Chapter 71 : Alpha Battle
Al's POV
“Stay close,” I repeated, keeping my body between Ruby and the next wave of snarling wolves that broke through the melee. My claws slid against the dirt, fur bristling, every sense straining. Even in the chaos, I could hear Ruby’s breathing—shallow, uneven.
I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I growled, not in anger, but in that low, strained voice I only used when the worry threatened to crack me open. “You should be resting. You—” My chest tightened. “It’s too dangerous for you to be anywhere near this, Ruby. I can’t—” My voice faltered, a raw edge slipping through. “I can’t lose you. Or the cubs.”
He opened his mouth, and I saw the flicker of something in his eyes—an answer, an explanation, maybe even defiance. Bu
