Page 86 of Captivated By Alphas 1, Fated (The Blood Moon Chronicle #4)
When he turned back to the battle, it was with renewed intensity that made my mouth go dry.
Every movement was a display of power designed for my eyes, every kill a promise of the protection he could offer, every precise strike a demonstration of the controlled violence that lived beneath his civilized surface.
“Jesus,” I breathed, watching him take down three ferals in rapid succession without seeming to break a sweat. “You’re terrifying and gorgeous and I don’t know how to process that combination.”
Adrian rumbled what sounded distinctly like jealous amusement against my side, but I couldn’t look away from Cole’s panther. The way he moved was hypnotic—all that controlled power unleashed in calculated bursts that left enemies broken in his wake.
When a feral tried to flank George, Cole intercepted it with a leap that covered impossible distance, landing on the creature’s back and ending the threat with ruthless efficiency.
The entire sequence took maybe three seconds, but it was the most perfectly executed piece of combat I’d ever witnessed.
“Show-off,” I murmured, though my voice came out breathless with admiration. “You’re all show-offs.”
Cole’s gray gaze flicked to me again, and this time I caught something that made my pulse race—satisfaction. He was pleased I’d noticed, pleased I was watching him fight for me.
The realization sent heat coursing through my veins. All three of them were performing for me, displaying their strength and skill like some primal mating ritual. And God help me, it was working.
George’s roar shook the entire forest and barked commands in that wordless panther language, coordinating the final assault.
I turned my attention back to the fight to see Cole moved like death given steel precision, each strike surgically designed to disable rather than destroy.
His steel-gray form flowed between attackers with tactical brilliance, choosing injuries that would remove threats with minimal energy expenditure.
George dominated the center of the clearing, his massive silver-streaked form an alpha’s nightmare given physical shape. When three ferals tried to overwhelm him simultaneously, his roar shook leaves from trees, the sound vibrating through my bones like thunder.
Jace had finally broken through the barrier separating us, his midnight form now carving through ferals with the devastating efficiency that had earned him his legendary reputation.
Bodies fell in his wake as he fought his way closer, golden eyes never leaving me even as he systematically dismantled everything in his path.
Adrian continued his deadly ballet beside me, each movement a masterpiece of controlled violence. He didn’t just fight—he performed, turning combat into art that left opponents dismembered in beautiful patterns across the forest floor.
“Show-off,” I muttered fondly, then yelped as another feral tried to blindside me. My crystal claws caught it across the throat, the sound wet and final.
His rumble sounded distinctly pleased as he dispatched another attacker, positioning himself so I had the best view of his prowess. Classic Adrian—turning violence into performance art while keeping me safely pressed against his warm flank.
Together, they were unstoppable. Not just individual predators but a coordinated force that moved like extensions of the same deadly mind.
Jace reached us just as the main wave of ferals regrouped, his presence immediately shifting the battle’s momentum.
The ferals kept coming, but the outcome was never in doubt—they were throwing themselves against legends.
“No wonder other packs avoid direct confrontation,” I realized aloud, watching the systematic destruction of our attackers.
The battle reached its crescendo as all four panthers coordinated a final assault that was pure deadly poetry.
Jace tore through the center with raw power and fury, his midnight form a force of nature unleashed.
Adrian flowed left with artistic grace, Cole anchored right with controlled precision, and George drove through with overwhelming alpha dominance.
Blood painted the forest floor in crimson arcs as they carved through the remaining ferals with coordinated lethality.
Not one movement was wasted, not one strike failed to find its mark.
They moved like they shared the same mind, anticipated each other’s attacks, covered each other’s flanks with supernatural awareness.
“Fuck,” I breathed, watching them demolish the last organized resistance in under thirty seconds. “They’re even more incredible than I imagined.”
The remaining ferals—those still capable of movement—suddenly froze as one, their heads turning toward the forest like marionettes responding to their puppet master. As suddenly as they’d appeared, they retreated, abandoning their dead.
Silence crashed over the clearing, broken only by heavy breathing and my racing heartbeat.
