Chapter Nine: The Twins' Howl

A sharp howl pierced the night, echoing through the trees and filling the clearing with its mournful, yet powerful sound. It was a call—a cry of anguish and desperation—that rang through Charlie’s ears and resonated deep within her soul. The sound felt familiar, like a song her heart had always known, and it reached out to her, calming the frantic thrashing of her wolf.

‘Al,’ Raven whispered softly, recognizing the source of the howl. ‘Al and Liam are coming for us.’ The sound of Liam’s name sent a shiver through Charlie’s body, bringing a strange sense of comfort despite the agony she was enduring. She felt Raven settle slightly within her, the connection to their mate soothing the wild storm of fear that had been raging inside her.

Alpha Greg, who had been leering over her with his weight pinning her to the ground, suddenly froze. His head snapped in the direction of the howl, his eyes narrowing as the meaning of it sank in. Slowly, he looked back down at Charlie, his predatory expression replaced by one of shock—then horror. His lips parted, and he breathed out a whisper that made Charlie’s blood run cold.

“You are mated to the twins.”

The words were filled with disbelief, his voice hollow as the reality settled over him. He loosened his grip on her wrists just slightly, distracted by the revelation that had shaken him to his core. “This can’t be,” he muttered under his breath, his brown eyes wide with horror. “You were brought here for me. Not for them.”

His voice rose in anger as his wolf surged to the surface, the color of his eyes shifting to a glowing amber that flickered dangerously. His jaw clenched, and his expression twisted with fury and resentment. “All those years of conditioning you to be obedient… all of my work… will not be wasted on those sons of mine!” He spat the words out, as if the very idea disgusted him.

Charlie’s heart raced as she felt his grip slacken some more, the feel of his body pressed against hers not as crushing as it was before. His momentary distraction was offering her a chance to escape. But she had to act, and now.

With all the strength she could muster, Charlie lifted her knee sharply and drove it upward into Alpha Greg’s groin. The impact landed hard, and he let out a pained grunt, his hold on her releasing as he doubled over in agony. It was all she needed.

Charlie twisted her body out from beneath him, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she scrambled to her feet. Her muscles screamed in protest, her half-shifted form still wracked with pain, but she pushed through it. She turned to run, desperation driving her forward.

But before she could get far, Alpha Greg’s furious roar filled the air. He lunged after her with terrifying speed, his body slamming into hers with the force of a wrecking ball. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, and she was sent sprawling to the ground, the earth rushing up to meet her with bone-jarring force.

Before she could gather her bearings, the cruel Alpha was on top of her again. His hands—now trembling with barely restrained rage—fisted in her hair, yanking her head back as he growled furiously into her ear. “You. Are. MINE!” he snarled, his voice filled with pure, animalistic rage. “You belong to me!”

The next blow landed hard across her face, and her vision blurred with pain. She tasted blood in her mouth, her lip split open again from the force of his strike. Another punch landed against her ribs, the sharp crack of bone splintering echoed in her ears, and a strangled cry escaped her lips. The pain was excruciating, her body already weakened from the shift, but Alpha Greg didn’t stop. He rained down blow after blow, his fists slamming into her with brutal, unrelenting force.

Charlie tried to fight back, tried to push him off, but she was too weak. Every breath felt like fire in her lungs, every movement sent fresh waves of agony through her battered body. Her vision darkened at the edges, and her mind began to slip into the comforting numbness of unconsciousness. But Raven wouldn’t let her drift away, her wolf snarled and snapped inside her mind, desperate to protect them both.

‘Hold on,’ Raven whispered weakly, though Charlie could feel her own strength waning. ‘They’re coming… They’re coming for us…’

But Charlie wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on.

Just as her vision blurred completely, a terrifying sound ripped through the night—an enraged growl, so deep and powerful that it seemed to shake the very ground beneath her. The sound was quickly followed by the sharp crack of bones shifting and the rustle of fur in the wind. Even through the haze of pain, Charlie could hear the thunderous pounding of paws hitting the earth.

Then, with a ferocious snarl, Greg was suddenly ripped off of her, his weight disappearing in an instant. The sound of vicious growls and snapping jaws filled the air as the twins descended upon their father with all the fury of wolves protecting their mate.

Liam was the first to reach Greg, his massive black wolf form tearing into the Alpha with savage strength. His golden eyes glowed with fury, his teeth sinking into Greg’s shoulder with bone-crunching force. Luther’s wolf—larger and equally fearsome—lunged at Greg’s side, his powerful jaws clamping down on their father’s arm, dragging him away from Charlie’s broken form.

Charlie lay on the ground, her breaths coming in shallow, ragged gasps. She tried to push herself up, but her body refused to respond. Pain radiated through every inch of her, the weight of her injuries pressing her down. Darkness threatened to consume her, but she clung to the sound of her mates’ furious growls, letting it ground her in the present.

Through the fog of pain and exhaustion, Charlie felt the connection to Liam and Luther, the bond between them thrumming with a mixture of anger and concern. They had found her—just in time.

But as her vision faded, her thoughts became hazy, and the world around her grew distant. She wasn’t sure if she would survive the night.

The last thing she saw was Liam and Luther standing protectively over her, their wolves bloodied but victorious, before the darkness finally claimed her.