Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Check
Victoria
I barely registered the deafening roar of helicopter blades above us before a dark shape hurtled through the smoke-filled air. Leo landed with predatory grace mere feet from where I stood frozen, his eyes blazing with primal fury as he scanned the chaos.
"Victoria!" His voice cut through the cacophony of gunfire and shouting. When our eyes met, something visceral passed between us—relief, desperation, and that ever-present pull that seemed to physically draw us together.
In three long strides, he reached me, powerful arms enveloping my body as he spun us away from the shattered window. I felt the unmistakable thud of bullets hitting the wall behind us where I’d stood seconds before.
"Stay down," he growled against my ear, the vibration of his chest against mine both terrifying and oddly comforting. His body completely shielded mine as he propelled us toward the door, one arm braced protectively around my head.
Beta Jackson flanked our other side, partially shifted now, his fangs elongated as he snarled commands into his radio. "Perimeter breach! Northeast corner! I need all available units—"
A second explosion rocked the building, closer this time. The floor beneath us trembled.
"They’re taking her!" I gasped, struggling against Leo’s iron grip to look back. Through the thinning smoke, I caught a glimpse of Aurora being hauled into the hovering helicopter, her body limp, a dark stain spreading across her blouse. "Leo, they shot her!"
His jaw tightened, eyes tracking the helicopter as it banked sharply and climbed higher. For a heartbeat, I thought he might actually attempt to chase it—the tension in his muscles suggested he was calculating the possibility—but another spray of bullets from a second team of attackers decided the matter.
"Move," he ordered, practically lifting me off my feet as we fled down the corridor.
The next few minutes passed in a blur of shouted commands, running footsteps, and the organized chaos of Leo’s security team executing emergency protocols. I found myself hustled into an armored SUV, Leo sliding in beside me while Tiny took the wheel, peeling away from the compound with enough force to slam us back against the seats.
Only when we were safely moving, surrounded by an escort of three identical vehicles, did Leo finally turn his full attention to me. His hands moved over my body with urgent precision, checking for injuries.
"Are you hurt?" he demanded, fingers gently probing my scalp where glass shards had fallen. "Did they touch you?"
"I’m fine," I managed, though my voice sounded distant to my own ears. Shock was settling in, my body trembling uncontrollably despite the heat blasting from the vents. "But Aurora—they took her, Leo. Right before they grabbed her, she was trying to tell me something about Marcus."
Leo’s expression hardened. "What did she say?"
"She said Marcus wants both of us. That he won’t stop until he has me too." I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warmth in the vehicle. "She was about to reveal something else when they took her."
"Fuck," Leo growled, running a hand through his disheveled hair. His knuckles were bloody, though I couldn’t recall seeing him fight. "This confirms what I suspected. Marcus is making his move."
"But why now?" I asked, trying to make sense of the chaos. "And why take Aurora? I thought she escaped from him years ago."
Leo’s jaw tightened. "A wolf like Marcus doesn’t forget betrayal. He’s been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to reclaim what he considers his property."
"And I’m somehow part of this?" The thought made my stomach clench with dread.
His eyes met mine, stormy with barely contained rage. "You’re the heir to the Howlthorne pack. With Enzo’s... disappearance, you represent the last legitimate claim to those territories."
The implication hit me like another explosion. "He’s going to try to force me into a mating to gain control of my father’s lands."
"Not while I’m breathing," Leo stated, the deadly calm in his voice more frightening than any shout. He pulled me closer, one arm wrapping possessively around my shoulders. "You’re mine, Victoria. My mate. My Luna. Marcus has signed his death warrant by even considering this."
My wolf, Ava, surged in agreement, pushing against my consciousness with protective fury. For once, we were in perfect alignment—the threat to our mate bond, to our future, was unacceptable.
"What happens now?" I asked, watching through the tinted windows as we sped through unfamiliar streets, clearly taking an evasive route back to Shadow Pack territory.
"Now we prepare for war," Leo replied grimly. "Marcus wants to play Alpha games? I’ll show him what happens when he threatens what belongs to me."
Tiny caught Leo’s eye in the rearview mirror. "We have confirmation that the Crimson Claw insignia was identified on the attackers’ gear, Alpha. This wasn’t a covert operation—he wanted us to know exactly who was responsible."
"A message," Leo noted darkly. "Bold, even for Marcus."
"What about Enzo?" I asked, suddenly remembering my half-brother’s suspicious disappearance. "Could Marcus have him too?"
Leo exchanged a meaningful look with Tiny. "Search parameters expanded to include both targets," Tiny confirmed with a nod, already typing one-handed into a secure tablet while navigating the SUV with practiced ease.
"We’ll find them," Leo assured me, his fingers absently stroking my hair in a gesture that felt instinctively protective. "But Victoria, you need to understand something. This isn’t just about Aurora or Enzo anymore. This is about destabilizing the entire northern territories. If Marcus mates with you—forcibly or otherwise—his claim to the Howlthorne lands becomes nearly uncontestable under pack law."
My blood ran cold at the implication. "He would... force me?"
The growl that rumbled from Leo’s chest was so deep I felt it vibrate through my own body where we touched. "He will never get close enough to try." His arm tightened around me possessively.
The remainder of the journey passed in tense silence, broken only by periodic updates from Tiny’s security team.
Guards were positioned at doubled intervals along the perimeter, their postures alert, many partially shifted as their wolves responded to the heightened threat level. We pulled into an underground garage I hadn’t seen before, the heavy doors sealing behind us with hydraulic precision.
Leo helped me from the vehicle, his touch gentler now that we were within his territory, though the dangerous edge hadn’t left his eyes. Without warning, he pulled me against him, burying his face in my hair and inhaling deeply.
"When I heard the gunfire over the comms..." he murmured, his voice rough with emotion he rarely displayed so openly. "If anything had happened to you—"
"I’m okay," I assured him, my hands moving up to cup his face. His stubble scraped my palms, reminding me how human this powerful Alpha could be despite the monster that lurked beneath his skin. "We’re okay."
He pressed his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling in the small space between us. The kiss started gentle. But as Leo’s arms tightened around me, drawing me flush against his hard body, something primal ignited between us.
His tongue traced the seam of my lips, demanding entry that I eagerly granted. The kiss deepened, his hands sliding down to cup my rear, lifting me easily as my legs wrapped around his waist.
I barely registered our movement as he carried me from the garage, through the house, avoiding the staff and security personnel with determined strides. My focus had narrowed to the points where our bodies connected—his mouth on mine, his hands supporting my weight, the hard ridge of his arousal pressing against my center even through our clothing.
"I need to check you," he murmured against my neck as he shouldered open the door to our suite. "Make sure you weren’t hurt."
"I told you, I’m fine," I insisted, though the prospect of his hands examining every inch of me sent heat pooling between my thighs.
He set me gently on the edge of the bed, kneeling before me with an expression that combined fierce protectiveness and barely restrained desire. "Humor your Alpha, little wolf," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I need to see for myself."