Alpha's STOLEN Mate (by Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Elowen

Kaius moved forward, dagger raised, his entire body coiled to strike.

Kaius! I sent the warning through our mindlink, sharp and commanding. It’s not your turn yet! That blade is only for restoring his consciousness before he dies. Let me kill him first!

Kaius hesitated, then nodded curtly and stepped back, giving me room to attack.

I didn’t waste the opening. My white wolf form exploded forward, launching myself at Aldric with every ounce of rage and grief I

possessed.

But Aldric… dodged.

Not attacked. Not countered. Just dodged.

He twisted away from my strike, backing up, his movements defensive rather than aggressive. Like he was trying to avoid the fight

entirely.

What the fuck?

The evasion only made me angrier. At least have the decency to fight back! To acknowledge what you’ve done!

I summoned everything-lightning crackling along my fur, flames gathering in my throat, wind whipping around us to create a prison of elements. I sent it all at him simultaneously, cutting off every escape route, forcing him into confrontation.

Aldric’s eyes began to glow red. Finally-finally-he seemed to be engaging. His massive form charged toward me, claws extended.

Our claws met with a sound like steel striking steel. The impact sent shockwaves up my legs. His strength was insane-like fighting a living fortress. But I noticed something strange: his claws hadn’t hit with full force. The strike had been… restrained. Pulled at the last

second.

Why isn’t he trying to kill me?

I didn’t return the courtesy. White flames erupted from my claws, searing into his paw. Aldric yelped-actually yelped-and stumbled

backward.

I pressed the advantage. Lightning poured from my body, arcing across his golden fur. The electricity made his coat stand on end, crackling and sparking. While he was stunned, I raked my claws across his chest and face, leaving deep burns that wouldn’t heal-marks that glowed with lingering white fire.

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19:47 Wed, Jan 14

Chapter 187

Blood poured from the wounds.

I moved to pin him down, to end this, to finally make him pay-

The air pressure changed.

The forest went silent. Every bird, every insect, every small creature fled in sudden terror. Above us, clouds gathered with unnatural

speed, and lightning-not mine-split the sky.

Aldric’s form began to shift.

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His body expanded, muscles bulging and reorganizing. His spine curved, forcing him into a hunched posture that was somehow more human and less human at once. Fur receded in places, revealing scarred skin beneath. His face elongated into something caught between man and beast-a muzzle filled with massive fangs, eyes that blazed with terrible intelligence, hands tipped with claws like curved daggers.

Lycan.

The transformation completed in seconds. Aldric stood before me in his half-form, radiating power that made my earlier assessment of his strength seem laughable. This wasn’t twice as strong. This was ten times. Twenty times.

He casually swatted my paws aside like I was a annoying puppy.

Fuck. FUCK.

I leaped backward, putting distance between us. White flames and blue lightning erupted around me in a defensive sphere-all my power focused, ready for his assault.

But Aldric didn’t attack.

Instead, he turned away from me-still bleeding, still burned-and tried to leave. To simply walk away from the fight.

What?

He’d transformed into his most powerful form… to run away?

He’d been refusing to fight this entire time. Holding back. Dodging. And now he was trying to escape?

But he destroyed my pack. He slaughtered my people. He’s supposed to be a mindless weapon. Why-

Kaius didn’t share my confusion. The sight of his father’s Lycan form seemed to snap something inside him. His black wolf erupted with a snarl of pure fury, intercepting Aldric’s escape route.

Father and son collided in a blur of claws and teeth.

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19:47 Wed, Jan 14

Alpha’s STOLEN Mate