Defy The Alpha(s) - Chapter 722

Chapter 722: A Run For Power
“Fucking hell,” Violet muttered as the Cardinal Alphas whizzed past her in the blink of an eye.

Even though she had braced herself—mentally hyping herself up to bolt the moment the signal was given—it still caught her off guard how fast they took off. She had pushed herself, really pushed, and it still wasn’t enough.

No wonder they dominated lycan fangball.

But Violet refused to accept that outcome.

“Come on, girl,” she urged her wolf. “Show them what you’ve got.”

She pushed Thalia harder because if she lost, Roman would never let her hear the end of it.

In answer, Thalia howled excitedly inside her mind, and then she ran like her life depended on it.

Her powerful paws slammed into the earth with furious force, muscles burning as power surged through her. The world blurred at the edges as her instinct took over, and she chased after her mates with everything she had.

Griffin was the last amongst the cardinal alphas, with Alaric leading the pack—though Roman stayed almost neck and neck with him, one of them moving ahead for a moment only for the other to steal the lead the next. It was a constant shift of power and speed, the both trading places in a blur of fur.

Violet wished that she could mindlink with them. Maybe she could distract them, play some clever trick, and turn the race in her favor. But that wasn’t possible. Not yet.

All mates could mindlink. When Violet had asked Thalia why she couldn’t, the answer had been simple and frustrating: there was a breakage. The bond wasn’t complete.

Violet knew exactly what that meant.

Asher hadn’t bonded with her.

Strangely, she was grateful for it. If she couldn’t mindlink with all of them, then at least Asher wasn’t the only one left out. She couldn’t imagine how lonely that would feel

being the single voice locked outside the circle. For once, the Moon Goddess had done something right.

Her focus snapped back to the race.

She was now running neck and neck with Griffin. Even in wolf form, he was enormous, easily the biggest among them. His red fur gleamed under the morning sun, powerful and breathtaking. For a fleeting second, Violet found herself admiring him, the sheer majesty of his stride.

But size came with drawbacks.

Griffin covered more ground with every step, while Thalia had to push harder—nearly three strides for every one of his—to keep pace. Her paws burned as she forced more speed, her muscles adapting to the space.

And then, she surged.

Violet ran passed him, and Griffin released a sound that could only be described as a resigned laugh. Thalia chuffed in satisfaction, a wolfish chuckle rumbling through Violet’s chest.

Next up was Asher Nightshade.

The moment Asher sensed her presence beside him, he accelerated. His black fur blurred as he poured on speed, determination radiating from him in waves.

That was not surprising. The guy never liked to lose and he was not starting now.

“Ugh!” Violet groaned aloud, refusing to give in. “Come on, girl. We’ve got this,” she urged Thalia the more.

As if answering the call, Thalia’s pace increased again, now finding her balance. Violet matched Asher stride for stride, their rhythm syncing so perfectly it almost felt intentional.

Well, it was.

Asher’s wolf frowned at their pace.

Violet had never seen a wolf frown before, but there it was—his expression was tight with disbelief as Violet kept adding speed no matter how fast he ran. Thalia cast him a smug look, her tail flicking as if in challenge.

Then she shot forward in a sudden burst, leaving Asher behind in a rush of wind.

If wolves could curse, Violet was certain Asher was doing exactly that.

She laughed, breathless and exhilarated, pride swelling in her chest. For the first time, truly and completely, Violet was so proud of her wolf.

If overrunning Griffin and Asher had felt like a victory, then chasing Roman and Alaric was a humbling reminder of exactly who she was dealing with.

Those two were monsters. They were not just fast, but devastatingly, cruelly fast.

Roman’s green wolf moved with reckless confidence, his stride loose and powerful, while Alaric’s stunning white wolf was something else entirely. He did not merely run but consumed distance.

Violet could feel the burn almost immediately. She never imagined running this much, not to mention pushing herself to this extent unlike the cardinal alphas who had years of practice on them.

Yet she refused to slow down or give up.

