THE ALPHA'S UNWANTED MATE

Chapter 15: Going To War

The car sped through the night.

Damien drove with one hand, the other holding Leo on his lap. Aria sat in the back, watching the shadows behind them.

"Are they following us?" she whispered.

"Not yet," Damien said. "But they will."

He glanced at her through the rear mirror. Gold eyes. Serious.

"When we get to the pack, you'll be safe. I promise."

Aria nodded. "What about your brother?"

Damien's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "He dies. Tonight."

The word hung in the air. Cold. Final.

Leo yawned. "Daddy, are we going to a castle?"

Damien smiled, but it was sad. "Something like that, bud."

Suddenly, headlights appeared behind them. Fast. Too fast.

"s**t," Damien muttered. "They found us."

Three black SUVs were gaining on them.

Aria's heart stopped. "Damien..."

Damien looked at her. Then at Leo.

"Hold on," he said. "This is going to get rough." Damien slammed his foot on the gas. The car roared forward.

In the rearview mirror, Aria saw the three SUVs split up. One stayed behind them. Two went to the sides.

"They're trying to box us in," Damien growled.

Aria grabbed Leo and pulled him down to the floor. "Stay down, sayang. Don't look."

"But Mommy-"

"Now, Leo."

Gunshots rang out.

Aria screamed as the back window shattered. Glass rained down on them.

Damien cursed and swerved violently. The car skidded, tires screeching.

"Are you okay?" he shouted without looking back.

"We're okay!" Aria yelled, shielding Leo with her body.

Damien's eyes flashed gold. "Then hold on."

He yanked the wheel and the car veered off the main road, onto a dirt path through the woods.

Branches scraped the sides of the car. The headlights from the SUVs were still behind them, bouncing over the rough ground.

"Can you drive?" Damien asked suddenly, his voice tight.

Aria turned to him, eyes wide. "What?"

"I need to get out," Damien said. His eyes were glowing gold now. Not human anymore. "I need to fight them."

"No!" Aria grabbed his arm. "You'll die! There are three of them!"

Damien looked at her. Then at Leo who was shaking in the backseat.

"If I don't stop them here, they'll follow us to the pack. They'll hurt more people."

He reached over and squeezed Aria's hand. "You can do this. Just keep driving straight until you see the big gates. The pack will be waiting."

Before Aria could protest, Damien opened the door. Wind and dirt blew in.

"Damien wait-"

He smiled at her. Sad. Soft. "I love you, Aria. Both of you."

Then he jumped.

Aria screamed.

Outside, she heard bones cracking. A roar.

And when she looked in the side mirror, she saw him.

A massive black wolf, standing in the middle of the path. Blocking the SUVs.

The first SUV didn't have time to stop.

The Alpha King attacked.

Metal screeched. The sound of the SUV flipping filled the night.

Aria didn't dare to look back. Her hands were shaking on the wheel.

"Drive," she told herself. "Just drive for Leo."

"Mommy, is Daddy okay?" Leo whispered from the floor.

Aria's throat closed. "I... I don't know, sayang. But he's strong. He's the Alpha."

Behind her, more gunshots. More howls. But she couldn't stop.

Five minutes felt like five hours.

Then she saw them.

Huge iron gates. And standing in front of them were wolves. Dozens of them.

All black. All watching.

As soon as Aria's car stopped, the gates opened.

A female wolf with silver fur stepped forward and shifted into a woman.

"You're late," the woman said, looking at the car. "Where is the Alpha?"

Aria got out, clutching Leo. "He... he stayed behind. To fight them."

The woman's face hardened. "Get inside. Now."

As the gates closed behind them, Aria looked back one last time at the dark woods.

No sign of Damien.

No sign of the SUVs.

Just silence.

She hugged Leo tighter. "Please be okay," she whispered.

"Please come back to us."

Far away, a single wolf howled.

**THE END OF CHAPTER 15**

**TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 16: THE PACK**