300 Days With The Alpha Beta Triplets

THIRD PERSON POV:

The air reeked of blood and smoke, thick with the cries of war. The Dusk Pack's territory, once a sprawling, serene land, had become a battlefield drowned in chaos. The moon hung low, partially obscured by clouds, casting pale light on the destruction below. Growls and screams filled the night as werewolves clashed with vampires in a brutal fight. Ryder stood at the heart of the storm, his wolf eyes glowing a fierce gold as he ripped through the enemy ranks with unrelenting force. His clothes were torn and soaked in blood. He wondered how his father was doing and if he thought of him often. Then there was Bella, whom he hadn't heard from in a while. As he fought, he was determined to win because there were a lot of people he needed to reconnect with.

They had been torn apart after the vampires struck their den, forcing them to flee back to the Dusk Pack with Riley. He had been scared of his father's wrath, but now he wished he had listened.

"Behind you!" Ryder roared at Finn, who had a vampire approaching from behind. Finn caught him in time, sinking his teeth into the vampire's neck. Then he injected his venom, pulling away and watching the vampire fight for his life.

A vampire lunged at Ryder from the side, its eyes glinting under the moonlight. Ryder turned just in time. He ducked beneath the vampire's swipe and shifted partially-his claws lengthening and muscles bulging as he swung his arm upward. His claws sliced through the vampire's chest, ripping the creature apart. The body crumpled to the ground in a heap, but Ryder didn't have time to celebrate the kill.

"Ryder!"

The shout came from Kai, whose wolf form leapt into view, his jaws snapping around the neck of a vampire that had nearly gotten too close. With a brutal shake of his head, Kai tore the creature apart, blood spraying across the ground.

"Thanks, man!" Ryder said, panting heavily. "They're swarming faster than we can hold them."

They had been fighting for days, and the vampires didn't seem to diminish. It was as though they had a vampire- making machine vomiting them out every hour.

"We need to know where they are coming from, and that way, we might be able to stop them," Kai said.

"I feel this is a distraction for something greater," Riley said as he tossed away the heart of a vampire, watching it crash to the ground. He shifted back into his human form, his breath ragged. "We haven't heard from the girls in days, and I don't even know if they are still alive."

For now, they were done with the vampires that were in sight, waiting for the next batch, which would arrive in a matter of minutes.

"We have to find a way out of this place. Look at us-we've been fighting for days, and we don't even know what's happening in other packs. This is just the outskirts, and they've killed almost all the soldiers."

As Ryder looked around, he cursed under his breath, gritting his teeth, while Finn complained.

"I am so confused at this moment, and I can't even figure out where we went wrong." He ran his hands over his face roughly.

Before he could give another order, a sudden screech echoed across the battlefield. A group of vampires approached. One was far larger and more monstrous than the others. Its eyes glowed an unnatural red, and its claws were curved like scythes. Two wolves were flung aside like rag dolls as the creatures charged forward.

"Take that thing down!" Ryder growled, and the four of them charged at it at once.

Finn shifted fully into his wolf form and sprinted around the creature's left, while Kai moved to the right. Ryder charged head-on. The vampire lunged at Ryder first, claws extended. Ryder dodged at the last second, spinning to the side and raking his claws across its back, leaving deep gouges that oozed dark blood. The creature roared in fury and swung an arm back at him. Ryder blocked the blow with his forearm, though the impact sent a jolt of pain through his bones.

"Now!" Ryder shouted.

Kai pounced first, his wolf sinking his fangs into the creature's shoulder, his jaws clamping down with bone-snapping force. The vampire shrieked, stumbling, but before it could react, Finn leapt from the opposite side, his claws tearing into its gut. The beast's movements became sluggish as the twins' attacks overwhelmed it.

"Finish it!" Ryder barked.

He lunged, his form shifting fully into his massive black wolf. With a snarl, he sank his jaws into the vampire's throat and ripped it out, the creature's final screech cutting off into silence as its body crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

Ryder shifted back, breathing heavily as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

"They're definitely trying to wear us out, and I think they're succeeding," Ryder said between heavy breaths. Riley, who had been fighting the new troop of vampires with the army of wolves, returned to his friends. "Fuck, I'm exhausted!" he groaned.

The battlefield seemed to still for a moment, the aftermath of their last victory leaving only the sound of their ragged breaths and the distant crackle of fire. Ryder's instincts remained on edge, his eyes darting around the field. He could feel something approaching.

They all braced themselves for another wave of vampires, but only one figure came forward. Ryder's eyes widened as he saw his father. Ryder froze where he stood, his chest tightening as his mind struggled to process what he was seeing.

"Dad!" The word left his mouth, and his breath hitched.

"Why is he here?" Kai asked, but Ryder couldn't care. He rushed toward his father, his heart thundering in his chest. Fred stopped, his gaze soft as Ryder closed the distance between them and crashed into him. He pulled his son into an embrace, his heart aching as Ryder clung to him as though he were still a little kid. He knew that telling Ryder he was dead would break him, but Ryder had to find out one day.

"You're here, but how? You're supposed to be at the Frost Pack," Ryder said, his words breaking him further.

Fred's strong arms held him briefly before he stepped back, his eyes heavy with sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Ryder. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me most.'

11

Ryder frowned, his brow furrowing deeply as he glared at his father. As far as he was concerned, the man was blabbing, and he would give anything for this moment not to be over.

"What are you talking about?"

Fred inhaled slowly, his gaze meeting Ryder's.

"I'm dead, son. Enzo killed me."

The words struck Ryder like a hammer to his chest. He staggered back, shaking his head in denial. He pinched himself

to be sure he wasn't dreaming, and when he confirmed this was happening in real life, he shook his head.

"No... No, you're not. You're standing right here." His hands reached for his father, touching his flesh, so it made no sense to him.

"The barrier between the living and the dead has been breached. That's why I'm here now. The balance is broken, Ryder. There was a spell held to release Radolf, and it went wrong. Sebastian tampered with it, so instead of bringing Radolf back to life, it tore the veil between life and death, but just for wolves and witches."

Ryder's fists curled tightly, his entire body trembling with anger.

"Dad, no!" Ryder yelled, refusing to accept what his father was telling him. His heart ached badly, and he didn't want to break in front of everyone, but this was his father. "Dad, please. Tell me this is a lie and you're still here. I promise to act right, I-"

Fred placed a firm hand on Ryder's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I tried to protect you, but it was just Enzo fooling me." Fred spilled what happened at the den and how he was killed.

"That bastard!" Ryder growled as his hands curled into fists.

"Listen to me carefully. Don't let your rage blind you. Enzo is stronger than ever-far stronger than you realize. He'll destroy you if you rush in without a plan."

Tears crawled down Ryder's face when his father said this. He struggled hard to release his grip and embrace the fact that his father was actually gone.

"I don't care! He killed you! He's taken everything!" Ryder roared as the rage tore through him.

"And he'll take more if you're not careful," Fred said sharply, his grip tightening around his son's shoulder. "Bella is still here, and that is what matters. If you don't think before you act, then you could lose her too. So please, keep your emotions in check."

Ryder nodded, then inhaled sharply, trying to focus on controlled breathing.

"I needed to find you all. This was just a distraction. We need to get to where the girls are to help them. The main fight is there, and Radolf Clawmark has been released." Their eyes widened in shock.