Rejected and Claimed by his Best Friend, Book 1

Chapter 17: Breaking Free (Remi's POV)

The weight of the Silvermoon pack house was suffocating, but none of it compared to the fury brewing inside me.

*“They hurt her.”*

Black’s voice roared through me, furious, vengeful.

*“They hurt our mate. I will tear this place apart.”*

I barely held onto the reins of my control as I stepped into the room where Alice was chained. She looked so small, so broken, sitting against the cold stone wall. I hated seeing her like this—hated that the pack I had once called allies could do this to her.

But now, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was her.

I rushed toward Alice, my instincts screaming to tear the chains off her, to protect her from everything that had happened and everything that would come.

Her eyes lifted to meet mine, and for the first time in days, I saw a spark of hope in them. A tiny flicker.

*"Remi..."* she whispered, voice shaking. "*You came for me.*"

I was at her side in an instant, crouching down to meet her gaze. My hands trembled as I reached for her, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. My wolf howled in the back of my mind, desperate to claim her, desperate to feel the bond.

I couldn’t do it. Not yet.

Not when she was still hurting.

“I’m here,” I said, my voice low, steady. “I’m not leaving you.”

Her lips trembled as she smiled faintly, her eyes full of tears. “I knew you’d come... I just didn’t think it would be like this.”

I clenched my jaw, trying to keep myself in check. The anger roiled beneath my skin, but I couldn’t let it take over. Not yet. Not when I had to focus on getting Alice out of here first.

I looked at the chains binding her, the silver cuffs digging into her wrists. My heart twisted in rage. Without a second thought, I shifted.

A growl escaped me as my wolf took control.

Black surged to the forefront, eager to finish what we had started. With a snap of my jaw, the silver cuffs shattered.

“Let’s go,” I growled, lifting Alice into my arms effortlessly. She gasped as I cradled her, but the shock in her eyes was quickly replaced with trust.

“Remi…” She looked up at me, as if still unsure this was real. “Will they come after us?”

“They’ll try,” I muttered, my tone dark. “But not if I have anything to say about it.”

I turned, ready to tear through this place and leave it in ruins. My pack was already at the gates, waiting for us. The Crescent Moon pack had been put on high alert after the rumors about Alice reached us.

I was done being patient. Done playing nice.

It was time to show Silvermoon just how far they had pushed me.

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