City of Wolves: Shadows and Conspiracies

The night sky hung heavy over the city. Neon lights flickered like ghostly fires. Alicia Morgan's high - heels clicked as she walked through the parking lot. That lousy business negotiation had exhausted her. All she wanted was to collapse at home. Suddenly, several dark shadows emerged. They surrounded her in a flash. Alicia's heart skipped a beat. "Damn it!" Her eyes widened as she sized up these guys. The burly man in the lead had his face masked. Only his fierce eyes showed, and a dagger glinted in his hand. "Lady boss, you're done for!" the burly man growled, stepping closer. Alicia stepped back, then straightened up. "Who are you? Who sent you?" she demanded. The burly man sneered. "Cut the crap. Die!" He swung the dagger at her. Alicia dodged. Her high - heel twisted, and she almost fell. She reached for her phone to call the cops, but a black - clad guy kicked her bag away. Her phone clattered to the ground. "Assholes!" Alicia gritted her teeth. Her heart pounded. She was terrified but forced herself to stay calm. No way would she let them see her fear. Just then, a dark shadow swooshed in and knocked the burly man down. Alicia saw a tall, muscular man. His green eyes were as sharp as a wolf's, exuding an intimidating aura. It was Lucas Blackwood, the aloof Wolf King. "You punks, how dare you mess around on my turf!" Lucas roared. The burly man scrambled up, eyes wide in horror. "You... who are you? How dare you ruin our deal!" Lucas snorted and cracked his neck. "Who I am? You don't deserve to know. None of you are leaving here alive." With that, Lucas pounced on the black - clad men like a wild beast. His punches were powerful, sending them reeling. Alicia hid behind Lucas, eyeing his back. Gratitude filled her, but she was also confused. Who was this guy? The black - clad men didn't give up. They talked into their walkie - talkies. Soon, more of them rushed in from the parking lot entrance, armed with strange weapons. They were clearly prepared. The burly man grinned. "You thought you could save her? You're both dead today!" Lucas clenched his fists. "You lot? It won't matter how many more you bring." The new arrivals spread out in a fan - shape, surrounding them again. Tension filled the air. Alicia's heart raced. She grabbed Lucas' corner of clothes. "What do we do?" she whispered, voice shaking. Lucas glanced at her. "Don't worry. I'm here." The two sides stared each other down. Then, one black - clad man charged. The others followed. Lucas didn't back down. He fought them head - on. The parking lot filled with shouts and the clash of weapons. Alicia watched, worried sick. Lucas was strong, but there were too many attackers. He started to struggle. A black - clad man sneaked up from behind. Lucas dodged, but his arm still got scratched. "Are you okay?" Alicia cried out. Lucas gritted his teeth. "Just a scratch." He fought back harder, knocking the attacker down. Alicia noticed a thin man in the corner. He wore a black windbreaker and a wide - brimmed hat, watching the fight coldly. She had a hunch he was the mastermind. "Look over there," she hissed, pointing. Lucas' eyes turned cold. "After we deal with these, I'll handle him." The situation worsened. The black - clad men, on some order, focused on attacking Lucas. He got more wounds but kept fighting. Suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded. The attackers stopped and backed off. The mysterious man walked forward. Alicia saw his face—blood - red eyes and a deathly pale complexion. It was Sebastian Crawford from the "Purifier" organization. "Hmph, Wolf King. Didn't expect you here," Sebastian sneered. Lucas wiped the blood from his mouth. "Sebastian, what are you up to? Why target her?" Sebastian shot Alicia a look of disgust. "She's in cahoots with werewolves. She must die." Alicia was furious. "That's a lie! I don't know anything about werewolves. What's your game?" Sebastian ignored her and turned to Lucas. "Leave now, and I'll spare you. Otherwise, both of you die." Lucas scoffed. "Leave? Not a chance. No one touches her." Sebastian's face darkened. "Then you leave me no choice." He waved his hand, and the black - clad men closed in again. Lucas took a deep breath, ready for a fight to the death. Just then, a car screeched to a halt at the entrance. A young woman with short golden hair got out. It was Isabella Moore. "Brother, I'm here!" Isabella shouted. Lucas frowned. "Isabella, what are you doing? It's dangerous. Go!" Isabella shook her head. "No way. I won't leave you in danger." She joined the fight. Isabella's arrival gave them an edge, but there were still too many black - clad men. The three were at a disadvantage. Just then, a luxury car rolled up. The window rolled down, revealing Edward Thompson. He smirked at the chaos. "Edward, you despicable rat!" Alicia spat. Edward just smiled. "Alicia, this is your end. Thought you could always outdo me? Now, face defeat." As Edward spoke, a black - clad man aimed a silver dagger at Lucas' back. "Watch out!" Alicia shrieked. Lucas, as if sensing the danger, spun around. He grabbed the man's hand and twisted. The man yelped, and the dagger dropped. Everyone was stunned. Lucas glared at Sebastian. "Is that the best you can do?" Sebastian's face turned pale. Before he could respond, Isabella bumped into a car during the fight. The car alarm blared. Everyone jumped at the sudden noise. In the chaos, Alicia saw Edward hesitate. He seemed to be weighing something. Was he scared? What was he planning? Lucas took advantage of the distraction and knocked down more attackers. Sebastian, seeing this, ordered his men to retreat. They fled towards the exit. Edward watched them leave, a look of annoyance on his face. He then drove off. In the parking lot, only Alicia, Lucas, and Isabella remained. Isabella rushed to Lucas. "Brother, are you okay?" Lucas nodded. "Fine." He then looked at Alicia. Alicia met his gaze, a mix of emotions in her eyes. She wanted to ask questions but didn't know where to start. Lucas hesitated. "Don't talk about this. To anyone." Alicia was confused. "Why? Who are you? And what's your connection to Edward?" Lucas was about to answer when police sirens wailed outside. The three exchanged nervous glances.