Page 15 of Finding Forever with the Alpha Pack (Return to Wolf Creek #4)

Chapter 15

Nicolai

Ethan’s panicked call was probably one of the worst I’ve ever received. Grace—our mate—stabbed with not one but two doses of the rage serum. My heart sinks as I flash back to Wolverton, to the devastation that the serum caused. I already know the hell I’m walking into.

The minute I arrive, the air shifts—thick with fury, a suffocating wave radiating from her. It crashes over me, pulling me under. Through the bond, I feel the undercurrent of fear threading through her rage. A sharp pulse that comes and goes like an irregular heartbeat.

Griffin stands beside me, eyes wide as he peers through the window, his body tense. “What do you want us to do?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking louder will draw Grace’s attention.

But it’s too late. A low, guttural growl rises from inside, and I see her. Grace, blood dripping from her muzzle. Her eyes—wild, unrecognizable—lock onto Griffin, and she presses her snout against the glass, barking and snarling. Her claws scrape against the window, leaving streaks of blood behind.

“We need to wear her down first. Then I’ll distract her.” My voice is steady, but inside, my gut churns. I reach into my jacket and pull out a bottle, the faint clinking of syringes following. “We’ve got to knock her out, let the serum burn itself out.” I toss the bottle to Griffin, watching as he quickly draws up the sedative into four syringes, his hands shaking just a little.

He hands two off to Ethan, who looks at me with a tight jaw. “I should be the one to go in,” he insists, already tugging off his shirt, revealing the scars from past fights—reminders of what we’ve all survived together.

“No,” I say firmly, stopping him with a hand to his chest. “You need to be the one to keep her calm after she’s injected. You can help her shift back once she’s knocked out. But I’m going in.” My hands are steady as I strip down, leaving a pile of clothes at my feet.

The moon is high above us, casting an eerie glow over everything. The rich scent of blood lingers in the cool night air, clinging to the scene like a ghost. It’s her blood—Grace’s—and whoever was unlucky enough to cross her path tonight. She’s an ember wolf now, and with two doses of that serum raging through her veins, she’s twice as lethal. Twice as wild. I can’t risk Ethan going in and getting killed. If that happens, we lose our only shot at pulling Grace back from the edge.

I let my shift take over; the bones snapping and reforming as my wolf rises to the surface. The gray and white of my fur blends seamlessly with the moonlight filtering through the canopy of trees, casting long shadows over the clearing. My ears twitch, picking up the faint sounds of movement around the house. Griffin, Ethan, and what remains of his MC circle the perimeter, tapping on the glass or hurling objects at the windows, trying to keep Grace distracted. It’s a shitty plan, but it’s the only one we’ve got. The tension in the air is thick, palpable, as we all know how fragile this situation is.

Grace is relentless, chasing every sound, every object with a fury that makes my gut twist. It’s been an hour of this, and I can feel her slowing down. The exhaustion is setting in. Now’s our chance.

‘Let me in there,’ I say through the bond, my voice a low growl.

Griffin hesitates, but Ethan doesn’t. He moves with purpose, throwing the door open with a loud crash that reverberates through the house, the sound like a starting gun. My muscles tense as I hear the pounding of Grace’s paws racing toward us. The telltale squeal of her claws slipping on the blood-slicked floor before she regains traction. The metallic scent of blood fills my nostrils, sharp and nauseating.

She emerges from the hallway, and my heart clenches. Grace looks like she’s been through hell and back—a war to end all wars. Her once-pure white coat is stained deep vermillion, blood soaked into the fur along her muzzle, chest, and paws. Her head lowers, muscles taut, and her hackles rise in a clear warning. Those red-orange eyes lock onto me, burning with a feral intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.

For a split second, her gaze flickers—gold flashing through the red. Recognition? Maybe of us. Or maybe just Ethan.

Either way, it might make this a little easier. But that flicker disappears as quickly as it came, and the flames of rage return, hotter than before. She’s ready to fight, and we need to be careful. One wrong move, and this could all go sideways.

‘Griff, get Barrett on the phone. Make him call her name. Or better yet, have him get Ashina to call for her mother.’ My voice is low, tense, as I keep my eyes locked on Grace. One wrong move, and this whole situation could spiral out of control.

‘One of the two should make her hesitate. We need an opening to get the sedative into her system.’ I can feel the weight of time slipping through our fingers, the urgency in the air thick and stifling.

Griffin steps back, and I brace myself, my heart pounding in my chest. Grace takes a slow step forward, her movements more animal than human, her eyes gleaming with wild intent. The red-orange in her irises flickers like a warning. Ethan moves closer, exaggerating his southern drawl in a desperate attempt to reach her.

“Darlin’,” he drawls softly, his tone slow and soothing, each word carefully measured. “You did it. The guys and the babies can come home now.” His voice is laced with a tenderness I haven’t heard in a long time. For a moment, I see it—the flicker of recognition in Grace’s eyes, the subtle twitch of her ears. But it’s fleeting.

‘Not mine…’ Grace snarls, her voice a guttural growl, more beast than woman. ‘Ethan is a dominant. Imposter … Liar…’

Without warning, she charges. I react instantly, rearing up, using my size and strength to knock her back. The impact is hard, my muscles straining as I force her to retreat. A growl rumbles from my throat, deep and warning, and I snap at her, my teeth bared. She hesitates, backing up a few steps, but the fire in her eyes doesn’t die down.

