The silence after the Alpha's words didn't last.
It shattered.
Kai moved first.
Not hesitation.
Not warning.
Pure instinct.
A blur of motion as he lunged straight for the Alpha.
This time—
No one tried to stop it.
Because this wasn't about escaping anymore.
This was a fight.
The Alpha didn't move until the last second.
Then—
Impact.
The sound cracked through the forest as Kai slammed into him, both of them skidding back several feet, dirt tearing beneath their feet.
Power met power.
And for the first time—
The Alpha actually took a step back.
Leo's eyes narrowed. "…Good."
Then he moved too.
No wasted time.
No words.
He came in from the side, fast and precise, aiming straight for the Alpha's blind spot.
Evan didn't rush.
He watched.
Calculated.
Waited.
Because someone had to.
Nancy couldn't breathe.
Not because she was overwhelmed—
But because of what she was seeing.
They weren't holding back anymore.
Not even a little.
Kai swung first—hard, fast, brutal.
The Alpha blocked—but the force pushed him back again.
Leo followed immediately, his attack cleaner, sharper—landing a hit across the Alpha's side.
A real hit.
Not a scratch.
The Alpha's head tilted slightly.
Almost like—
Interest.
"…So this is what you are without restraint," he murmured.
Wrong thing to say.
Kai's eyes darkened. "You haven't seen anything yet."
He attacked again.
Faster.
Stronger.
This time the Alpha didn't just block—
He countered.
His fist collided with Kai's, the impact sending a shockwave through the air.
Nancy flinched.
That hurt.
She felt it—
Through the bond.
Through all of them.
Leo jumped back in, not giving the Alpha space to breathe.
"Don't let him reset," he snapped.
Evan finally moved.
Not toward the Alpha—
But around.
Positioning.
Cutting off angles.
Smart.
Always smart.
The Alpha shifted.
And everything changed.
His movements sharpened.
Faster than before.
Stronger.
Serious now.
He caught Leo's next strike mid-air—
Twisted—
And threw him hard into a tree.
The crack echoed.
Nancy's chest tightened. "Leo!"
"I'm fine," Leo growled, already pushing himself back up.
Barely.
But still standing.
Kai didn't give the Alpha time.
He came in again—relentless.
And this time—
He landed.
A solid hit across the Alpha's jaw.
The Alpha's head snapped slightly to the side.
Silence.
For half a second.
Then—
He smiled.
Not amused.
Not mocking.
Something worse.
"Good."
And then—
He disappeared.
Nancy's heart dropped.
Too fast.
She couldn't track him.
Not with her eyes—
But—
Wait.
Her ability—
Focus.
One.
Just one.
She reached—
Caught something—
Cold.
Controlled.
Behind—
"Kai—behind you!"
Too late.
The Alpha reappeared, slamming into Kai from the side, sending him crashing hard into the ground.
"Kai!" Nancy shouted, panic breaking through.
Evan moved instantly, stepping in—
But the Alpha was ready this time.
Their clash was different.
Not brute force.
Strategy.
Evan dodged, countered, redirected—
But the Alpha adapted just as quickly.
"Predictable," the Alpha said calmly.
Evan's jaw tightened. "So are you."
Leo came back in—
Blood at the corner of his mouth.
Eyes sharp.
Dangerous.
"You talk too much."
Together this time.
All three.
No gaps.
No hesitation.
They attacked as one.
And for a moment—
It worked.
They pushed him back.
Forced him to defend.
Forced him to try.
Nancy's heart pounded.
Hope—
Just a little—
Started to rise.
Then—
The Alpha stopped holding back.
The shift was immediate.
Violent.
His presence exploded outward—
Heavy.
Crushing.
Nancy dropped to her knees instantly.
The bond reacted violently, pain shooting through her chest.
"Stop—!" she gasped.
The others felt it too—
But they didn't fall.
They couldn't afford to.
The Alpha moved through them now—
Not defending.
Overpowering.
He caught Leo—
Drove him into the ground.
Turned—
Blocked Evan—
Struck—
Hard.
Then Kai—
Still getting up—
Was hit before he could fully recover.
Everything—
Fell apart.
"No… no—" Nancy's vision blurred.
This wasn't a fight anymore.
This was—
Destruction.
"Stop it!" she screamed.
But no one listened.
Or maybe—
They couldn't.
The Alpha stepped forward again.
Untouched.
Unshaken.
Unstoppable.
Kai tried to stand again—
And failed.
Leo pushed himself up—
And dropped back down.
Evan—
Still conscious—
But barely moving.
Nancy's chest tightened painfully.
This—
This was the difference.
This was what they were up against.
The Alpha looked at her again.
Breathing steady.
Eyes locked.
"It's over."
Nancy shook her head weakly. "No…"
Her hands trembled.
Not from fear.
From something else.
That pressure again—
Inside her.
Building.
Cracking.
Breaking.
"You don't have to keep fighting this," he said, stepping closer.
The bond pulled harder.
Stronger.
Almost unbearable now.
"Come to me."
Nancy's breath hitched.
Everything hurt.
Everything—
Pulled—
Split—
And then—
Something snapped.
Power burst outward.
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
Explosive.
A shockwave ripped through the forest, sending leaves, dust, and everyone back.
Even the Alpha.
For the first time—
He was forced to step back.
Nancy gasped, her body shaking violently.
"I—"
Her voice broke.
She didn't understand what just happened.
But one thing was clear.
That wasn't normal.
That wasn't safe.
And it definitely—
Wasn't the end.