Busted

King Cole’s POV

For a second, I couldn’t help but laugh, a dark and humorless sound echoing through the corridor. “Anna?” I repeated, almost amused. “The very same Anna I sent to keep an eye on Greg is now in his bed? Typical.”

The spy nodded, her face pale. “It seems they’ve grown… quite close. She’s not reporting everything back to us as she should. In fact, she might be feeding him information instead.”

I clenched my jaw, the anger simmering beneath the surface. My own spy, turned against me by my brother. The betrayal stung, not just because Anna was disloyal, but because Greg was once again making moves I hadn’t accounted for.

It was just like him to turn something that was mine into his, to twist the game in his favor.

Before I could react further, a deafening explosion tore through the palace grounds, shaking the very walls around us. I stumbled slightly, regaining my footing as the spy grabbed onto a pillar to steady herself.

The sound of alarms filled the air, and the acrid smell of smoke wafted in, mingling with the chaos of distant shouts and growls.

“What now?” I snarled, pushing past the spy and rushing toward the main hall. As I emerged into the open courtyard, my worst fears were realized. Rogues—dozens of them—were storming the palace grounds, their eyes wild with fury and the promise of destruction. They had breached our defenses faster than anticipated, and now they were here, right at the heart of my territory.

I roared, my voice echoing with the fury of an alpha who would not see his pack fall. “To arms!” I shouted, calling my warriors to action. “Defend the palace! Don’t let a single one of them inside!”

My pack sprang into action, warriors pouring from every corner of the palace to confront the intruders. Swords clashed, claws ripped through flesh, and the air was filled with the snarls and cries of battle.

The rogues fought with a ferocity that spoke of desperation, their attacks relentless as they sought to overwhelm my forces.

I wasted no time. With a surge of adrenaline, I shifted into my wolf form, my body expanding and contorting until I stood tall on powerful, furred legs.

I charged forward, my claws tearing into the first rogue that dared cross my path. I could feel the resistance of bone and muscle as I ripped him apart, my teeth bared in a savage snarl.

***

Greg’s POV

I gripped the wheel of my Bugatti tightly as I raced through the chaotic streets of the pack.

The growls and howls of rogues filled the air, a cacophony of violence that made my blood boil.

The tires screeched as I drifted around a corner, narrowly avoiding a rogue who lunged at the car. I pushed the pedal down, speeding up and plowing through the mass of rogues that had dared to infiltrate my pack.

The palace loomed ahead, its towering walls now surrounded by enemies. I drifted to a stop right in front of the main entrance, my Bugatti skidding to a halt amidst a cloud of smoke and dust.

I stepped out, my eyes scanning the battle unfolding before me. Rogues were everywhere, tearing through the palace guards and smashing through the walls like wild beasts.

“What do we do?” She asked as I shrugged.

“We take them down.”

I could feel the power pulsing within me, filling with rage and magic that surged to the surface. Without hesitation, I raised my hand, channeling the elemental forces at my command.

Flames erupted from my fingertips, searing through the rogues who tried to charge me. I spun around, sending gusts of wind to knock them off their feet, scattering them like leaves caught in a storm.

I glanced at Anna, who stood beside me, her eyes fierce and determined. With a nod, she shifted into her fox form, her lithe and agile body blending into the chaos as she zipped through the battlefield. She was a blur of red and white, tearing through the rogues with sharp claws and teeth, her movements fluid and deadly. She was no longer just a spy or a lover; she was a warrior, and together, we were unstoppable.

“Don’t let them get inside!” I shouted as I flew into the air, hovering above the fight.

The wind roared around me as I summoned bolts of lightning, striking down the rogues who dared to advance toward the palace.

The ground shook with each impact, and the air was thick with the scent of smoke and scorched bodies. I rained down destruction from above, determined to keep these invaders at bay.

As I hovered, my senses heightened, I heard a commotion from inside the palace. My heart sank as I saw my brother, King Cole, being tossed through a window, his body smashing into the ground below with a resounding thud.

For a moment, everything seemed to stop. Cole, the king, the unbreakable alpha, was lying in a heap amidst the rubble. But in true Cole fashion, he wasn’t down for long. He zipped back into the palace, his eyes blazing with fury, determined to kill every rogue that had dared to challenge him.

I descended, landing in the palace’s shattered entrance. The once grand halls were now a battlefield, filled with the snarls of wolves and the clanging of weapons.

I tore through the rogues with magic and raw strength, burning, blasting, and tearing them apart as I fought my way toward Cole. I found him amidst the chaos, tearing through the rogues with the kind of savagery that only he possessed.

I lunged at a rogue, driving my fist through its chest before turning to face my brother. But instead of a nod of acknowledgment, Cole’s eyes fixed on me with a glare that could melt stone. He growled, his anger directed not at the rogues, but at me.

“You knew!” he roared, his voice cutting through the noise of battle. “You knew about Anna! About the spy I set on you!”