Xander's POV:

I was doing a final check to make sure anyone vulnerable was in the safe-house when the alert came in from Leila.

Vamps approaching from the East.

A second later, another link from Tess.

Wolves approaching from the West.

I stiffened and looked back to the pack-house. I could run in and tell Addie but Gina was closer and I needed to get to the fight to hopefully make sure it never got to Addie.

Everyone on alert. Man your posts, I linked before shifting and taking off to the West. If wolves were showing up in the West, that's where Rego would be and I was ready to end this shit with him once and for all. Gina, tell Addie what's going on and stay close to her, I linked Gina.

Yes, Alpha, she answered quickly.

I tried to keep my heart from racing too much. I had to trust my pack. I had to trust they would be safe, that they would keep Addie safe. It was much easier in theory than in practice.

As I was running, Kaden came up in his wolf form alongside me but I knew Tess, she'd be heading towards the vamps knowing I would be focused on Rego. This was where growing up and training together all our lives was paying off, when we knew each other well enough to not have to communicate every single move.

We've got this, Kaden linked. I could practically see his care-free grin just from the sound of his voice in my head.

Our paws beat against the ground so hard it almost sounded like drums before a battle. I opened myself up to my pack as much as I could. If anyone got hurt, I wanted to know so I could be there. The closer we got to the Western border, the louder the growls became. The stronger the scent became. Not just of wolves that didn't belong here, but of blood.

It had already started.

Kaden and I moved into a weak spot and split off, each taking one side and flanking the group of wolves snapping and growling at my pack. We moved in and I sunk my teeth into one's neck, ripping out the jugular and moving to the next. The second one was ready and getting ahold of its neck wasn't as easy. We tumbled to the ground and rolled in the dirt but I gained the advantage of sunk my claws into its chest. Its head went back as it released a pained howl and I sunk my teeth into the exposed neck until the heart stopped beating.

It didn't matter I'd had to do this more times than I preferred, I still didn't enjoy the killing.

I moved onto the next wolf but my mind kept getting distracted by the fact I hadn't smelled Rego at all yet. This was definitely his pack but his personal scent was nowhere to be found. The fucking coward.

Has anyone scented Rego? I linked to my pack.

I received several no's and growled in frustration. Not knowing where he was did little to put my mind at ease when I didn't have Addie as close to me as I hoped I would.

Are you and Addie okay? I checked with Gina.

We're good, Gina answered. More than good. Rykan is staying close by and following Addie's lead.

I couldn't help but wonder what in the hell Rykan wanted from Addie but I had more important things to be focusing on. More of Rego's pack crossed our border and were met with either silver bullets or claws and teeth. The stench of blood was becoming so thick it was hard to pull out any other scents and I started to wonder if that was Rego's plan, to not come in until he thought I wouldn't be able to identify him.

That fucker had another thing coming if he thought he could sneak past me so easily to get to my mate.

We're faltering near the Southwest, Felipe linked. There was a heavy influx we weren't ready for, wolves and vamps.

I slashed through the chest of another wolf, ripping it up enough there was no healing to be done, before heading that way. Kaden came up alongside me and as we ran through the forest, leaving behind others that looked like they had it handled, the rogues staying on our property came up alongside me as well. I recognized the one who wanted to be the Luna after we helped them become a real pack and she made brief eye contact with me. I couldn't link with her but the eye contact told me enough. She was ready to have our backs.

Thank Goddess for Addie making that arrangement.

We reached the Southwest and saw our line almost breaking. The rogues on our side growled and pushed ahead, in front of Kaden and I and jumped into the fight. Rego's pack collided with the rogues in a loud and messy cacophony of snarls, growls and howls of pain as claws and teeth sunk in.

I sprinted past the wolves and made my way for the vampires that were armed with silver blades. Several of them went down as wooden arrows zoomed past me and embedded in their chests but there was a line right behind them ready to move forward.

Kaden, Felipe and I broke their line, narrowly dodging their quick movements with the blade. I kicked the knife out of one's hands and sunk my teeth into another's wrist until he released the knife. The one I'd disarmed with a kick was taken down by a rogue and I focused on the one I still had my teeth in. I brought my paws up and sunk them into his chest, whipping my head around when his free hand reached for my neck. I caught that hand with a paw, clawing it until I hit bone before sinking my teeth into its neck until the head was barely hanging on.

I should've been ready for the next attack and I might've been if not for the tug of pain in my mind. Someone in my pack was hurt. I took a moment to identify the link and quickly discovered it was Chris. I'd placed Chris near the Southeast and that became my new destination.

The moment of distraction made me slower when the next vamp came. The silver caught my right shoulder and I yelped at the stinging sensation. A second later, I heard Kaden's growl and he jumped over me, taking the vamp down.

I knew Kaden could handle himself so I took off towards the Southeast, trying to focus my pack-link on just Chris. I had to take out some wolves and vamps on the way and the tumbling around and rolling into trees did nothing to help the stinging in my shoulder but I couldn't stop. Not when a pack-member was injured.

I got to Chris just before one of Rego's did, lunging forward and knocking the wolf off course and into a dead tree. It howled in pain as the splintered wood hit its back and I used that moment of distraction to sink my teeth into its neck, biting down hard until the blood spilled out quickly and the heart stopped beating.

Shift, I ordered Chris.

Chris shifted to his human form and winced, rolling onto his side. On his lower left back, dangerously close to a kidney, there was a blade. He removed it and winced in pain and I walked over and laid next to him.

Get on, I linked. You can't fight like that.

