With my abdomen bleeding profusely, I hobbled after Bria to find her. But with every step I took, my heart broke just a little bit more.

Bria couldn't control herself. This was the first time that I saw her as a wolf, the first time she had shifted, and I hadn't been there to help her out of it. Instead, I fucking let The Council take her from me. I let them brainwash her.

I knew that she wouldn't be able to control herself when she turned for the first time. I should've fucking been here. I should've been the one leading her and protecting her. But I hadn't been strong enough, nor had I been smart enough either.

Yet I persevered and continued.

"We aren't strong enough," my wolf said.

He had always been the one to hype me up, to make me stronger. Now, he didn't think he was good enough to protect Bria, because she was stronger than he was and because she was the One Alpha. We had seen it with our own eyes.

Even though I wanted to succumb to the pain and the thoughts, I refused.

All that mattered was that Bria was out there, brainwashed and terrified of Thiago. When I marked that pretty neck of hers—hell, when I saw her walk through that hallway on the first day of class—I vowed to protect her from all the bad things in this life.

She wouldn't slip through my fingers that easily.

Everyone of the teeth-baring wolves around me suddenly stopped lunging at me, the darkness fading from their eyes and their bodies slowly transforming back into their humans. I glanced at every one of them and inhaled sharply, my breath catching.

"We're free," one said, dropping to her knees and sobbing uncontrollably. "Finally free."

Their aggression suddenly turned to intense excitement, their angry expressions transforming into happiness. Each and every one of them transformed from their wolves to their humans and began hugging each other.

They were free.

And... I was free too.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and I giggled. I fucking giggled the pain away. This was over. All of this was over. I wouldn't have to worry about Thiago messing with my life anymore. We were all free.

One of the warriors approached me. "Thank you so much for saving us."

"We'll do anything for you," another said, falling in front of me and bowing his head.

Suddenly, the other wolves followed suit and bowed their heads to me. I stared at them through wide and surprised eyes, not sure what this meant, but wolves did that to Callum. Maybe it was a sign of respect.

"You don't need to do anything for me," I said.

"Please," a younger male wolf said. "You must want something."

I glanced around the wolves and frowned, not sure what to say. "All I want is for this to be over. I don't want anything from any of you. I want to be happy and to be able to raise my pup without the constant fear of Thiago looming over me."

"We will do anything to protect you and your pup," the first man said, grinning widely.

My heart raced as I looked at each of the warriors. "I also want to help the community. I don't want this to ever happen again. I don't want anyone to fear that they're going to be taken or brainwashed. It's unacceptable."

I thought back to my first day of classes. I had been so timid, too timid to even tell Jasmine to back off the guy I liked. But now, I felt like I was the most powerful woman alive, and all I wanted to do was to stand up for the weak and girls and boys like me, the people who had been taken advantage of by anyone—even their family.

"I want to keep The Council." I stood firm in my decision. "But I want it to do good."

"We can do good," an older woman said to me. "We can save this world."

My lips curled into a smile, and I nodded. "I would love that."

"Anything for the One Alpha."

And while they all cheered and smiled, celebrated that they were free and that we would change this world for good, all I could think about was Callum. What would he think of me? I had hurt him—had nearly killed him—and endangered his pack. I didn't even know if Thiago brought them those medicine duffle bags filled to the brim with medication. Did they even get healed?

Worst of all, I couldn't stop thinking that Callum would reject me the next time I saw him.

It was stupid to believe those smutty werewolf books that I had devoured when Callum first caught my eye, but everything in them had been true so far. Sometimes alphas rejected their mates if they weren't particularly obedient enough.

And I had done everything to disobey Callum.

I betrayed him. I ran from him. I nearly killed him.

"No," my wolf whimpered, not even wanting me to think such things.

"We hurt him and his pack," I said, chest tightening. "I wouldn't put it past him, if he did."

The crowd in front of me suddenly became silent. I glanced toward them once more to see their heads bowed as if they were giving me permission to lead them on this new and exciting opportunity.

But I didn't know the first thing about wolves, even though I was one.

"Lead us," one wolf said. "Please."

Nervously, I nodded. "Okay," I whispered, glancing around until my gaze finally lifted from the warriors and to the first. And that's when I saw Professor Callum Lee watching me from a distance, his gold eyes on me and his lips curled into a smile.