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Let's go back a little to our two heroines (a few hours earlier)...
They both screamed in shock at the sudden appearance of two enormous wolves—so large they could almost rival bears in size.
Amasia (in fear and awe): Aaaaaaaaaah, what kind of animal is this, oh my God! It's a wolf, but it's the size of a bear!
Rika (in terror and sarcasm): Aaaah, yes, it seems to me this place—wherever it is—has a serious problem with size!
They heard the growls of the wolves, seemingly preparing to attack—or at least that's what Amasia and Rika thought. In reality, it was more like a discussion among the wolves, who were actually guards of the Red Moon Pack, the royal pack.
The guard had just finished mind-linking with the Alpha to relay his orders when he was shocked to see one of the girls suddenly vanish right before their eyes.
Amasia (in confusion): H-how did she do that…?
Yes, she had disappeared from the place where she and her friend stood, in the blink of an eye, after the appearance of that bright light and its sudden disappearance. She opened her eyes to find herself alone in a completely different place—wait, where was her friend? And where was she? What was this place…?
As for Rika, she stood frozen, staring at the spot where her friend had vanished in utter shock. This was the second time it had happened to her in her life. It had happened before, but back then she and Amasia were together in a place they knew—unlike this strange and dangerous-looking place. She stepped back, trembling with fear and disbelief at the wolf who had suddenly lost control of his rage and was charging straight at her, his clear intention to kill plain in his eyes. She raised her hands to protect her face as his claws tore into them, and she screamed in terror and pain, crying out Amasia's name. In those few seconds, she shut her eyes tightly, waiting for her end at the hands of this beast, tears streaming down her delicate cheeks. Suddenly, she heard the sound of something crashing and felt the weight lifted from her body. She also heard the snap of breaking bones. Trembling and terrified, she forced her eyes open and saw…
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Meanwhile, with Max—who had finally finished his paperwork—he set out with Adrian towards the border of his pack, anger simmering at the audacity of these two intruders. But he noticed his friend's sudden tension and asked:
Max: What's wrong, Adrian?
Adrian (noticeably tense): I don't know what's happening with Walker (his wolf), but he's furious and wants to be let out immediately.
Max (thoughtful): I'm not sure, but Walker is always calm and wise. There must be something going on… Even Dark (Max's wolf) is unusually calm—eerily calm and devilishly silent. I can feel that something's about to happen…
He didn't have time to finish speaking before seeing Adrian suddenly transform into his wolf form, and Walker bolted towards the border with frightening speed. Max quickly followed, only to witness one of the border guards flying into a tree from a powerful blow by the enraged Walker. The wolf took menacing steps toward the small figure trembling in fear, revealing that it was a girl. This only fueled Walker's protective rage, and he stood tall, growling menacingly at the guards to warn them not to approach her. He let out a sad whine upon seeing his small mate trembling, her hands bloodied from shielding her face (yes, haha, Rika is Adrian's mate 🤣🤣🤦🏻♀️).
He cast a murderous look at the guard cowering by the tree, while the other guards bowed their heads in submission to the strength and fury of Walker—who, in truth, was an Alpha, not just a Beta. But because Adrian had always been so deeply attached to his childhood friend Max and worried for him, he had insisted on being Max's Beta and had left his own pack in his brother's care. He preferred being by Max's side, making him not just a friend but a brother and everything to Max…
"Surprise, huh?"
Max (seriously): Calm down, Walker. Go to your mate and comfort her—she's scared. Leave this matter to me. He didn't just break my orders by attacking the girl; he also harmed my brother's mate.
Walker turned to look at his small mate with pained eyes—she was so tiny and fragile, his protective instincts surged even higher. (For Alphas, the instinct to protect their mates is many times stronger than that of an ordinary werewolf—even more so when the mate is small and delicate. If someone even dares to look at her, he'll kill them. So imagine if she's hurt…)
He rushed to her, letting out a low whine of pain at her condition. Seeing her motionless—she had fainted from fear and pain—he quickly licked her face to wake her, but it didn't work. Panicking, he darted behind a tree, shifted back to his human form, dressed hurriedly, and returned to her side. He gathered her in his arms, holding her close in fear and repeating in a trembling voice: "My mate, my little one, my everything…"
Seeing her so tiny—smaller than anyone he'd ever known—and feeling how underweight she was, his heart clenched in terror. He sprinted back to his own palace with Max by his side, mind-linking the full medical team and ordering everything to be ready for her examination. He was furious at himself for not being able to protect her—that she had been hurt in the first minute of entering his pack. But with a terrifying smile, he vowed that the guards would face their doom at his hands—just as soon as he made sure his little one was safe.
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Dark (Max's wolf) and his demon self: ...…
Max (angrily): What…?
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