The look on his face told me he wasn't happy but he also wasn't going to break an order. He rolled onto my back and I waited until it seemed like he had a good hold on my fur before I took off towards the pack-house.

Thankfully, it seemed like the fighting was staying close to the border and not too close to the pack-house. With that in mind, I headed to the infirmary where Anna was waiting to receive anyone that got hurt.

Leaving Chris outside. Silver, I linked her.

She didn't respond but as I drew closer to the infirmary, I saw her with the door open, waiting. I skidded to a halt and Chris groaned at the rough stop. Anna got him off me and I glanced back to the pack-house, looking for Addie's scent.

Where are you? I linked Gina.

Getting closer to the Southwest border, Gina answered.

Of course they were. Of course Addie was going to where the fight was the worst. I growled lowly and started in that direction but then received a link from Katie.

A big group came in from the Northwest. They broke through the border and some made it onto the property. Rego was with them and so was a powerful witch. Cassie's on it.

I changed my direction to Northeast with renewed vigor, running harder and trying to ignore that stinging in my shoulder. I could feel the blood trickle down my leg but I wasn't going to stop, not with Rego so close to Addie.

Xander, you're hurt. Don't go after him like this. Wait for me, Tess linked. I hate the bastard but I'd be lying if I said he's not strong. Don't take him on when you're hurt, you know that's a stupid move.

She had a point. I knew she did. But I also knew that Rego's biggest motivation here was revenge. He wanted revenge on me for losing Ivory and he was going to get it either by killing me or killing Addie. I couldn't just hold back knowing he would be giving everything he had to get to her and so I ignored Tess's warning and picked up my speed, kicking dirt up in a cloud of dust behind me.

By the time I got there, Cassie was already there taking on the witch. The wind whipped around them in a giant circle as beams of blue light shot out of Cassie's hands while blood red shot out of the other witch's. It was there I picked up Rego's scent, heading South.

South towards where Addie was.

I growled and took off after him, sending a link to Gina as I sprinted South. Rego headed your way and so am I. Protect your Luna.

Yes, Alpha, Gina answered.

The stinging in my shoulder got worse but I pushed forward as I smelled Addie and Rego both. He was getting too close to her. Way too fucking close.

Rego noticed the moment I reached them. Rykan and his pack had Addie surrounded, protecting her as wolves came in. Despite her nervousness, she seemed completely confident as she shot at the attacking wolves.

Rego halted his advancement towards Addie and turned to me with a snarl, his lips curling back and revealing bared teeth. I didn't want things to go this way but he gave me little choice. He wasn't capable of moving on from what happened and there was no way in hell I was going to let him continue terrorizing our pack.

He sprinted towards me and I growled, taking his challenge and running right for him. His normally brown eyes reflected gold and I could see the rage there. I had to be careful, he'd pick up on the fact I was hurt.

We collided with loud growls, our wolves slamming into each other and fighting for dominance as we rolled over in the dirt. He had me pinned for a moment but I used my back legs to claw at his hind legs, eliciting a yelp. It was enough to get him off me and I jumped up, regaining my footing just as he did.

We circled each other with low, warning growls and he made the first move. He lunged forward and I sidestepped him, intending to sink my teeth into his neck but missing by just a fraction and hitting lower. It was enough to cause pain so I made sure to clamp my teeth down hard. He yelped and swung a paw around at me, hitting the tender spot in my shoulder.

I yelped and twisted around, away from his claws. When I regained my footing, my shoulder screamed at me to not put weight on it but I couldn't let him see he got me. I couldn't let him see me limp and know he made the weakness worse. He lunged forward again and we both hit the ground, rolling around and snapping, snarling and biting at one another. I tried to keep my hurt shoulder out of reach but he managed to catch me again.

He pinned me down, digging his claws into the wound. I wouldn't give him the benefit of another yelp so I struggled under him, bringing my hind legs up and clawing at his chest. He growled and lunged his head down, his teeth going for my neck. If I didn't move fast enough, he'd hit me somewhere I wouldn't recover from. I jerked away just in time and his teeth sunk into my shoulder instead, making the wound worse. I could still fight him off with my good legs and so I clawed again, trying to gain the advantage and get him pinned.

I didn't have to. The cracking sound of a bullet exiting a chamber was only a split second warning before a bullet hit Rego right between the eyes. The only evidence he felt much of anything before dying was the sharp intake of breath before all breath was gone and he collapsed on me.

I rolled him off me and whimpered at the pain in my shoulder, glancing up to see Addie, gun in hand, smoke still exiting the barrel.

A/N:

Heyy awesome readers, happy Friday!! Holy crap, Fated is getting close to 200k reads, I'm SO excited!! I'm also excited/sad to say there's only ONE chapter and an epilogue left of this book! Next book will continue the plotline of the corrupt Elders but will be following Rykan and Kora. I'm sad to branch off of Xander and Addie's romance but I'm very excited for you guys to meet Kora! ❤

Drop a comment to let me know what you thought of this chapter!

How about Kaden, Tess and Xander working together?

Were you guys nervous when Xander got hurt?

What'd we think of Addie firing the lethal shot for Rego?

Now, you may have noticed a new awesome cover! Isn't it gorgeous?? I can't take the credit for this one, this was made by one of my amazing and talented readers (who actually made me covers for ALL my books, thank you love!!). So this chapter is dedicated to sluttybitchwhore, check out the new cover below!

All right loves, I'll see you on Tuesday for the LAST chapter! Have a great weekend! ❤