Chapter 2 : Attack of the Alpha

In the center of the chaos stood a man - a towering figure with an aura that radiated malice. Alpha Philip. His eyes glinted with a cruel satisfaction, his stance exuding dominance and control. The Ironclaw Alpha had come with a purpose, and it was clear he wouldn’t leave until he achieved it.

Zoe froze, her wolf howling in rage and fear. “Sara, we..”

A snarl interrupted her as one of the dark wolves charged toward them. Before it could reach them, a larger wolf - her brother, Ethan - intercepted the beast mid-leap, the two tumbling into a brutal clash of teeth and claws.

“Run, Zoe!” Ethan growled through their mental link, his voice strained as he grappled with the monstrous wolf. “Get to the house! Find Mom and Dad!”

Zoe and Sara sprinted toward the house, weaving through the chaos. Each scream tore at Zoe’s heart, each fallen packmate fueling her rage and despair. She wanted to fight, to protect her family, but her wolf urged her forward. Survive now. Fight later.

When they reached the house, they found it already burning. Flames licked at the walls, the smoke curling into the night sky like a beacon of destruction. Inside, Zoe could hear her parents’ voices raised in defiance.

“Stay here,” Zoe ordered Sara, who hesitated but nodded, her eyes wide with terror.

Zoe pushed through the doorway, coughing as the smoke stung her eyes. The heat was unbearable, but she forced herself forward. In the main hall, she found her parents fighting side by side against two dark wolves. Her father, in his wolf form, snapped at one of the beasts while her mother, wielding a blade glowing with enchantment, kept the other at bay.

“Mom! Dad!” Zoe cried out.

Her mother turned at the sound of her voice, her eyes widening. “Zoe, no! You have to leave!”

Before Zoe could respond, Alpha Philip entered the room, his presence suffocating. “So this is the blessed child,” he said, his voice a low, mocking rumble. His gaze landed on Zoe, and his lips curled into a wicked grin.

Her father lunged at Philip with a guttural snarl, his wolf form a blur of golden fur and fury. He was strong, the strongest wolf Zoe had ever known, but Philip moved faster - an unnatural speed that seemed to defy logic. With a single fluid motion, Philip sidestepped the attack, his massive hand clamping around her father’s throat like a steel vice.

The sickening sound of bone straining under pressure filled the room as Philip slammed her father against the stone wall. The impact reverberated through the house, knocking a painting to the floor. Her father gasped for air, his claws scrabbling weakly against Philip’s arm as the dark energy pulsing around him seemed to sap his strength. His golden fur shimmered briefly before his form reverted to human, his face pale and stricken with pain.

“Such an admirable effort,” Philip said, his voice dripping with mockery. He leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a cruel whisper. “But an Alpha who cannot protect his own pack is no Alpha at all.” With a dismissive flick of his wrist, Philip released her father, letting him collapse to the ground in a lifeless heap.

“Dad!” Zoe’s scream tore from her throat, raw and anguished.

Her wolf surged to the surface, roaring in her mind, urging her to attack, to do something. But before she could move, her mother’s voice rang out, sharp and unwavering.

“You bastard!”

Zoe’s head whipped around in time to see her mother - a force of fury and grace - charging Philip with her silver-edged blade. Her movements were precise, each step deliberate, her eyes blazing with defiance. The blade caught the light of the flames outside, gleaming like a beacon of hope in the chaos.

But Philip was ready. He turned to face her mother, a cruel grin spreading across his face. At the last second, he sidestepped her strike, his movements so effortless they seemed almost mocking. Her mother recovered quickly, pivoting to aim another slash at his chest, but Philip’s hand shot out with supernatural speed, his fingers closing around her wrist.

The sickening crack of bone echoed in the hall as Philip twisted her arm. Her mother cried out, her blade falling from her grasp and clattering uselessly to the floor.

“Such bravery,” Philip sneered, his voice low and venomous. He leaned in, his dark eyes meeting Zoe’s over her mother’s shoulder. “But so futile.”

Zoe froze, her body trembling. She wanted to scream, to fight, but her limbs felt like lead, her wolf’s anguished cries drowning out her thoughts.

Philip raised his free hand, dark energy crackling between his fingers like black lightning. The oppressive power radiating from him seemed to fill the room, making the air heavy and suffocating. Zoe could only watch in horror as he thrust his hand toward her mother’s chest.

“No!” Zoe’s voice was raw, her vision blurred by tears.

The pulse of black magic erupted in a flash of light and shadow, slamming into her mother with enough force to send her flying across the room. She hit the ground hard, sliding to a stop near the far wall, her body limp and unmoving.

Zoe’s legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. “Mom…” Her voice was barely a whisper as she stared at her mother’s lifeless form.

The world seemed to tilt around her, the edges of her vision darkening. The warmth of the pendant against her chest was a distant sensation, drowned out by the cold weight of grief pressing down on her.

Her wolf howled in agony, a sound that echoed in her mind and tore at her soul. Get up! Fight! her wolf urged, but Zoe couldn’t move. Her body trembled violently, her hands clutching the floor as sobs wracked her chest.

Philip turned his attention to her, his gaze cold and calculating. “And now the blessed child,” he murmured, taking a step toward her. “The moon’s little chosen one. Do you feel her watching you, Zoe? Do you feel her power? Because it won’t save you.”

Zoe’s wolf surged again, her rage clawing at the edges of her control. Her vision blurred, red and sharp, as the need to tear, to rip, to make him pay, consumed her. But her body refused to obey. She was frozen in place, paralyzed by the crushing weight of her parents’ deaths.

“You’re pathetic,” Philip said, his voice dripping with disdain. He crouched in front of her, tilting his head as though studying her. “All that power, and you’re nothing but a frightened little girl. No wonder your family fell so easily.”

Something inside Zoe snapped. Her wolf’s roar echoed in her mind and for a moment, her hands twitched, her claws starting to extend. But before she could act, a blur of motion crossed her vision.

“Get away from her!”

Dominic’s voice rang out as he slammed into Philip in his wolf form, his fangs snapping dangerously close to the Alpha’s throat. Philip staggered back, momentarily caught off guard.

“Zoe, we have to go!” Dominic barked through their mental link, his tone urgent.

Zoe blinked, her vision clearing slightly as she saw Nikola standing near the door, his form shifting from wolf to human as he growled, “Move, Dominic! We don’t have time!”

Philip recovered quickly, his laughter dark and cruel. “Run, little wolves,” he called after them as Dominic grabbed Zoe’s arm, hauling her to her feet. “It won’t save you.”

As they fled the house, the flames consuming everything in their wake.