Seeing that, it growled, and her heart skipped a beat. Every cell in her body as well as the alarm bells blaring in her head told her to run but somehow, her heart was telling her to do the opposite and foolishly, her legs couldn't do anything other than step back slowly. 

The further she stepped away, the more the beast growled, and Esme was at a loss. What should she do? What could she do? Her thoughts halted when the beast stepped forward. Its steps are deliberately slow, but its eyes never left hers. 

She was about to turn around and run when it closed the distance with a single leap, and she stumbled backward. Her breathing was heavy, her chest rose and fell as the adrenaline rushed in, but even with that, all she could do was sit and wait.  

As he loomed over her, Esme shut her eyes, waiting for the pain that she thought was inevitable. On the other side, Alicia, although she could move a muscle on her own, shouted, urging Esme to run and save herself. 

“Run my lady. Please run,” Alicia's voice did reach her, but before Esme could open her eyes and make a run for it, the beast growled again, and she fell back with her heart almost in her mouth. Even Alicia went silent, and Esme forced her eyes open. When she saw that Alicia was still unharmed, she relaxed and looked at the beast before her. 

Who was this? What was his deal? Esme wondered.

His red eyes were a perfect contrast with his white fur and the black blood that stained it didn't do any good and smelt terribly bad but right now was not the time to be talking about what smelt good or bad. The beast right in front of her was her major problem. He was drawing too close for comfort, but strangely, the closer he got, the less intimidating he was to her.

“Your Majesty,” voice tore through the tense air, and the beast paused, and Esme's head snapped in the direction of the voice. 

There stood Leonardo with the royal warriors that had come along with them. They were all in their beast form safe for Leonardo himself, who reverted back so he could communicate. He never imagined he would come and see the king stalking a girl, and what on earth was going on with the pack? 

The beast growled, and Leonardo raised his hands and took a step back. “You are scaring the girl,” he said. His tone was soft but carried an urgency in it. 

The beast turned back once again and looked at Esme, whose breath was still labored, and his eyes shifted, changing from red to black as Grant fought for control and won. 

Seeing that as the opening, Leonardo moved forward while ordering the warriors to help the pack while he went to help Esme up on her feet. “Are you all right?” He asked. He could feel her hands tremble even as he held her, but she still nodded her head.

“I am fine,” she said and pulled her hands from his hold and rushed to Alicia's side. She hugged her and whispered, “It's okay now. We are safe. Help has come,” to Alicia, who could only nod. The fear that she felt was yet to settle, and she still trembled.

“But the pack…it…it's gone,” Alicia stuttered. She could see the new warriors going into the demolished packhouse, but what could they save now. 

Esme looked at the packhouse and felt an ache in her heart, but that was all. She didn't pity the lives that were lost. She just felt bad that the place that held so many memories for her, both the good and the bad, was now gone.

“It's just a building,” Esme said. Her tone was soft but carried an indifference, which had Alicia whipping her head to meet her gaze, unable to believe that Esme would say something like that.

“Are you ladies all right?” An unfamiliar voice disrupted their talk, and Esme was glad that he did. 

As she turned, the other man was gone, and who stood before was someone with a similar aura as the white beast that had nearly given them a heart attack. His eyes were still black, and she couldn't tell if he was the actual color of his eyes or evidence that his beast was yet to fully recede.

“Thank you for saving us,” Esme said, still unfamiliar with the man. All she knew was that he was an alpha with a massive beast, strong and powerful and the man who just saved them and lent a helping hand to the NightCrawler Pack in its moment of need, completely forgetting the way the other man had addressed him earlier.

“You don't have to be so polite,” Grant said. His eyes took in the girl before him. She was young, but quite an eye candy. Her silver strands were another intriguing factor. But he still couldn't believe that she was the sole reason he was here. The one who had nearly driven him and his beast mad.

Esme just smiled at his statement and looked back at Alicia. She helped her up to her feet and then both bowed. “It isn't right not to treat an alphas as he should.” Esme said, and he frowned. 

Does she not feel it? He asked him, and this had his beast pacing back and forth in his head, once again restless, but luckily, he didn't try to push through to the surface.

“Everything seems to have quieted down, my lady. We should be able to leave now before Alpha Dane and Dawson notice,” Alicia said. Now, prioritizing their safety over everything else. 

“Yes, let's go,” Esme said. They inve again bowed to the unknown Alpha and were about to walk past him when he held Esme's hand and as if she was electrocuted, she pulled away and stepped back immorality and then looked up at him, shocked and afraid. 

"No," she uttered, her eyes wide and the fear in them apparent.