h4Chapter 351: The Strangers/h4

strongKatrina~/strong

I froze in the chokehold of the alley, the walls pressing in like they wanted to crush me alive. My heartbeat hammered against my ribs, wild and relentless, a battle drum that refused to quiet. The air was covered with the stench of rotting trash and coppery blood, each breath scraping my throat raw.

They closed in—those red-eyed abominations—stalking me in a slow, deliberate circle. Their growls weren’t just sounds; they were vibrations that rattled through the damp concrete, a guttural promise of pain.

The dress I’d chosen hours ago, bold and daring, the kind of thing that made me feel untouchable in front of my mirror, now felt like a cruel joke. The scarlet fabric clung to me, stered by sweat and fear, like it knew how helpless I was.

And yet, beneath the panic wing at my mind, there it was—the thrum of power, celestial magic burning quietly in my veins. It wanted out, wanted to break free and tear the darkness apart. I could feel it trembling at the edge of release. But fear kept my hands shaking, kept my breath uneven, kept my focus blurred.

For one reckless second, I wondered: would my power save me—or consume me first?

i"Nick!"/i I shot through our mind link, my thoughts frantic and jagged. i"Don’te here—stop! This ce is crawling with rogue wolves. They’re not right—their eyes are glowing red, like they’ve lost every shred of their senses. And there are vampires mixed in, slinking in the shadows like cowards. It’s a nightmare!"/i

His reply mmed into me through the link, all grit and barely contained fury. That voice—low, steady, threaded with the kind of protectiveness that always felt like both a shield and a chain. i"Kat, what the hell? I’m already moving. Don’t half-exin it—rogues and vamps together? That’s not just trouble, that’s wrong. Where exactly are you?"/i

My pulse spiked. My eyes flicked to the nearest wolf, its teeth snapping shut so close I felt the rush of air brush my leg.i "I don’t know!"/i My thought shot back at him, jagged with panici. "Some filthy underbelly of the Golden City. The walls reek of blood and ash." /iMy chest tightened as another growl rumbled in the dark.i "But don’t you daree—it’s suicide. I’ll try teleporting again. Anywhere has to be better than this pit."/i

I could feel him pressing against my mind, that raw insistence that never let go. My throat tightened, but I forced the words through. i"Track me once I’m out. Find me there. Just... not here."/i

There was a pause, and I could almost picture him—ck hair tousled, dark eyes shing with that cocky fury he hid behind arrogancei. "Fine, but hurry the fuck up, Kat. If you’re not out in ten seconds, I’ming anyway. Be careful—don’t let them touch you."/i

i"Okay, okay,"/i I replied, forcing a mental nod even as my body tensed. "Teleporting now."

I gathered the light within me, that familiar coil of stardust and fire, visualizing anywhere safe—maybe the pce gardens, or even Nick’s estate again. But just as the magic began to warp the air around me, one of those mangy rogues lunged low, its fangs grazing the edge of my dress and nipping at my leg. Pain red hot and sharp, a shallow bite that drew blood and ignited something primal in me.

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"How dare you attack me?" I yelled, my voice echoing off the grimy walls like thunder. Fury surged through me, raw and unfiltered, drowning out the fear. I thrust my hands forward, and celestial light exploded from my palms—brilliant, searing beams that cut through the darkness like divine judgment. The rogue that bit me howled in agony as the light enveloped it, scorching its fur and forcing it to convulse on the cobblestones. The others yelped, staggering back, their crimson eyes flickering dim like dying embers as the ze consumed their forms, not killing them outright but sending them reeling in blinded terror. The vampires—those pale, fang-shing creeps—hissed and bolted into the shadows, their skin blistering under the holy glow. They vanished like smoke, cowards to the core.

I panted, the light fading from my hands, leaving spots dancing in my vision. That’s when I noticed them—movement deeper in the alley, shadows twisting not just from the rogues but from people. Two figures, fighting back with powers that weren’t light like mine, but something darker, more insidious. A girl with pale skin and flowing blonde hair hurled tendrils of ck energy at a wolf, her voice cutting through the chaos.

"Vincent, focus!" she snapped, her tone edged with panic she was trying to hide. "We can’t let them overwhelm us!"

Vincent. The name hit me like a whisper from a dream I couldn’t quite remember. I couldn’t see their faces clearly yet—the alley was a maze of shifting gloom and snarling beasts—but something about them tugged at my heart, a pull so strong it rooted me in ce. I should have teleported right then, escaped this madness. My magic was primed, the world already starting to bend. But... no. Not yet.

Inside me, Sapphire—my wolf—stirred restlessly, pacing in the confines of my mind like a caged storm. strongi"Katrina, go to them, she urged, her voice a growlced with urgency. The man and woman—they need us. Rescue them!" /i/strong

strongi"/i/strongiWhat? Sapphire, are you crazy?" /iI muttered aloud, dodging another rogue’s swipe as it recovered from my light st. i"We don’t even know them! I need to get out of here!"/i

strongi"No!"/i/strong she snarled back, her energy making my skin prickle. strongi"Something’s pulling me. Him. Go now, or regret it forever!" /i/strong

Her insistence was like a fire in my chest, overriding logic. The rogues around me regrouped, their red eyes ring anew, closing in with renewed hunger. But Sapphire’s plea echoed, and that inexplicable tug... fine. Impulsive as ever, I crouched low, channeling my Lycan strength. My muscles coiled like springs, Alpha power surging through me. With a fierce grunt, Iunched into a super jump, soaring over the pack of rogues that surrounded me. The air whistled past my ears, my red dress billowing like wings of me. I twisted mid-air, heels scraping the night sky, andnded with a thud right in the middle of the strangers—a protective stance between them and the encroaching horde.