Jace’s massive panther form immediately padded over to me, golden eyes blazing with concern as he looked me over for injuries.
His nose nudged my shoulder where the bite wound was still bleeding, a low rumble of displeasure vibrating in his chest.
“I’m okay,” I assured him, reaching out to touch his massive head. “Just a bite. Nothing compared to what could have happened.”
His golden gaze fixed on my leopard ears and silver tail, something possessive and satisfied flickering in those depths. Adrian pressed closer to my other side, still scenting me thoroughly, while Cole approached with that same intense focus.
“So,” I said, suddenly self-conscious under four sets of panther eyes, “I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Literally.” I touched one tufted ear with embarrassment. “Surprise? I’m apparently part magical snow leopard or something equally ridiculous.”
George’s rumble sounded almost amused, while all three cousins moved closer, their body language radiating possession and protection. Jace nuzzled against my uninjured shoulder, his scent mixing with Adrian’s to create a complex claiming pattern that made my head spin.
“Yeah, I know,” I continued, my voice slightly breathless from adrenaline crash and being surrounded by three massive predators who clearly considered me theirs.
“My life was normal yesterday. Today I’ve got murder claws, a tail, and four gorgeous panthers acting like I’m the most interesting thing since sliced bread. ”
The moment the last feral disappeared, all four panthers immediately began shifting back to human form.
Bones cracked and reformed as midnight fur, copper highlights, steel-gray coats, and silver-streaked dominance gave way to naked, blood-spattered men whose eyes still blazed with barely contained violence.
Jace reached me first, his hands immediately running over my body with desperate urgency, fingers tracing every wound, every scratch. But this wasn’t just concern—it was possession, ownership, the need to catalog every inch of what belonged to him.
“Fuck, Eli,” he growled, voice raw with barely leashed fury and something darker. “When I saw that thing on top of you—when I thought I might lose you—”
“Move,” Adrian snarled, shouldering his way closer, his eyes cataloging damage with lethal precision. But his hands joined Jace’s, both of them touching me simultaneously in a way that should have felt crowded but instead felt like coming home. “The shoulder bite— Christ, look how deep—”
“And the ribs,” Cole added, his analytical mask completely shattered as his hands joined theirs. Now all three alphas were touching me at once, their combined scents wrapping around me like invisible bonds. The sensation was overwhelming—too much and not nearly enough all at the same time.
Their hands mapped my injuries, my new features, the places where other scents lingered on my skin. It wasn’t just medical attention—it was a claiming ritual, each touch rewriting my scent signature until anyone who came near would know exactly who I belonged to.
“Boys.” George’s alpha voice cut through their possessive frenzy like a blade, but not before I caught the satisfied gleam in his eyes. “He’s safe. He’s alive. But we need to move. Now.”
The authority in his tone immediately snapped the three cousins into focus, though none of them stopped touching me.
“The perimeter’s been breached,” George continued, his mind already working through tactical necessities.
“We need a full security sweep, reinforced patrols, and answers about how they got past our defenses. But first—” His gaze fixed on me with paternal concern.
“We get him home and medical attention.”
“I’m okay,” I gasped, but the words barely left my mouth before the adrenaline crash hit like a sledgehammer. My knees buckled as my body finally registered what I’d just survived.
Jace caught me before I could fall, pulling me tight against his chest. “I’ve got you,” he growled against my hair.
“We shift and run,” George ordered. “Fastest way back. Jace, you carry him. Adrian, Cole—flanking formation. I’ll take point and clear the path.”
The three cousins immediately began shifting back to panther form, their need to protect overriding any exhaustion from the battle. Within moments, Jace’s massive midnight form crouched before me, golden eyes fixed on mine with absolute focus.
“Well, this day just keeps getting stranger,” I mumbled as I climbed onto his broad back, fingers tangling in his impossibly soft fur. “Though I have to say, panther Uber is surprisingly comfortable.”
George’s massive silver-streaked form took the lead, his alpha presence clearing our path as we began moving through the forest at supernatural speed. Adrian and Cole flanked us protectively, their formation creating an impenetrable barrier while Jace’s powerful strides ate up the distance home.