Chapter 1 THE DEMISE OF HIS BELOVED

The alpha king Gary, ruler of the zamuda and all supernatural creatures, the one who bowed to no one and never displayed his emotions, fell to his knees before the lifeless body of his beloved. Blood soaked his coat, and his eyes blazed a furious red as he cradled the woman for whom he would have sacrificed his life without a second thought. But now, she was gone. No longer could she hear his desperate pleas, his anguished cries for her to open her eyes. There was no solace for the alpha king now; no one could offer him comfort. She had been his one true love and would always be. Gary wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to his chest, as if by holding her tighter, he could will her heart to beat again. But such hopes were mere fantasies. He remained there, unmoving, as the sun set and nightfall crept in. Even when his people arrived to light the room, Gary still hadn't budged. The overwhelming urge to cry for the woman, who had known only kindness, had passed, and now the alpha king of the zamuda simply wanted to stay in that moment, holding her close to his heart. "Alpha, you need to let her go..." Canan, the royal beta, approached his Alpha cautiously. He knelt down beside him, while the rest of their warriors stood guard outside the room. The manor was surrounded, and any sign of those bloodsuckers would lead to their immediate demise. Gary would not allow them to live—not in the human realm, nor in his own. He was determined to hunt them down for what they had done to his beloved. Mercy was not a concept the alpha king entertained in this moment. "Have you found Iris?" Gary's voice, heavy with pain and rage, barely sounded like his own when he finally spoke. "Yes, we found her. Iris is with Edward near Opio City, and now Edward is under the protection of Jason, his brother," Canan reported, hoping this news would appease the alpha's wrath, if only slightly. Knowing his daughter was safe might give him a reason to keep fighting. The beta knew better than anyone that nothing in this world could replace the agony of losing one's mate, the other half of their soul. "Burn the city to the ground." The order was simple, yet the consequences were catastrophic. Supernatural creatures had long avoided killing humans, choosing instead to hide among them and blend in. This was due to the severe repercussions that came with spilling human blood. But now, driven by an all-consuming desire for vengeance, Gary was willing to risk everything to wipe out the vampires who lived among the people. They had killed his mate and kidnapped his daughter, and Gary wouldn't hesitate to unleash hell to make them pay. To say that Gary was livid would be an understatement. "Gary," Canan addressed him without the usual honorific, recognizing that the order had been given in the throes of grief. It was clear the alpha king wasn't thinking rationally. "That place is full of humans." "That city is a city of vampires," Gary replied coldly. "There are many humans living among them," Canan insisted, unwilling to back down. Carrying out such an order would bring about untold suffering and would set back the entire zamuda race. "If Xina were here, she would never agree to your decision." That was when Gary snapped at him. "She is dead, and no one will hold me back." Gary didn’t raise his voice, but it was filled with so much anger and dominance that it left no room for argument. The alpha's voice carried the weight of his authority, forcing Canan to bow his head and causing the warriors outside to experience a wave of the alpha's rage through their shared mind-link. "Understood?" "Yes, Alpha," Canan responded, gritting his teeth. In the past, it had always been Xina who could talk sense into him when his anger got the better of him. But now, she was gone, and despite his own grief, the beta felt the weight of losing such a gentle soul. Gary looked down at his mate one last time. Even in death, she was beautiful, her serene expression a stark contrast to the turmoil within him. "I love you, my dearest. I will make them pay for what they did to you." He had always been fiercely protective of her, quick to punish anyone who dared to harm her. Whether they were human or not, Gary would not hesitate to strike down those who threatened her. Xina had been the only one who could temper his fiery temper, the only one who knew how to calm him when his anger flared. She had been his most precious treasure, the one thing that mattered most to him in the world, aside from their daughter. But now, the vampires had conspired against him, and it had cost him everything. The bloodsuckers knew well that to cross him was to invite disaster. Yet, they had dared to do it... ======================== Women screamed, men shouted as they tried to gather their families, and children cried out for their parents in the chaos. Opio City had descended into madness. Flames consumed the city, and no one knew the cause of the inferno. The crowds surged and swirled in a desperate attempt to escape, their fear palpable as the city burned around them. But not far from the chaos, there stood a grand manor, untouched by the fire. The real nightmare was headed straight for it—a massive white wolf, a harbinger of death.