Chapter 5
He just stood there without moving, but the crushing Alpha presence rolling off him was enough to make any weaker wolf drop to their knees on the spot.
It was Bradley in wolf form.
That eternally carefree, good-for-nothing troublemaker of the family—now transformed into the most terrifying ruler of the night.
Sensing movement behind him, the black wolf slowly turned his head.
A pair of deep, sharp golden eyes locked onto the out-of-control silver she-wolf with deadly focus.
The incredibly majestic black Alpha lowered his huge body slightly, a low, rumbling growl rising from his chest—carrying an ancient, primal possessiveness.
The black wolf's deep growl seemed to hold some kind of ancient magic, cutting through the chaos in Evre's shattered mind.
The silver wolf, who'd been ready to pounce with her claws dug into the ground, froze.
As that pure, overpowering Alpha scent completely surrounded her, the boiling blood in Evre's veins miraculously began to cool.
It was a cold, calming scent—like a pine forest on a winter night, deep and steady.
Evre's blood-red eyes flickered wildly, the madness draining away until they returned to their natural clear amber. Rational thought rushed back into her mind like a flood, and she gasped, finally seeing the black wolf in front of her clearly.
Under the bright moonlight, she saw him.
That unbeatable black wolf was hunched over slightly, and on the lower left side of his belly, there was a horrifying, deep wound that went down to the bone, bleeding steadily. Warm blood ran down his black fur, dripping onto the river stones below—a shocking, vivid red against the darkness.
He was hurt.
Badly hurt.
Evre's heart clenched.
The allergic fever and the full moon's wild power had mostly burned themselves out during her frantic run, and Bradley's pheromones were suppressing what was left. Evre's body started shaking uncontrollably.
Her bones cracked and shifted again, the silver fur disappearing back into her skin.
Seconds later, she collapsed onto the cold riverbank in human form.
Her light blue floral dress was torn to shreds, barely hanging on her body. Her pale skin was covered in countless small cuts, her face streaked with dried tears and dirt. She looked completely wrecked.
But staring at the black wolf who was wobbling from blood loss, Evre gritted her teeth and forced her shaking legs to stand.
Sebastian's betrayal and humiliation still echoed in her mind, her heart ripped to pieces. But she couldn't turn her back on Bradley.
Through all their years growing up together, through all his teasing and messing with her, whenever she really needed protection, this good-for-nothing was always the one standing in front of her.
Just like this afternoon, in that corner by the academic building.
"Bradley..." Evre's voice was rough, her throat still raw from the allergic reaction.
She stumbled to the black wolf's side. The huge creature seemed to have used up his last bit of strength, his massive body collapsing onto the river stones. His golden eyes were half-closed, his breathing rough and uneven.
"Don't move. I'll help you." Evre knelt beside him, raising her hands over his wound.
She closed her eyes, fighting through the dizziness spinning in her head, and reached deep for whatever scraps of spatial power she had left.
The air around her fingers started to bend. An invisible spatial barrier formed precisely, settling over Bradley's terrible wound like a see-through seal.
The bleeding stopped immediately, the blood trapped inside the dimensional pocket. The wound stopped getting worse.
When she was done, Evre was soaked in sweat, her face deathly pale.
Her spatial abilities had always been shaky, and tonight had pushed her way past her breaking point. She was running on empty.
"This isn't enough... I need to get back to school for medicine..." Evre mumbled to herself.
She knew the infirmary had special healing drugs made for high-ranking wolves. If she could grab one, Bradley would make it.
She had to move fast.
Evre jumped to her feet, spinning toward the academy.
But the sudden movement, plus being completely drained and emotionally destroyed, made her stumble.
"Ah!"
To catch herself, she instinctively used her spatial power.
In that split second, the carefully built barrier hiding her true nature cracked wide open.
The pure, unmistakable Alpha scent of the Hales Tribe—strong, ancient, and incredibly powerful—burst into the air like a broken dam, flooding the riverside for one explosive moment.
Though it only lasted a second, to a wolf with sharp senses, it was as clear as a gunshot.
Evre's heart dropped.
She scrambled to shut down her aura, too scared to look back and see if Bradley had noticed.
She bit down hard and stumbled forward, running toward the forest edge with whatever strength she had left.
...
The wind by the riverbank was freezing, thick with the smell of blood.
Bradley lay on the cold stones, consciousness fading in and out.
The wound on his stomach was from tonight's job—taking care of a traitor from his family who'd used a silver-poisoned blade.
He'd ripped the guy apart, but it had cost him.
He'd planned to recover by the river before heading back to campus.
He never expected to run into a wild Evre.
When that silver wolf had burst through the bushes like an avenging ghost, Bradley's heart had almost stopped.
That was her wolf.
Beautiful. Powerful. Deadly perfect.
Seeing her red eyes and crazed state, Bradley immediately released his pheromones to calm her. He knew tonight was the full moon, and he knew her date with Sebastian would end badly—he understood that self-righteous asshole's true nature better than anyone.
He just hadn't expected the truth to come out so fast, the damage to cut so deep.
He watched her come back to herself and shift back. Watched her stumble toward him, her face covered in tears and pain, but still choosing to save him.
That pale, fragile face, those swollen eyes from crying, the sadness so thick it drowned everything else—and still, she came for him.
Bradley kept his eyes shut, feeling the faint but determined spatial vibrations from her fingertips. Her energy was all over the place, her body shaking, clearly at her absolute limit.
"I need to get medicine from school..."
Her rough whisper reached his ears, followed by the sound of her getting up to leave.
And right then—a pure, mind-blowing Alpha presence exploded in the air around him.
Bradley's eyes flew open.
His golden eyes shrank to thin slits.
He'd always known she was hiding who she was. Known she carried the blood of the Hales Tribe. But he'd never actually felt her unfiltered presence before.
That scent—mixed with her pain, her despair, and the unmistakable wildness of a top predator.
It was like dropping a match on gasoline, setting off every possessive instinct Bradley had held back for over ten years.
He couldn't fake it anymore.
