I wanted to shift and turn into the wild werewolf I was. The urge was stronger than it had ever been. I could feel the power of my wolf racing through my nerves, forcing me to let her out just as everyone else was. A thousand werewolves were scattered all over the lake and the nearby wolves.

I remained in control while everyone else, the majority of the werewolves, didn't.

Cold air brushed around me and the wind grew violent as several howls echoed through the night. I was curious about what had happened.

King had transformed into a werewolf, the animal I had only seen once a long time before. Then, I was terrified of it but now I had eased down to it. It wasn't as scary as it was, like before.

I could look straight into his bright red eyes and not feel any fear crawling down my spine. My heart didn't race but I was confused.

"What's happening?" I whispered to Gabriella who had the same control over her wolf just as I did. There were only a few of us that hadn't shifted along with Arnold and the Mayor.

Why?

The rest seemed like they were forced to shift without will, as if they needed to.

"He's calling for his wolves. Taking control. Awakening the ones that had been sleeping for months, some of them for years." She trailed off, her eyes were filled with excitement as if she had enjoyed seeing it. "He's taking his position in the pack as the Alpha."

"So, they didn't know who their Alpha was?" I raised a brow while my eyes wandered over the werewolves that were on their all fours, bowing to King who was above us.

"Some of them did. Some of them don't. The awakening helps those who aren't aware of the Alpha. They let them know who is in control. The last time this had happened, it was nearly seven years ago and that was also the last time King was in town—or I was." She continued, explaining to me.

I finally understood what was happening here.

As there was a danger in town, King wanted everyone to hunt down the hunters along with himself. He was demanding help and at the same time submission.

"Why didn't I turn? Why—why didn't you?" I stared at Gabriella and the rest around me that hadn't turned. There were few other men that were surrounding us and they hadn't shifted as well.

I wanted to know why.

"You're able to resist the urge of shifting because you're his mate, the Alpha's mate and I'm able to do so as I'm his blood-related cousin. Arnold, on the other hand, has orders by King not to shift at this time. Thomas is the Beta of the pack, therefore, he doesn't need to shift." Gabriella took a spin around, noticing the rest of us in our human forms. "The rest either have orders or they have a good position in the pack."

I nodded my head, understanding her. It made some sense, the rest of it didn't need to.

I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and waited for the chaos to come to an end. The werewolves standing near the lake began getting quieter, the howl lessoned and they remained intact in their positions.

It was a tad bit surprising to realize that one man had control over a thousand werewolves.

Only one man.

It was the kind of control you couldn't find anywhere. The way King's people ran to him just at his one call was eye-opening. It appeared like there were ties between the werewolves and their Alpha, King, and those ties couldn't be severed.

A few minutes passed by and a pair of warm hands wriggled around my waist. I gasped and quickly turned around to find King standing behind me. He was shirtless and no longer in his wolf form.

"You scared me," I whispered, placing my hand over my chest. Just a minute ago, he was at the top of the hill, in his wolf form and now, he was suddenly in his human form, embracing me from behind.

"I'm sorry if I did." He leaned in and placed a peck over my cheek before wrapping his hands around mine and taking me away.

"Wait. Don't you have to give a message?" I asked, turning my head around and finding the wolves near the lake parting away.

Was that all?

I assumed there would have been a talk where King would tell them about the hunters and order for his wolves to find them wherever they were.

But there was nothing as such.

King was leading me out of the place and everyone else was slowly moving away, some into the woods and some of them shifting and returning into their vehicles.

"I have already given it," He responded, holding my hand tight.

"How?" My voice was filled with hesitation and confusion as I walked alongside him.

"I don't call upon my wolves until there is a trouble brewing. The last time I called upon them was before the town evacuation, when there was a mystery hunter on the loose, killing people here and there." He paused for a moment, taking in his breath. "The wolves will receive the message by tomorrow morning. Any suggestions and doubts, they'll be able to go to Thomas who will them inform to me if they would be any new information that we already don't have."

"About the hunters?" I was feeling dumb for a minute.

"Yes." He smiled at me before stopping on his tracks. "Don't worry. This will be over soon."

We moved fast and left the woods soon after that. While on the way back, I found groups and groups of people leaving along with us. There were all werewolves. The town was packed with werewolves and I didn't have any clue about it until now.

It was astonishing.

Once we left the woods, King drove me back to the house where the guards were still scattered, protecting us from whoever had attacked us last night.

King seemed to be in relief but I wasn't. I was terrified of my life and his.

What if someone attacked us again while we were sleeping?

I parted ways from King and went to the kitchen to fetch something to eat real quick. My stomach was grumbling from starving myself all day and night. Just as I switched on the lights of the kitchen, I nearly screamed at the presence of Gabriella inside the fridge.

She turned around and waved her hand at me while the color drained off my face.

I thought I was alone and seeing someone in the kitchen had terrified me.

"Hungry?" She asked.

I pulled the sleeves of my sweater down to my fingers and nodded before walking inside further. "Yes. A little."

"Do you know how to cook?"

I shook my head, "Barely."

She chuckled and then grabbed a box of strawberries from inside the fridge. "Same here. Doesn't he keep any cooks around for the night?"

"No—I don't know." I shrugged. "I didn't know you were here. How did you come here quicker than us?" I asked the real question as there was no way she could've reached here before us.

"I shifted and ran once it was over. The traffic was too long for me to be stuck in," She hopped over the counter and placed a strawberry between her mouth before offering me the rest of the pack.

I grabbed a few of them as that was the only edible food around here. I couldn't sleep without having anything in my stomach.

"Do you also stay here? I mean—in the town?"

"No, I haven't visited it since I attended my parent's funeral years ago. I think I got lucky that I wasn't here when the hunters were attacking or my grave would be next to my parent's." She sighed while lowering her head down as grief momentarily through her.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It was a long time ago." She rose her head and met with my eyes while a smile curled over her lips. "It's just surprising to the lengths King would go for you. His own parents were murdered and he never sought out the people that had killed them but the minute you ask for help, he's on his knees for you."

I furrowed my brows together, "Should I be worried about that?"

There was something right about her words. When I asked Arnold about King's parents, he told me that he had sought for their killers for a while before moving on. He never dug up the past again, not until now, not until I had asked him for help.

"No, no," She laughed. "His parents were terrible so I understand why he accepted their deaths and moved on. Though, it's good, he'll do anything for you and as he hunts down the hunters, we will all be able to move on from the tragedy of that night." She nodded her head and then grabbed another piece of strawberry from the box.

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