Page 31 of Brutal Alpha’s Sold Mate (Starfire Hollow Alphas #4)

I’m seconds away from having my throat ripped out by a demon that looks like it crawled from the worst nightmare imaginable.

My wolf howls within, demanding to unleash every bit of strength I have left, but I’m pinned on my side with my claws scraping for traction.

The demon’s black scales glisten with foul residue, dripping from horns that threaten to pierce my chest. One jerk forward, and I’ll be done.

I dig my hind legs into the ground, twisting just enough to shove upward.

My ribcage protests, but I manage to wrench free from under the monster’s forelimbs.

I shift quickly and rebound into a crouched stance, ignoring the sting of half a dozen wounds.

Around me, the battlefield is filled with lesser demons spewing their toxic fluid while shifters from multiple packs hurl themselves into the fray.

The stench of demon drool coats the area, making me want to retch.

I snarl, lunging at the demon’s exposed flank.

My fangs scrape across its scales, but I can’t get a good grip.

It roars, flailing its massive horns in my direction.

I dodge it by a hair, rolling across the dirt.

My pack—alongside Red Arrow, River Valley, and some East Hills wolves—charges in all around us.

I take a moment to catch my breath, searching for Kai in the melee.

I spot her fur near one of the fences, tangling with another demon that’s nearly as large as this one.

My chest tightens at the sight of her risking her life, but I trust her skill enough not to rush over and jeopardize both our positions.

A Red Arrow witch flings an explosive projectile at the demon I’m fighting, managing to weaken the scales near its neck.

Sparks dance off the point of impact, and the demon reels, letting out a guttural snarl.

I seize the opening, lunging forward to clamp my jaws around the monster’s partially exposed throat.

Hot, rancid blood coats my muzzle. I bite down, ignoring the burn in my muscles, and tear through flesh until the demon collapses.

It shudders, letting out a final gurgle before going limp.

I stagger back, heaving as adrenaline surges through every fiber of my body.

The witches chant from somewhere behind, launching more spells that illuminate the demon pen.

Several watchers from my territory have formed a perimeter, driving lesser demons into corners with a mix of fangs and carefully placed steel spikes.

I rub a paw across my face, trying to clear demon gore out of my eyes so I can find the next threat.

It seems the entire clearing has erupted into a frenzy of teeth, horns, and toxic slime.

But I notice a shift in momentum as more shifters rally together, pressing in on the demons.

One by one, the beasts slump under the combined might of witches’ spells and well-timed shifter strikes.

My heart pounds with grim satisfaction. Teamwork is paying off.

I spot a lesser demon pivoting near the base of a toppled fence, preparing to pounce on a wounded River Valley wolf.

I force my battered limbs into motion, sprinting across the churned-up dirt and tackling the demon from behind.

My claws dig into its flank, and I yank hard.

It whips around, snapping at my arm, but a swift slash to its vulnerable throat sends it crashing to the ground.

The River Valley wolf gives me a grateful nod, stumbling away to find the healer we have stationed out of the warzone.

Somewhere close by, a massive demon roars, but I see half a dozen witches combining spells to hold it in place.

A swirl of shimmering lights engulfs the monster as it screeches, thrashing wildly, before an East Hills wolf leaps for its neck and ends the fight.

My wolf exhales in relief. The tide has turned in our favor.

I shift to human form, searching the chaos for Malcolm and Wiley.

I lost sight of them when the caged demons began rampaging, and now I curse the fact that I got so bogged down in this fight.

If they escape, our entire plan might unravel.

Then I catch sight of Kai darting past a broken section of fence, her eyes locked on two figures sprinting into the tree line—Malcolm and Wiley.

My pulse spikes as I break into a run, ignoring my battered condition.

Kai’s powerful wolf bounds ahead. I grit my teeth, pushing my tired body to keep pace.

I refuse to let these scum vanish and start over somewhere else, trafficking demons and souls for their twisted profit.

The watchers and witches can handle the remaining demons.

My job is to ensure Malcolm and Wiley don’t slip away.

They duck behind splintered crates that must’ve been part of their operation, likely containing demon feed or vile potions.

Kai snarls, smashing through debris, and Malcolm lets out a startled yell.

She lunges at him, fangs clamping around the fabric of his coat.

He wriggles free, but not before Wiley tries to stab her with a short blade.

I arrive in time to kick the knife from his grasp, sending it spinning across the dirt.

Wiley attempts to slip behind a stack of cages, but Kai blocks him, shifting into half-form to seize his arm in a vice-like grip. His eyes widen, panic etched across his face. “Let go!” he sputters, but she bares her teeth, twisting his arm behind his back.

Not this time , she spits through the wolf connection. He can’t hear her, but I sure as hell can, and she sounds fierce as hell. You’re done hurting people .

Malcolm makes a desperate lunge for the nearest exit, but I tackle him at full force. He flails, spitting curses, but I pin him hard, leaning my weight onto his spine. Congratulations , I rasp in my mind, blood oozing from a cut on my temple. You just lost.

He thrashes with a wild, cornered look in his eyes. “Kill me. Spare me the speech.”

I glance up as Kai marches Wiley over, now in her human form. I shift back too, keeping my hold on Macolm as I do.

“Killing you would be too easy,” she says. “We want information. Like how you acquired so many demons, and what portal you used to bring them through.”

Malcolm’s face pales. Wiley’s eyes dart from left to right as though seeking an opening. I press Malcolm’s face into the dirt, ignoring his muffled groan. “Start talking,” I order, trying to keep my temper under control. “Where’s the portal? How do you keep summoning these monsters?”

