The first thing Theo wanted to do was run back to the pack. Every fiber of his being told him to go save his mate and daughters.

Except his wolf. It knew the importance of staying with his uncle.

Mingi wouldn't survive if Theo abandoned him...

So he took stock of what he knew right now. There was an unknown number of wolves, probably more female alphas, outside the cave looking for them. All they needed to do was look behind the right bush and they would find the cave entrance. Depending on how many there were, Theo could possibly take them.

But they wouldn't hesitate to kill him... of that much Theo was sure. He was not needed in Nova's  grand plan, nor would he be considered a prize to have.

No... Theo knew he was disposable.

A quick squeeze drew his attention back to his uncle, who looked confused which told Theo he'd missed something. He returned the gesture a little harder than normal to try and apologize at the same time as letting Mingi know he was looking again.

'They want me to turn myself in... In exchange for the girls...' The alpha said, his lips quivering as he spoke. 'They are saying they can't guarantee the girls' safety for much longer...'

A low, rumbling growl came from the beta and his upper lip curled in a snarl.

'What shouId we do?'

Despite not being able to hear Mingi's voice, Theo could feel the anxiety woven into those four words that were about to change everything.

Theo didn't know how to answer...

And he wasn't given much time to decide.

Mingi gestured to the front of the cave the same time the wind changed, bringing a wave of new scents to Theo's attention.

Three... There were only three alphas outside.

Three alphas directly outside the cave.

Thinking quickly, Theo stripped and handed his clothes to Mingi, who sucked in a breath and nodded.

Seeing that small gesture gave Theo the strength he needed to shift and face the cave entrance.

Where he was met with a pair of red, glowing eyes.

Theo snarled a warning, lowering his head and spreading his front legs to take up as much space as possible. He'd always had the advantage of height, towering over all the alphas in their pack except for Mingi, so he knew he could use that now.

Just as he knew that would most likely be the only advantage he had...

The alpha at the entrance of the cave snapped her jaws at him several times, her eyes glowing brighter.

It was a challenge.

One that Theo was hesitant to take.

If he could still position himself at the mouth of the cave, he'd still be able to keep his uncle at his back, so he could fight off the alphas and take care of them, hopefully one by one.

Then, in one split second that stretched on for an eternity, the decision was made for him.

Pure, undeniable terror shot through his bond with Avayla.

It was stronger than anything he'd ever felt before, except his first time mating with her and opening up their Soulmate bond.

That feeling... caused him to snap.

With a roar he'd never know the true power of, Theo charged down the tunnel and toward the alpha taunting him at the end.

She pawed at the ground, snapping her jaws at the same time.

Theo zeroed in on each movement, studying her with a focus he knew only his lack of hearing granted him. As each stride brought him closer, he waited for the perfect moment to dive forward, sliding across the stone to slip under her head and sink his teeth into her soft flesh.

He savored the feeling of her throat vibrating against his tongue as she howled with pain, while he sank his teeth in, further solidifying the hold he had over life.

With one mighty twist of his body, he hurled her over his shoulder, smashing her against the side of the mountain. He then used that momentum to fly over her, teeth still lodged in her throat, to twist her head around and snap her neck.

All together the fight lasted less than two minutes.

But he wasn't done yet. The two other alphas started closing in, fanning out to come at him from both sides.

It was a smart move... if they weren't going up against a beta on a killing rampage.

If it weren't for the blue glow surrounding his vision, he knew his eyes would probably be soaked in red from the bloodlust he was feeling.

Theo decided to go after the one of the left first. She was smaller and had a better chance of slipping past him. He watched her closely, waiting for her to open herself up for the perfect attack.

She gave it to him three steps later when she turned away from him slightly.

The beta lunged, covering the distance between them in one leap, startling her so much she tried to scamper away from him.

Which was the last mistake she ever made.

Theo caught her easily, biting down on the back of her neck and using the force of it to shove her face into the ground. He dug his feet in at the same time, sending dirt flying in front of them in a large arc.

Once he felt stable, Theo yanked his head back, ripping a large chuck of flesh away from the alpha beneath him.

Normally he wasn't one to enjoy the taste of blood, at least not this much, but there was something about feeling the alpha's blood drip from muzzle that made his wolf want to tilt its head back and howl with delight.

But now wasn't the time. Not when the third alpha was charging at him.

Theo growled at her, his muzzle curling in a bloody snarl that shook his own body. His hackles stood on end, he bowed his head, and prepared to take his third life of the day.

