slipped out of my arms, I just about managed to cushion Skyla’s head from hitting the ground.

"Kataleya!" Skyla sobbed, I turned, seeing one of the wolfs grabbing her and running.

No.

Fear consumed me like never before, digging its claws into me as I growled, running after the wolf only for another six to jump on my back. I stared at her, seeing the wolf run further and further away, her body being flung around like a rag doll as he ran with her.

Please no.

I growled murderously, the ground vibrating at the sheer force as I ripped them off when I saw Dante fall to the ground, his entire body shuddering.

Torn.

The choice before me was fucking me up. There was no way I could choose between my pups.

Kataleya was getting further and further away, and Dante was about to get killed, blood dripping down his chest from where he had been slashed. In a flash, I was before him, killing the attacking wolf before I grabbed him and Skyla, running after Kataleya, the wolves doing their best to stop me.

Their heartbeats were thundering like roaring storms, and I knew the fact that they had gotten so close without me sensing them meant there was magic involved. Their scents were exactly the same… Of fire and ash.

Whatever they were, it wasn’t normal.

I tried to push at the limitations of my mind link, but I had really come too far out... This wasn’t the plan…

Fuck, I should have listened to Kiara.

Kataleya… I could no longer see the wolf that had taken her. My heart was thudding as I pushed myself. My baby girl, I couldn’t allow anything to happen to her…

Suddenly, the entire forest around us erupted in flames. Kataleya’s distant cry reached my ears but I could no longer make sense of direction, the flames rose higher and higher, and Skyla began coughing, struggling to breath. Dante was pale, his entire body still convulsing, and I saw the trickle of blood from his nose.

I kept running but it was only getting harder to breathe, I needed to get these two to safety before I went after Kataleya.

The painful decision before me ripped my heart into two. It clenched painfully in my chest as I forced myself to turn, knowing I was turning my back on my pup for the two in my arms.

Fear that something might happen to her or that she may die consumed me, but I had to hold onto hope that she’ll be ok, because if I went after her, the two in my arms surely would.

I promise you, baby girl, Daddy will come for you and when I find the one behind this… I’ll fucking kill them in the most painful possible fucking way.