Wiley hisses a response. “We found it near the cliffs beyond Red Arrow land. A hidden cavern with a gateway that’s been dormant for centuries. We just… woke it up, that’s all.”

Kai’s lip curls in disgust. “You two realized you could make a fortune selling demon muscle to any power-hungry wolf willing to pay. So you decided to exploit it.”

Malcolm scowls. “Not that simple. The portal opened a path, but controlling what comes through took… expertise. We partnered with someone.”

My wolf rumbles, furious at the thought of more conspirators. “Names. Who else?”

Malcolm clenches his teeth. “Don’t know. They wore a hood, spoke in riddles. They provided instructions. We tested smaller demons, saw success, and built from there.”

I exchange a glance with Kai as unease ripples through us. There’s a bigger threat lurking in the background. Great. One problem at a time, though. For now, we have Malcolm and Wiley in custody.

The shifters who finished mopping up the last of the lesser demons converge on us along with the witches. Alec and Quincey step forward, flanked by a few guards.

Alec gives me a curt nod, scanning Malcolm and Wiley with contempt. “We’ll handle their interrogation. Red Arrow has the means to lock them away. We’ll see if we can glean more about that portal.”

Malcolm begins to protest, but a Red Arrow witch silences him with a muttered incantation that forces him to cough uncontrollably. Wiley tries to lunge away, but a River Valley wolf grapples him to the ground, shackling him in magical chains.

I brush demon grime off my arms as Quincey steps up, surveying the two criminals with disgust. Then he turns to me. “We owe you a debt. I didn’t think you had it in you to coordinate so many packs and keep your head. Guess I was wrong.”

I wait for some biting remark, but instead, Quincey extends his hand. My heart pounds as I accept it, feeling the weight of grudges and tension dissolving in one moment of mutual respect. “I appreciate the help, Quincey,” I tell him. “I’m just glad we put an end to these scum.”

He nods, then steps aside so Red Arrow’s witches can cart off Malcolm and Wiley to their wards. We succeeded. We took down the lair, rescued or finished off every demon, and captured the criminals behind it all.

I glance at Kai, who stands some distance away, talking quietly with Alec and a few East Hills wolves.

She looks weary, battered from the fight, but there’s a light in her eyes that reminds me just how strong she is.

She wanted justice, and now she’s got it.

The realization that we might soon part weighs on me like a boulder.

I swallow hard, gathering my wolves for a quick debrief.

They’re bruised, half-limping, but alive.

Many nod in my direction, gratitude clear in their expressions.

They trust me more now than ever, seeing how I managed to unify different factions.

But the success feels hollow in some corner of my soul.

Kai wraps up her discussion with Alec, then approaches me with her arms folded. “So,” she begins, her voice taut, “we did it. No more demon trafficking, at least from Malcolm and Wiley.”

I force a smile. “We did. Thanks to you, rallying witches and watchers from every corner.”

She looks away. “I guess this means you’ll go home now, back to Black Cauldron, since your immediate threat is gone.”

I muster a nod. “Yes. My pack needs me. Reed and Jacob haven’t vanished. I still have that business to settle.”

Her eyes flick to the ground. “Right. I won’t pretend I like it, but it’s who you are.”

I’m not sure what to say that won’t break me. My wolf howls, wanting me to ask her to come with me, or maybe to stay. But we both know the gap between us remains. She belongs here, and my warlike mission won’t do her any favors.

“Take care of yourself,” I manage.

“Same,” she whispers back, hugging herself tightly.

A swirl of movement catches my eye. One of my watchers calls me over, reminding me that we’re set to depart soon. Without another word, I turn away, joining my battered pack.

We march out of East Hills territory, hearts heavy with victory tinged by loss. The entire journey back to Black Cauldron passes in a fog for me. Each step is a reminder that I left Kai behind.

Once we cross into my domain, the familiar pine scent and rugged terrain do nothing to soothe the ache in my chest. I gather my soldiers, debrief them on next steps for reinforcing borders, all the while trying not to think about how empty my future feels.

If they notice the change in my demeanor, they have the courtesy not to say anything, probably assuming I’m just worn out from the demon fiasco.

Days slip by. I bury myself in pack duties—meeting elders, scheduling patrols, half-heartedly drafting new strategies for confronting Reed and Jacob.

Leonard asks me why my drive has dimmed, but I can’t bring myself to explain.

Every night, I collapse into bed, haunted by memories of her laugh, her eyes, and her unwavering moral center.

I realize I’ve lost my appetite for conquest. The demon slaughter changed something in me, forcing me to see the cost of boundless violence.

My heart is torn by the memory of Kai standing among East Hills wolves, strong and fearless, while I left like a coward who couldn’t reconcile my ambition with the deeper longing I feel for her.

On the fourth day after returning, I wander outside my cabin early in the morning, cradling a mug of lukewarm coffee.

The wind rustles the leaves, and a gentle hush falls across the clearing.

I’ve been wishing, in some desperate corner of my heart, that she’d appear.

That she’d decide to join me. But hope is a cruel mistress.

Then I catch a trace of her scent on the breeze. My entire body goes rigid. Could it be? I set the coffee down and step away from the porch. My wolf perks up, ears almost pricking as if to confirm.

And then she’s there, standing beside my old, beat-up pick-up truck. My breath hitches, and my heart pounds in disbelief. She came after all.

She clears her throat, looking like she’s unsure whether to stand tall or shrink back. “We need to talk,” she says, voice laced with something I can’t quite define.

I stare at her as every emotion comes flooding back, leaving me dizzy with relief, regret, and a spark of hope I dare not allow to ignite.