SWNOVELS Chapter 48 The End
OLIVER
I slam the door open to the lab and throw my jacket on a chair as I take huge steps to Ian sitting at a desk.
The lab is quiet, save for the few dires that are whining and licking their lips.
“Shush!” I order as I scowl at them.
They growl low and turn. I watch them go back to their patrols of the halls.
“Oliver.”
“Ian. What’s going on?” I lean a hand on the desk and on the back of his chair.
“Well, besides them acting funny for the past week…” He motions to the dires. “It started after the quake.”
“What.”
I watch him type and pull up video from the east side of the lab, six floors down. The camera zooms in on the door with The Foundation insignia on it.
I stare at it then something hits it hard. I can hear the hit echo in the hall. Another hit dents the door and I flinch. I never flinch, but that dent is huge and that door is fucking thick.
“What the hell?”
“Whatever's in that room is awake and it's pissed.” Ian swallows as his shocked eyes hit mine.
“What’s in that room, Ian?” I say darkly.
“I did as much digging as I could and I think I found something…”
“Shut up!” I raise a hand to him. “Look.” I point to the monitor.
“Who the fuck?” Ian watches the monitor as closely as I do.
“Genesis.” I breathe. “What’s she doing…”
The video feed shows Genesis standing in front of the door. She smirks at the camera, raises a hand to the door and blasts it with red hot magic. The door implodes into the room and fire whooshes out as she disappears.
“Ollie…” Ian gasps.
I grip the back of his seat as a wave of shivers run over my skin. “Oh my God.”
I watch as a dinner plate sized paw hits the floor. Its claws tap on the floor then retract. Another steps out, followed by a very large tiger striped head that looks like a mix between a lycan and cat. Its yellow eyes look around the hall as its large chest follows.
I lean to the screen. “He’s fucking huge!”
“Ollie, look.” Ian points to a tall, almost razor sharp mane and a long thin tail with sharp, pointed fur at the tip. He shakes his orange and black fur out and I can tell it’s armored.
“A dire?” I study him closely.
“No. This is something else.” He types furiously and pulls up a file.
My brows cinch together as electricity encircles his body and flows from head to tail. Sparks of flame shoot from his nostrils and he shakes again. He stretches his chest and his back legs come out of the room. He turns down the hall, stops and raises his head. He roars loud enough that our eyes whip to the lab. His call out hits our ears and terror fills us.
“Ollie, this…whatever…has everything. Nymph, shape shifter, lycan, dire, vampire, even fucking Kitsune.” He turns to me.
“What? How?” I read the lab reports.
“I don’t know, but according to this, everything, and I mean everything, we’ve seen and fought so far is in that thing. There’s one more that really fucking scares me.” He says.
“What"
“Ollie. He’s a Zeta.” Ian’s voice cracks a bit.
“No. No fucking way.” I shake my head in disbelief.
Ian nods. “If these files are correct, he’s not just any Zeta.” He pulls up a photo of the creature in human form.
I take a deep breath. “Oh fuck.” I whisper as I try not to lose it.
There is very little that scares the shit of out me and this us one of them. I stare at the deep blue eyes and blonde hair. The strong jaw looks all too familiar.
“Ollie. Why did dad have Zayden Maximus as a prisoner?” Ian chokes.
I shake my head. “I have no idea.” I swallow. “We…uh…We need to capture him and put him in the room before Zander finds out.” Trying not to panic, I start for a weapons cabinet. Having the King of Wolves dead father as a prisoner in a secret underground lab, is not a very good position to be in.
“OLIVER!”
Just as he says that sounds of something ripping through the lab come from the halls. Dires cry out, howl and whine. They know.
I run back.
“He jumped. He’s ripping through the floors.”
“Follow him.” I order.
Ian works fast, flipping from security camera to security camera.
Zayden breaks through to the fifth floor and runs down the hall. He turns the corner and jumps. The screen switches and we watch his massive head rip into the forth floor. He runs down another hall, bouncing off walls and smashing the shit out of them. He crosses into the main part of the lab under us and jumps.
I look down as the floor under me starts to vibrate. He roars and I feel that too.
“OLLIE, HE’S COMING!”
“Get loaded. He’s not going anywhere.” I growl and we run the weapons cabinet. I grab guns loaded with iron.
“Are you sure that will work?” Ian asks as I hand him a semi auto.
“No, but I ain’t dying today.” I say as I ready my semi auto and aim out to the lab.
Ian runs to the monitor. “He’s crossed into the second.”
“How does he even know?” I stare at the floor trying to anticipate his arrival.
“I don’t know, Ollie, but he definitely wants out like, right now.” Ian points to the floor.
“Where the hell are my dires?” I grit as I side step around the floor.
A large bang hit the floor and I felt it run through me.
Sounds of claws digging into the underside of the floor fill the room.
“Come on, you royal son of a bitch. Show me that pretty brain.” I growl as I wait.
