The Alphas’ P**n Star Mate

"Is it Fire Moon?" I asked Cortina as her hackles began to rise. She took careful steps back, ears flat against her skull. Her body sprung tight and ready to fight. We were being pushed back as the five wolves made a semicircle and stalked forward, like they were waiting to strike. They rushed to cut us off from running back to the pack house, but now they were holding back. I could hear the sounds of Alexi and Beau fighting behind us, but Cortina didn't risk a look back to see how they were faring. She couldn't. One look away could be fatal. "It's not them," she snarled. "The scent is off."

"Rogues?"

"No," she said, planting her feet, her claws digging into the dirt. "These are warriors."

The five wolves were strong, and moved like a unit. They were coordinating with the wolves behind, which was evidence to their ability to communicate. Mind linking only came with a pack. Because Alexi and Beau were technically rogues, they couldn't mind link anyone. Not even each other. There was no way to help each other out of this.

Suddenly, a giant red wolf emerged from the treeline, stalking forward. He had the aura of an Alpha, but it was coated with this feral malice and some kind of dark energy. It made all the hair of Cortina's body tingle in fear. His snout sniffed the air, then he let out a menacing growl as his eyes fixed on me. The five wolves that were herding me back began to move in again.

Cortina was tense and as ready as she could be. It wasn't looking good for us, and I just wanted to wail to the goddess. Right when I was anticipating their attack, an ear-splitting cry rang through the sky and a wall of fire rained down between me and the wolves. Kai in his full kitsune glory, all nine of his majestic tails whipping angrily around him, fell from the sky gracefully right beside Cortina. His fox ears are pushed back flat on his head, hissing at the wolves on the other side of his flames. "Chloe! This way!" Rodger called to me.

Cortina took a look behind her and saw Rodger waving at us wildly towards the cottage where his sisters were standing on the porch. There was a giant bear and a leopard fighting alongside Beau and Alexi now too. Riley and Dave must have been at the cottage with Kai when the wolves appeared.

"Go!" Kai's fox body said to me. His narrow snout formed the words as well as a human mouth could. "I got them. Go! Go to your father!" My father?

I didn't have time to figure out what he meant by that. Cortina's body sprung into action, running along the flames towards the cottage. The invading wolves moved to give chase, but Kai leaped up, levitating in the air as fire continued to rain down around them, blocking their path. The Alpha was still standing further away, unaffected by the flames. He sprinted after me when his warriors couldn't. Every raining fireball was swiftly, easily dodged by him. He had the agility only an Alpha could have. Maybe more so. The energy coming off of him was horrendous, making me feel fear like a cold vise pulsing around my consciousness.

Cortina wasn't even halfway to the cottage when he was on our tail. I could feel his hot breath against Cortina's fur. The sounds coming from him were like thunder, shaking our core. She snarled, pushing herself harder, but it wasn't enough.

The red Alpha wolf's claws sank into Cortina's flank, jerking her to the ground with a vicious heaving snarl. The sound of her flesh ripping is sickening, but she doesn't give up the fight. Even though pain was radiating into her bones and muscles. Cortina rolled her bleeding body over the Alpha's, surprising him just enough to break free from his claws. She used her hind legs to push him back, but it was a failed attempt to get away. It was like he absorbed the blow completely. He didn't move an inch. He gnashed his teeth angrily, connecting with Cortina's hind leg.

"Chloe!" Rodger screamed, running towards us. He looked crazed, purple sparks flying from his hands towards us. The sparks landed on the wolf, but just seemed to anger him more. Rodger was too far away, and I didn't want him to get any closer to this monstrous wolf. I'm not weak. Cortina is a strong wolf for her size. We have proven that plenty in training, but fighting against this wolf was like nothing we have ever faced before. He was dragging us back to the cover of the trees as the others fought ruthlessly against his dozens of warriors. Kai had patches of fire everywhere, and Dave was ripping whole wolves in half, but they kept coming at my friends nonstop.

Rodger was running towards me, still shooting out bolts of magic, but he would not make it. The red wolf almost had Cortina's struggling body in the trees.

Just then, the savage howls of my mates sent hope coursing through me. The ground began to shake with the pounding of paws as the coming reinforcements drew near. Just as Cortina was being dragged over the rough brush of the outlining forest, two large Alpha wolves, one black and the other dark gray, appeared. Rome tackled the red wolf, jerking him off me and to the ground. Ivar stood over my body protectively until Cortina let him know she was alright, and then Ivar went to help his brother.

"Get out of here, Chloe! Now!" Miles was desperate, but didn't look back to see if I obeyed. Mick couldn't handle the wolf on his own.

The red Alpha was slightly bigger than my mates. I couldn't believe his strength either. Two Alphas against one should have been an easy battle, but it wasn't. The red Alpha seemed to grow stronger with every second of their fighting. Rome had a grip on the red Alpha's scruff and was being tossed around like a bull rider as Ivar tried to attack from below.