Page 330 of Alpha Mates

“I will,” he promises, blue eyes scanning my face. “And you do the same.”

I nod, and he tries to step back, but I catch his arm and yank him close until we’re chest to chest. I cup his face in my hands.

“Just …” I take a breath, trying to quiet the anxiety clawing up my throat. “Promise me you’ll be careful, Julian.”

Even with all our intel and preparation, there’s still room for things to go sideways. Normally, I’m fine with the unknown. But not when it comes him. And there were so many unknowns today.

I breathe again, but it’s ragged. The fear in the air tastes metallic—bitter. I should be focused, but I don’t care. Alpha or not, my mate is heading into danger, and I won’t be close enough to watch his back.

“I promise,” he says, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’m coming back to you in one piece, and you better do the same, AidenJadeCalderon.”

I huff a laugh, and then I kiss him—slow, anchoring myself in the taste of him. In his warmth, his softness, and his strength that reinforces my own before I pull back. I have to force myself to let him go.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you, too,” he replies, and for a moment, we just stare at each other.

I can’t move another inch, because moving means separating. And that’s the last thing we want to do.

But Goddess rarely gives a fuck what we want. So he keeps moving, heading to his team, and I do the same.

I track the back of his blonde head until it’s out of sight, then turn to face the border and the wolves who’ll be running with me.

I meet every fiery and bloodthirsty gaze. Emitt’s closest, and I thank Goddess for him when I lock onto his firm stare.

I try to burn each face into memory, so I know exactly what I’m fighting for. These are the lives I’m protecting out there. Members of my pack.

This was about them first and foremost, not Reon.

“Solidarity first and foremost,” I shout, letting my voice cut across the gathered wolves, shifted and not. “One pack. One. Pack.”

The pack bond flares to life, sparking like a live wire under my skin, pulsing with unity.

“Our bloodlines are rich with her light, so we shall endure forevermore,” Julian shouts in return before a thumping starts from the back.

A fist hammering a chest. Julian’s.

He hits once. Hard. Then again, letting each strike land with deliberate weight. One beat, another, until the rhythm grows. We follow suit, following the tune until the speed picks up and the pounding in our chests matches the fists colliding with them, hearts syncing to the call.

“One pack,” he yells.

“Forevermore!” I bellow, and howls erupt from the ranks.

I turn to face the world beyond our borders. The unclaimed lands loom, wide and waiting, and the pounding continues.

“One pack,” I whisper—and let the shift take me.

Falling on all fours, I face the path ahead and run into its foreboding jaws.

Goddess help us all.

Blood spatters my face as my canines sink through fur and flesh to tear through muscle and bone. The rogue shrieks, trying to paw free, but I drag my claws down its chest and cut it off. I toss the limp body to the ground.

Similar scenes surround me from all angles. Wolves from every pack fight side by side, but we all have the same objective of cutting down the rogues that keep climbing over the valley’s edge in a never-ending swarm.

The march here had been too easy. We kept formation, picking up allies on the way. Our numbers shook the earth with every step, but any scouts that heard us coming were cut down by Julian before they could make a peep.

But that was the only advantage we’d gotten. The second we reached the valley, they started coming.