33.

Alessio slammed the door of his car and stepped on the gas, leaving a trail of dust behind him. He was heading to the city, the place where the humans lived and thrived, oblivious to the existence of his kind.

He needed a distraction, a way to forget the horrors he had witnessed at the trial. He had tried to run away from his pain, literally, by shifting into his wolf form and roaming the woods for hours. But it was useless. The image of Vitale, standing over his mate with a smirk on his face, haunted him relentlessly.

How could he let this happen? How could he fail to protect the one person who meant everything to him? He clenched his jaw and gripped the steering wheel, feeling a surge of anger and frustration. He was weak, he knew it. He had always been weaker than Vitale, who was the alpha of their pack and had the power to do whatever he pleased. Alessio could not challenge him, not without risking his own life and the lives of those who followed him. He cursed under his breath, w