“Grace, cut this shit out. It’s time to go home,” Ethan growls, his wolf bleeding through his human voice, a deep, commanding growl that finally seems to get her attention.

Griffin, quick as ever, hands his phone off to Ethan and vanishes into the shadows. I don’t even have to look to know he’s moving with purpose, silent and deadly. Ethan holds the phone out towards Grace and I watch, every muscle in my body coiled like a spring, ready to act.

“Mommy? Daddy said we can come home. Mommy, are you there?” Ashina’s small, innocent voice drifts through the phone, soft but cutting through the tension like a blade. Grace’s ears flick, her head tilting as she tries to lock onto the sound. The wildness in her eyes falters for just a second.

“Daddy?” she whispers. Grace tilts her head, confused, her wolf trying to make sense of the voice in the haze of her mind.

“Yes, little one?” Ethan replies, his voice steady, though I can see the strain in his posture. Grace growls again, shaking her head, her eyes blinking rapidly as if trying to fight through the fog.

“Why isn’t Mommy answering me?” Ashina’s question echoes through the phone, sharp and piercing. Grace whines, her growl turning inward, almost like she’s fighting herself, torn between instinct and the pull of her daughter’s voice.

Ethan’s next words come slow, measured, each one aimed carefully at Grace. “Mommy was given bad medicine by an evil man. She’s stuck as her wolf right now.” He explains it gently, but I can feel the weight of the words pressing down on all of us.

Grace lets out a low, mournful whine, her body tense, trembling as she struggles to process the confusion swirling in her mind. I watch as her defenses waver, just enough.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Griffin. He’s moving like a shadow, silent, predatory, edging ever closer. The sedative glints faintly in his hand, and I hold my breath, waiting for when it all comes crashing down.

“Mommy, we’re packing up to head home. Daddy Griffin said it’s safe.” Ashina’s voice trembles through the phone, fragile and small, like a thread barely holding Grace’s sanity together. A sniffle follows, and I hear a shuffle in the background. The silence that lingers is heavy, suffocating.

Then, Barrett’s voice breaks through, strained and raw with emotion, the unmistakable whine of an omega who’s desperate. “Gracie...” His voice trembles, full of need. Grace’s body jerks forward two steps, her growl still directed at me, but her eyes lock onto the phone in Ethan’s hand. The momentary conflict within her is palpable, her wolf's instincts battling against the human part of her that’s hanging on by a thread.

“We need you...” Barrett’s voice is a pleading whine now, and I see it—the way Grace’s resolve wavers, the violent shake of her head as she tries to fight it off. Her eyes squeeze shut, and she’s trembling all over, caught in the chaos of her mind.

I don’t hesitate. With a quick nod to Griffin, he lunges forward like a striking viper, the syringe in his hand glinting as he drives the needle deep into her flesh. He presses the plunger down in one swift motion.

But Grace isn’t going down without a fight.

She spins on him, her fangs bared, ready to tear him apart. I move instantly, my body slamming into hers, teeth sinking into her back leg, forcing her to focus on me. The hot taste of blood fills my mouth as she howls in pain and fury, her attention snapping back to me. It works just long enough for Griffin to jab the second syringe into her other hip.

Grace lets out a savage snarl, her body twitching violently, but before she can turn on Griffin again, I lunge forward, sinking my teeth into the back of her neck. The force of my weight pins her to the ground, her body thrashing beneath me, but the sheer difference in size between us works in my favor. Her struggles are fierce, desperate, but I hold on, tightening my grip, feeling the powerful surge of her wolf fighting against the sedative coursing through her veins.

“Hold her a little longer,” Ethan instructs, his voice low and steady despite the tension crackling in the air. I can hear the strain in him too, though. “Her pupils are dilating.”

I shift my weight, pressing harder to keep her down. Her body jerks, thrashes beneath me, but with every passing second, her strength wanes. The growls coming from her throat grow weaker, more strained. My jaws clench tighter around her neck, and I can feel the tremor of her muscles giving in.

My heart pounds in my chest as I hold her, praying I’m not hurting her too much, feeling the steady pulse of her heartbeat against my chest. The sedative is working, but every second feels like an eternity. Her thrashing slows, her growls turning into low whines, and finally, her body stills.

The fear of hurting her more than necessary eats at me, the weight of her still form pressing into my mind. I loosen my grip just slightly, enough to feel her breath hitch, but not enough to release her fully. I wait, every muscle in my body taut, watching for any sign of unconsciousness.

Ethan gives Grace half a dose of the sedative in his syringe and soon after, she succumbs to sleep. I release her neck and step back and shift back. Griffin hands me my clothes and I get dressed. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the keys to my suv.

“I’ll take the bike home.” Griffin offers, taking the keys from Ethan.

Stepping forward, I help Ethan lift Grace’s wolf off the ground and we carry her to my vehicle. Griffin races ahead and pops the hatch and lays down the back seats. He climbs in and we pass Grace into him. We make sure she’s comfortable before Ethan climbs in and lays down beside her for the ride home.