Page 35 of Rebel for Claws (Rebellious Mates #4)

They moved as one lethal unit, their completed mate bond creating perfect synchronization between their enhanced abilities.

Vivian's partial shift activated instinctively—owl eyes tracking multiple targets while panther reflexes launched her toward the nearest operative.

Alaric's ancient magic blazed through their connection as he disarmed two guards with brutal Alpha efficiency.

Perfect partners in every way.

The battle became a deadly dance, their movements fluid and instinctive.

Vivian's twin swords sang through the air, cutting down operatives with precision strikes while Alaric's enhanced strength and speed made him an unstoppable force of controlled violence.

They fought back-to-back, then separated to divide their enemies' focus, their tactical awareness flowing seamlessly between them.

A silver bullet tore through Vivian's shoulder, spinning her around. Another caught Alaric in the thigh, but neither of them faltered.

The silver should be weakening us. Should be poisoning our blood and slowing our healing.

Instead, she felt stronger. The wounds sealed themselves with supernatural speed, the silver bullets pushed out by her body's enhanced healing abilities. Through their bond, she sensed Alaric experiencing the same miraculous resistance.

"Impossible," Thorne snarled, his icy blue eyes widening with shock as he watched them systematically eliminate his operatives. "Silver poisoning should have dropped you both by now."

Vivian drove her blade through the final operative's chest, her eyes blazing with ancient magic as she turned to face Thorne.

"Your experiments taught you to manipulate individual bloodlines," she said, stepping over the fallen bodies. "But you never understood what happens when two ancient bloodlines unite completely under the power of love."

Silver resistance. Enhanced healing. If we have these abilities, then every shifter in the territory does too. The energy pulses from our completed mate bond awakened dormant genes in all of them.

Hope exploded through her chest—fierce, brilliant, and uncontainable. The war had just shifted completely in their favor.

"The human operatives' primary advantage was silver weaponry," Alaric growled, his commanding presence filling the room as he stalked toward Thorne. "Without that, your genocide becomes significantly more challenging."

Thorne's composure cracked completely. "You've destroyed everything! Three centuries of careful planning, ruined by four hybrid abominations!"

He turned to flee, but Vivian and Alaric shifted simultaneously—her white wolf form with silver shooting stars and his massive black wolf with silver streaks intercepting Thorne at the gym's entrance.

Time to end this monster's reign of terror forever.

Thorne's shift revealed the true extent of his corruption—his wolf form was grotesquely oversized, dark gray fur crackling with unnatural energy. Whatever genetic cocktails he'd created from centuries of experimentation had transformed him into something beyond normal shifter capabilities.

He's more powerful than we anticipated. But he's also desperate and cornered.

The final battle erupted with primal savagery.

Thorne's enhanced abilities made him a formidable opponent—his claws could shatter stone, and his speed rivaled Vivian's enhanced reflexes.

But his centuries of relying on manipulation and psychological control had made him predictable in direct combat.

Vivian darted in and out, her smaller form allowing for quick strikes while Alaric used his Alpha strength to absorb Thorne's most devastating attacks. Their coordination remained flawless, each protecting the other while seeking the perfect opening.

He's favoring his left side. Old injury, maybe.

Thorne overextended himself lunging for Vivian's throat, exposing his vulnerable flank for a split second. Alaric capitalized instantly, his powerful jaws clamping down on Thorne's neck with bone-crushing force.

The ancient tyrant's struggles grew weaker, then ceased entirely.

It's over. Finally, it's over.

They shifted back to human form, breathing hard as they stared down at Thorne's lifeless body. Four centuries of oppression, manipulation, and genocide had finally ended.

Alaric's phone buzzed. He put Lena on speaker, his arm wrapping around Vivian's waist.

"The silver resistance awakened in every shifter across the territories," Lena's voice crackled with excitement. "The human operatives never stood a chance once our people realized their weapons were useless. We've won, Alaric. The war is over."

Vivian leaned into her mate's strength, feeling the magnitude of their victory settling over her. But victory was only the beginning.

"We need to dismantle the High Council completely," she said, her strategic mind already moving toward the future. "Establish something new—a Lunar Council that represents all our people equally. Pack leaders, rebellion leaders, hybrids, and humans working together."

Alaric's eyes met hers with fierce admiration. "That sounds like the key to fulfilling the Lunar Prophecy. True harmony between our worlds."

Together, we're going to build something beautiful from the ashes of Thorne's corruption.