Roman and Alaric gave the others so much space that it was almost insulting. Violet had a feeling that was intentional. Alaric and Roman tend to be childish at times. Not that she could blame them, this was a competition and everyone was trying their best.

Roman shot Alaric a sideways glance, his tongue lolling briefly as if laughing mid-run. Unlike Roman, Alaric was so focused he did not even look back to check his competitors.

They were approaching the end of the line, and Violet knew, instinctively, that if nothing changed, she would lose.

Finally, Alaric turned his head, and sensed her.

The moment his gaze flicked back, something changed. As if he had been holding back all along, Alaric unleashed hell.

Electricity exploded across his white fur, bright veins of crackling light snapping and dancing along his shoulders and spine.

He raced faster.

Violet’s jaw nearly dropped as she watched him pull away, the distance between them stretching impossibly fast. Even Roman faltered for half a second, startled, before snarling and pushing harder.

Violet’s chest heaved as she chased Roman now, her focus narrowing.

“We are not going to catch them,” Violet thought desperately.

Thalia’s voice answered, calm and proud.

I am not just a wolf, Violet. I am one of a kind.

Violet barely had time to process the words before her body felt different.

Her shoulders tightened and a pressure built along her back, unfamiliar and terrifying. Her balance shifted. Her stride changed.

Realization hit her like a punch.

“No. No, no, no,” Violet panicked. “Thalia, do not do that.”

But it was too late.

Thalia took over and her wings tore free.

It was not gentle nor cautious at all. Her wings burst outward in a glorious, violent unfurling of purple, catching the air with a thunderous snap. Violet screamed, but it came out as a wild, exhilarated howl that ripped through the clearing.

And then they were airborne.

The ground dropped away.

The garden stretched beneath them, a patchwork of stunning colors and stone. The wind rushed past her fur, heart pounding against her ribs as Thalia flapped, powerful and sure, lifting them just high enough that the world looked suddenly smaller.

Violet’s panic lasted all of three seconds before the awe took over.

They were flying. Fuck, they were indeed flying.

It was not soaring into the clouds, but they skimmed the air enough, their massive shadow racing alongside the wolves below. Griffin and Asher faltered mid-stride, skidding slightly as they looked up, startled, their jaws dropping.

Roman nearly tripped, but Alaric did not slow.

He ran harder.

Pride burned through the bond, sharp and electric. Violet felt it even without words. This was no longer a game. This was a challenge.

Thalia answered it with a triumphant roar.

She pumped her wings harder, muscles flexing, air screaming around them as they surged forward. The end of the clearing rushed closer.

Too fast.

Violet’s excitement twisted into fear.

“Thalia,” she cried. “We are too fast.”

The wolf did not answer.

She dove.

The world tilted violently while the air roared in her ears. Violet screamed again, this time in pure terror, her voice shredding as Thalia folded her wings and plunged.

“No. Thalia, stop!”

Violet fought for control, panic flooding her senses as the ground rushed up towards her at a terrifying speed.

She can’t do this! Thalia would be the death of her.

Unfortunately, thanks to the power struggle, Thalia lost focus and they hit the ground hard.

With a body that massive crashing from speed and height, the impact was catastrophic. The ground cracked, dirt and stone exploded outward in a violent wave.

Violet felt everything at once. The bone-jarring shock, the air driven from her lungs and the world spinning violently.

Then there was silence as dust filled the air.

Asher was the first to shift, his human form snapping into place as he ran, terror raw in his voice. “Violet!”

Roman skidded to a stop moments later, shifting mid-motion, eyes wide with shock. Griffin followed close behind, already reaching for her.

But Alaric arrived first.

He shifted so quickly it was impressive as hell, dropping to his knees beside her as the dust settled, his hands shaking as he reached for her. “Violet?! Violet, are you okay?”

She groaned, rolling slightly, coughing as she sucked in a painful breath. The furs on her body began to recede, her bones reshaping until she lay there in human form once more, except her purple wings were still there.

“I’m good,” Violet said quickly, wincing as she pushed herself up. “I’m good. Just…” She stretched experimentally, hissing. “Ugh. That hurts.”