#Chapter 45: Teeth and Fury

DEREK The world narrowed to teeth and fury. Erebus was in control now—no hesitation, no strategy, just raw instinct. He tore through the rogues with savage efficiency, blood and fur flying, jaws snapping, claws ripping. This wasn’t the ballroom. This wasn’t ceremony or restraint. This was war. And Erebus had been waiting too damn long to be let off his leash. We lunged forward, jaws locking onto the hind leg of a rogue trying to drag a wounded warrior toward the hallway. The crunch of bone was followed by a yelp, then silence. Another threat down. We pivoted, eyes scanning the chaos. Blood soaked the marble floors. Tables were overturned, glass shattered across the tile like ice. Wolves—some in human form, others shifted—fought side by side, their growls echoing like thunderclaps in a storm. Near the far wall, I saw Elder Wren, one of the oldest Alphas in the region—battered but holding his own. His wolf was massive, still broad despite age, his muzzle a grizzled gray. He