This alpha thought she was smarter, pretending to go right before darting left.

Unfortunately for her, she underestimated the strength and length of Theo's legs. He was able to pivot with ease, lowering his head to ram into her side.

She slid across the ground, only stopping when she hit a tree. With a huff, the alpha started to rise again, but it was too late.

One more bound was all it took for Theo to be on top of her. Teeth pierced fur and flesh. Blood spurted in all directions. Bone crunched.

With the third alpha down, Theo turned to face the pack his mate was trapped in. He knew it was foolish to face it alone, but right now the only thing that mattered was getting to Avayla.

He almost took off on his own, too, but a weak mint scent reached him when a slight breeze picked up. Turning toward the cave, he noticed Mingi standing at the entrance with one arm clutching Theo's clothes to his chest and the other extended in front of him.

The beta hurried forward, shifting when he got closer.

'Theo?' Mingi asked, then smiled when Theo gently took his hand and squeezed once.

He handed over the clothes and waited patiently for Theo to dress before asking, 'Are you alright?'

Surprisingly, he was. He squeezed his uncle's hand once to answer him, then checked himself over just to be sure.

When he looked back up again, Mingi was in the middle of saying something. He quickly squeezed three times to apologize and ask his uncle to repeat what he said.

'We should hurry, we need to get back to look for Ava and the girls.'

That wasn't what Theo expected him to say, and it took him a moment to process. But then he told his uncle no with two squeezes and started leading him back to the cave.

Mingi had to yank on his arm several times before he finally stopped and turned around.

'Please take me with you. I know I can't fight, but maybe there's something else I can do. And... I'm scared to be by myself.' The alpha bowed his head in shame after he finished speaking.

If Theo had the ability to argue with his uncle, he probably would have. But since there was no possible way for him to do that, he simply growled and began marching through the trees, tugging Mingi behind him.

He knew it was a bad idea, but the thought of delaying any longer in order to find a solution seemed like a worse idea.

Right now all he wanted to do was get to his mate. The horrible fear Avayla was feeling still burned in their bond.

It made him sick...

Theo's senses shot into overdrive as he started relying on his wolf more and more.

Scenting the air, scanning the forest, checking on Mingi, scenting the air, looking for obstacles that Mingi couldn't see, looking for danger.

He did his best to balance all of it. All while pushing himself to go faster and faster.

Avayla needed him. His girls needed him.

And he would not stop until they were safe, or he would die trying.

.

.

.

.

Mingi had all but given up on trying to get Theo's attention. The beta had stopped responding to his signaIs long ago, so now he just focused on tying to keep his balance.

Which was easier said than done, but he did his best. The hardest part was when a bush or tree would scrape him. It was always so sudden and unexpected, he would throw his free arm up in defense and that caused him to loose focus.

He was also worried they would attract attention with how much noise they were making... Normally Theo was still aware enough that he could move somewhat silently, but right now it was clear he didn't know, or didn't care, about how every little thing he did made some kind of sound. And Mingi thundering along behind him didn't help things either.

The alpha tried to listen for both of them, straining his senses as much as possible... But all it did was make his head pound.

Or maybe that was just the growing concern for his daughter and her children. Especially since he knew the horrors of Nova's mind first hand. He didn't even want to try to imagine what she planned to do to Avayla.

Which was why he was going to trade himself for their safety. Then Nova could continue to use him for her horrid plans.

Just as long as his precious girls were safe and out of her reach.

Maybe he could even bargain for San and Hongjoong's freedom too. Then they at least could help Avayla and Theo get home so they could tell the others... tell Seonghwa... what had happened to him.

And then... he wouldn't have to live with the embarrasement of Seonghwa seeing him like this...

Yes, this plan was best for everyone.

Mingi nearly tripped over his own feet when Theo suddenly stopped in front of him.

"What is it?" He asked and waited a few seconds for some kind of response. When he recieved none, he squeezed Theo's hand.

Then he heard an unfamiliar growl.

In a matter of seconds, Theo's hand was on the back of his neck, guiding him down until he was on his hands and knees.

A whoosh of air blew over them, along with a harsh snarl and the sound of a jaw snapping shut.

Theo patted his back twice, then Mingi heard the rustle of clothes mixed within snapping twigs and crunching foliage.

He curled into himself, trying to get as small as possible. It was only a few impossibly short seconds later before the sound of a second wolf reached him and he was subject to a chorus of howls and whimpers and snarls.

And he was forced to just listen once again as Theo fought for his life.