Up close, they were nothing like I expected. The girl was... hauntingly beautiful, the kind of beauty that unsettled you even as it drew you in. Her skin gleamed pale, almost porcin beneath the fractured moonlight, her blonde hair falling like threads of gold spilling into shadow. Those ice-blue eyes—startled, unblinking—were a puzzle in themselves: cold, guarded, but fragile in the edges, as though they carried secrets heavy enough to fracture entire worlds.

But the man... gods, the man she called Vincent. He was ruinous beauty, the kind that stole the breath right out of my lungs. Tall, lean, every line of him carved in precision, from the knife-sharp cheekbones to the jawline that looked sculpted to wound. His eyes—dark, bottomless—held me like a gravitational pull, dangerous and irresistible. Raven-ck hair, disheveled from the fight, framed a face that was both regal and ruthless. Shadows seemed to gather to him on instinct, wrapping around him like they belonged there, feeding the aura of something both seductive and lethal. He looked like temptation sharpened to a de.

And then... his scent hit me. Sweet, intoxicating, richer than anything I’d ever known. It filled my lungs, my blood, my bones. My pulse spiked, not from the battle raging around us, but from him. I wanted to drown in it, to surrender.

strongi"Mate!"/i/strong Sapphire’s howl erupted in my mind, pure triumph and wild joy. strongi"He’s our mate, Katrina!"/i/strong

My whole body went rigid. My eyes locked onto his, the word echoing through me like a curse and a blessing all at once. Mate? No—no, that was impossible.

iAre you kidding me? /iA stranger, in a filthy alley, hands dripping from fighting rogues—and the universe had the nerve to tie me to him? He was good looking yes, but still. Disbelief mmed into me like a tornado, but underneath it pulsed something I couldn’t fight: that undeniable, maic pull dragging me closer.

Vincent stared right back, stunned. For a moment, the imprable void of his gaze cracked, widening as if he too recognized the impossible. His chest rose sharply, a flicker of shock cutting through his perfectposure. Does he know too? The thought shot through me, panicked, hungry.

Beside him, the girl faltered, her cold poise breaking into raw astonishment. Her lips parted as strange shadows curled tighter around her fingers, betraying her unease. "Who... who are you?" she stammered, her voice trembling on the edge between awe and threat.

And I stood there, scarlet dress clinging like a second skin, breathless under a destiny I wasn’t ready for.

"I—I don’t know why I’m doing this," I admitted breathlessly, my cheeks flushing hot under their gazes. "But we need to get out of here. Now."

Before I even thought it through—before logic had a chance to scream at me—I reached for him. My fingers closed around Vincent’s hand, and the world detonated.

Sparks red where our skin met, sharp and electric, racing up my arm like wildfire trying to consume me from the inside out. My breath hitched, my knees buckled, and for the first time in my life, strength abandoned me in the face of someone else’s touch. Heat spread through me, dizzying, overwhelming, leaving me raw and exposed.

I cursed silently as my face flushed hot, a deep crimson that betrayed me more than any enemy ever could. My hair slipped forward, a messy curtain I desperately wished could hide how undone I suddenly was. But even as embarrassment wed at me, my body refused to let go.

Because goddess, it fit. His hand—strong, steady, warm in a way that defied the shadows clinging to him—molded to mine as if it had been made for it. It wasn’t just contact; it was connection, seamless and undeniable, like some invisible thread had finally been tied tight.

Vincent’s breath hitched, his charming danger softening into something vulnerable, enchanted. "What... is this?" he murmured, his voice low and velvety,ced with ambition and surprise. He didn’t pull away; if anything, he squeezed back, his shadows flickering curiously around us.

"No time to exin," I gasped, the rogues snarling louder, closing in with fangs bared and ws scraping stone. Their red eyes fixed on us like targets, the air thick with impending doom.

i"Kat!"/i Nick’s voice sted through the mind link, raw with worry. i"Have you teleported yet? I’m sensing your energy spiking—what’s going on? Talk to me!"/i

i"Hold on, Nickplications!"/i I shot back mentally, my thoughts a whirlwind. The wolves lunged, jaws snapping, and the girl yelped as one grazed her arm.

"Vincent... who’s she?" the girl asked, her voice wavering despite the careful mask she tried to hold. Enigmatic, yes—but the crack of fear threaded through it was unmistakable. I didn’t need to see it. I could feel it.

"I’m the one who’s about to save your asses," I shot back, sharper than I intended, though my eyes never wavered from Vincent’s. His gaze—dark, deliberate, calcting—locked with mine as if he was weighing every heartbeat, every breath.

Then, finally, he spoke. "She’s saving us. Take her hand, Winter."

Without any hesitation. She thrust out her hand, catching my free hand. Winter’s fingers were cool against mine, trembling ever so slightly beneath the fa?ade of iron control. With her, there was no spark of contact, it was just cold as she held on.

"Trust me," I whispered, fierce even through the heat still burning in my cheeks. My voice trembled at the edges, not from fear, but from certainty. "We’re getting out of here."

The rogues surged, a wall of snarling fur and fangs closing in, a tidal wave of hunger and rage. My pulse synced with the rush of magic rising in me—wild, vtile, unrelenting. I thought of Nick: his shadowed presence, the cold safety of the Lawrence estate, the gothic spires wing at the sky. I anchored myself there, clinging to him like a lifeline.

Power snapped through me. Light and shadow twisted together, a chaotic, impossible dance that wrapped around us like a storm. The air split. Reality bent.

And then—silence.

The world ripped away, the alley dissolving into nothingness just as teeth snapped shut on empty air.

We were gone.