Ian aims his gun as the floor seems to rise.
My heart races and I start to sweat as the floor rises and falls.
“Come on.” I clench.
The sounds go quiet and I glance at Ian. “Did he give up?”
I step to the spot where he was.
“OLLIE! LOOK OUT!”
Zayden hollers a high pitched, ear piercing scream as he explodes out of the floor.
Concrete, tiles and whatever else flies in all directions with me along with it.
His massive body jumps up through the hole and lands. He fills the room and I land on my back. Ian falls behind me and grabs me around my chest.
Along with fear, I’m also filled with awe. He’s beautiful. His muscles flex and his white trimmed head raises to investigate where he is. He sniffs the air and looks around.
Zayden stands tall. He’s like a massive tiger with a wolf mix. His claw dig into the floor on either side on the hole he just made.
His sights train on us and he cocks his head. It lowers and his lip snarls. His long white whiskers flick as his yellow eyes study us hard.
He takes a step toward us and huffs a loud breath. I watch his large feet spread as he walks slowly and they bear his weight. I see his claws peek. They’re as big as my hand, if not bigger.
He lowers his head more and starts to sniff us. His nose is just inches from my face and practically half the size of my head.
“Oliver…” Ian grips me as I don’t dare move. I shoot him a look of death as I slowly reach for my weapon.
“Steady.” I say low as my fingers find the trigger.
Zayden starts to growl.
“Yeah…I get that, asshole.” I snarl. “I dare you.”
Zayden’s eyes flick between me and Ian. He licks his lips and his eyes narrow.
My dires howl and Zayden looks behind him.
“HEY, DICKHEAD!”
He turns back and I fire at him.
He rears up, growls loud and jumps for the ceiling.
The bullets ricochet off his fur as he runs across the ceiling.
“HE’S HEADED FOR THE HOUSE!”
“FUCK!”
Zayden hits the floor and runs.
We chase after him as he smashes through the door separating the lab and my mother’s sewing room.
“DAMN IT!”
I shoot at him and miss.
We hit the basement and Zayden rips through the door. He runs through my basement like a bull through a China shop.
“Son of a bitch! Quit wrecking my stuff!!” I yell as he hits the stairs. He jumps them all and his body destroys the basement door and the walls it’s attached to.
I jump up half way and climb the rest as he turns into the house.
I hear him rip and destroy his way out.
When I get upstairs he’s so heavy, he breaks my floor tiles and leaves large holes in the drywall.
I skid to a stop. “No. Not Ez.” My hands fist my hair as Zayden hits the hallway and bumps into Ezra’s statute. It starts to fall and I run for it. I catch it and call my wolf to hold it.
“IAN!!” I grind out.
Ian runs to me and takes some of the weight.
Smashing glass and wood has my eyes flick to my front door which is now a big gaping hole.
Zayden stops and looks around. I hear people scream as he looks up to the sun. He blinks at it and raises a paw. He licks it then turns his head east.
My jaw drops as he roars then explodes in black smoke.
We push the statue back onto her pedestal and I lean my hands on my knees. I huff to catch my breath and lower my head.
“Fuck me.” I growl.
THE END
This concludes the Behind The Alpha Series. Thank you so much for reading Adam. This has been an experience for me and I enjoyed sharing all my background characters with you.
Adam's adventures with Astrid will continue in The Axelridge Series Book 3 Marc's Stolen Heart.
To read my series in order:
The Falcon Ridge Series
The Phoenix Mountain Series
Behind The Alpha/The Axelridge Series Books 1 to 3 (Series crossovers)
The Axelridge Series Books 4 to 6
From the Authors Desk
Coming Summer/Fall of 2023 – Exclusive on Ream, Patreon and Kofi
The Snow Queen’s Hunter
Christian Whitaker only wants to give his people a home. When the eldest Nymph sister, Iris, threatens that home, Christian goes on the hunt. Not knowing the danger he’s in, Christian must survive Iris and convince her to leave his people be. Iris only wants to freeze his already cold heart and rid herself of the fire/ice wolf once and for all…for his own sake.
Coming Soon 2023:
Wolves Of London Series Book 1 The House Of Maximus
The High Council of the Supernatural was built on the blood spilled over centuries of reign. What no one knew was who’s blood was spilled. After a new member joins the council, she becomes a threat to exposing the secrets of the dead. With the help of a stranger who lands at her feet, she must survive to expose the corruption that the House Of Maximus never knew existed. The Council is also rocked by the re-emergence of their king, Zayden Maximus. The idol of Zanders eyes, he has no idea the depths his father went to, to keep his crown.
Upcoming
Oceans Of Atlas Series
The Falcon Rises Series
The Falcons Reflection Series
Draco: A Dragon Born – Exclusive Stand alone
The Wolves Of the Woods Series -Nomad Council
The Tale Of The Firsts
*This list is not in order and all titles subject to change. Book releases TBA
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M. McTier