Alpha's Betas: 5. Marked in Blood

The raid came at dawn.

A rival pack had been testing Selene’s borders for weeks, sending scouts, clawing at the edges of her land like vultures. But this morning they came in force, howls breaking the silence, steel flashing in the mist. Selene led the charge herself, fury in her blood, her Betas flanking her like shadows.

The clash was brutal. Wolves and steel, teeth and flesh. Selene’s claws tore open throats, her fangs buried in warm meat. Kade fought like a storm unleashed, scarred hands wielding an axe as though it were a toy. Lucian was a phantom, blades flashing silver, blood spraying in elegant arcs.

But victory came at a cost.

When the last of the invaders fled, Selene stood swaying, her side slick with crimson. A blade had caught her ribs, shallow but searing. She refused to fall, though her knees trembled, though every breath burned. Her wolf snarled, demanding strength. She would not let her pack see her falter. She could not afford to be thought