My Mate....The Alpha (new version)

34. Ryker

I woke to Preston and Ajax pressed tightly against me, our bodies tangled in warmth. My hand rested on the gentle rise of Preston's bump, and beneath it, I felt the faintest flutter—our pup stretching within the safe world of his womb.

"Soon we'll have our family complete,"< Zeus said softly, resting his great head on his paws at the edge of the bed. >"We must do everything to keep it intact."<

I clenched my jaw at his words, a silent vow tightening in my chest. Gently, I peeled myself away from Preston and Ajax, tucking the covers around them like a barrier, my palm lingering on Preston's stomach for one last second.

The moment I stepped out of the room and into the hallway, I reached out mentally. >Morgan?<

>Yes?< she replied, alert but calm.

>How are the bo—<

I didn't even finish the sentence before a chilling howl rang through the air, followed by dozens more.

>GET ENFORCERS AND ANY ABLE BODY TO THE BORDERS NOW! AND GET THE REST—WOMEN, CHILDREN, ELDERS—TO SAFETY!<

The pack house exploded into motion.

Wolves sprinted down hallways and leapt from balconies. Growls, shouts, and hurried footsteps echoed through the structure. The floor beneath me vibrated with energy.

I turned just as Preston appeared at the top of the stairs, holding Ajax in his arms. His shirt had ridden up, exposing the stretch of his bump. His face was pale, eyes wide with fear.

"Rye," he whispered, voice breaking. "Don't go."

I forced a small smile and looked up at him. "Everything will be okay."

"Don't—" he whimpered again, clutching Ajax to his chest.

"Ryker!" a voice shouted. I turned to see my mother rushing in through the front doors, flanked by my siblings. The twins immediately rushed to Preston's side, guiding him back toward the safe rooms.

My mother touched my shoulder. "Go," she said gently. "We'll keep them safe."

I nodded, even as Preston's voice called after me one last time. I didn't look back.

>Let's go,< Zeus growled.

We launched into the woods, the scent of rogues thick in the air. Bloodlust. Hatred. Desperation. I snarled as my paws pounded the earth.

>Morgan, Zain, what are we looking at?<

>50—no, 100 rogues at most,< Zain replied, strained. >Something's not right. This isn't random.<

>It's not,< I thought grimly. >They're here for Preston. They know about the pregnancy.<

The realization hit like a bullet. Word had gotten out. That Jessie SaintClair's son—Preston, a carrier of warped bloodlines and power—was carrying a child. A pup born of a warlock-wolf hybrid line.

I arrived at the eastern border just in time to be tackled by five rogues. I snarled and snapped, tearing through them with unrelenting force, Zeus's rage surging within me.

When I looked up, I saw a wall of chaos.

Princeton—the former Alpha's son and Preston's father—slammed a rogue to the ground with the force of a thunderclap, shielding Jessie from attack.

Jessie—Preston's mother by heart and title—stood in the center of the field, eyes glowing white, his hands raised, light radiating from his palms. A rogue flew through the air like a broken doll, crashing into a tree and crumpling, unmoving.