Aiden’s body screamed in pain. His chest felt like it had been cracked open. Every breath felt like he was inhaling needles. He could hear muffled voices nearby, but his mind struggled to focus, swimming in and out of the haze. 
Slowly, he began to make sense of the conversation around him.
“I’ll kill you if you touch him again!” That was Lia’s voice, fierce and sharp.
Alpha Lyall chuckled darkly. “You think you’re in a position to make threats, little girl? You should be more worried about your own life.”
“Let her go!” Axel’s voice broke through. “We’re not here for trouble, alright? We didn’t come to fight! Just let her go!”
Aiden groaned, trying to push himself up. His arms shook from the effort, and his head spinned as the pain pulsed through his skull. His eyes barely opened, and through the blur, he saw Lyall towering over Lia, his hand wrapped around her throat. Axel was being restrained by two other Alphas, his face twisted with helplessness as he struggled against their grip.
The pack members, those who had been hiding in the bushes, were still there in the bushes. But something had changed. Aiden blinked, trying to clear his vision, and locked eyes with one of them. Then another. And another.
Suddenly, a bullet of energy shot through him. His pain dulled, his mind sharpened. He could feel them. Not just see them, but feel their presence in his mind. A mind link. 
They were with him. They were pouring their strength into him, feeding him with their own energy.
“We’re with you, Aiden,” a voice echoed in his head. “Whatever you do, we stand behind you.”
The pain that had held him down moments before suddenly vanished. His muscles now filled with strength. Aiden slowly stood, his eyes locking onto Alpha Lyall, who was still choking Lia.
Lyall suddenly froze as though he could sense Aiden's presence. Then he turned to Aiden with a look of smug surprise crossing his face. “Still standing, huh? You’re tougher than I gave you credit for.” 
His grip tightened around Lia’s throat. Her face suddenly turned pale as she gasped for air. “No matter. I’ll just have to kill you this time.”
Axel struggled against the Alphas holding him back. “Let her go, you bastard!”
Aiden’s growl started low, deep in his chest, before rising into a full-blown snarl. His body began to shift, turning into his wolf. Lyall watched, still holding Lia as if she were a rag doll.
With a wicked grin, Lyall flung Lia aside. She crashed onto the ground near the hearth with a groan, her body crumpled and motionless. Aiden’s heart lurched in fright, but there was no time to check on her now.
Lyall dusted his hands. “You’re hard to put down, Aiden. But it ends now.”
And swiftly, he morphed into his wolf form as well.
Aiden braced himself for the fight. But then, another sound joined his—a chorus of growls rising behind him. He turned, and to his shock, he saw the pack members emerging from the bushes, all in their wolf forms. There were about twenty of them, standing tall and united. 
By the Moon! They were ready to fight alongside him.
Aiden felt a surge of pride swell in his chest. They had finally decided to stand up.
He turned back to Lyall, a smile tugging at the corners of his wolfish snout. “Looks like I’m not alone.”
Lyall snarled. “I don’t care how many of you there are. I’ll kill you all if I have to!”
With that, Lyall lunged forward, his massive paws crashing down toward Aiden. Aiden darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow, then lashed out with his own claws, raking them across Lyall’s side. The Alpha let out a howl of rage, spinning around to face Aiden again.
The other Alphas, seeing the wolves joining Aiden, launched into the fray as well. Axel, still in human form, managed to break free from his captors, swinging his fists at one of the Alphas with a wild fury. 
“Stay down!” he yelled, landing a solid punch to the man’s jaw.
The battle became a blur of fur, claws, and snarls. Aiden and Lyall clashed again and again. Lyall’s brute strength was overwhelming, but Aiden had speed on his side. He dodged and weaved, striking when he saw an opening.
Axel was fighting with one of the other Alphas, trying to keep him down while two of the pack’s wolves jumped in to assist. “Get off him!” Axel shouted as he wrestled the Alpha to the ground.
The rest of the Council members fought viciously, but the wolves were more unified, and slowly, then began to overpower the Council of Alphas. The clearing was filled with the sounds of battle—growls, yelps, and the snap of jaws.
Lyall's attacks became more frantic as Aiden continued to evade him. With a desperate roar, Lyall lunged at Aiden, jaws wide, aiming for his throat. But Aiden was ready.
With a swift movement, Aiden darted under Lyall’s attack and sank his teeth into the Alpha’s leg, yanking him off balance. Lyall let out a howl of pain, stumbling backward. Aiden took the chance and shifted back into his human form, his body slick with sweat and blood.
"Bastard!" Aiden roared.
Panting, he grabbed Lyall by the scruff of his neck and dragged him across the ground, toward the hearth where Lia still lay unconscious. The smell of burning wood filled the air as Aiden forced Lyall’s face closer to the fire.
“Don’t do this,” Lyall rasped. “You’re making a mistake—”
Aiden didn’t listen. He shoved Lyall’s face into the hearth the flames licking at the man’s skin. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and Lyall’s screams filled everyone's ears.
Aiden staggered back, letting go of Alpha Lyall. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, barely able to keep his eyes open. He watched as Lia stood shakily to her feet and approached Lyall. Her face was bruised, but her eyes burned with fury.
She knelt beside the writhing Alpha and, with a furious cry, punched him square in the face. “You deserve this!” She hit him again, and again, her fists coming down with all the force she could gather.
Lyall’s body went limp, and Lia stopped, panting. She looked up at Aiden with sweat dripping from her face. “He’s dead.”
Aiden let out a slow, ragged breath. He turned his head slightly, looking back at the rest of the clearing.
The other six Alphas of the Council lay scattered across the ground, lifeless. The twenty wolves that had joined the fight were still standing, but they hadn’t shifted back yet. Axel stood among them, bloodied and bruised, but alive.
Aiden was happy. They were all alive!
For a long moment, silence settled over the clearing. The wolves stood motionless, their eyes on Aiden.
Then, slowly, one by one, they all lowered their heads towards him.
Aiden blinked in confusion. His mind was too foggy to make sense of what was happening. He felt a light touch on his back and turned to see Lia standing beside him, her hand gently prodding him forward.
“Go on,” she whispered. “They’re waiting.”
Aiden hesitated for a moment, then took a slow step forward. Then the wolves shifted, their forms shrinking and reshaping until they were back in their human bodies. As they did, a familiar face stepped forward from the crowd.
Raven.
There was a small smile on her lips, her eyes bright with pride as she spoke:
“Welcome home, Alpha Aiden.”