"Colton, Darian, you're in charge of the trainees. I don't want to include them, but we have to start somewhere. If things get bad, get them out."

Colton and Darian ran to the stairs yelling for the trainees to turn out.

Aiden turned to Gavriel. "In or out? I'm leaving it up to you."

Gavriel stepped forward. "I'm in. Even if the only thing I can do is keep your retreat path open, I'm going."

Meryn began to shake.

Aiden kissed the top of her head "It will be okay baby, just like us doing drills. We'll be back before you know it." He stepped back and looked at Ryuu.

Ryuu stepped forward and pulled Meryn to his side. "Nothing will come near her, I swear it."

"I'll hold you to that," Aiden said. They nodded at each other.

Aiden turned to the last member of the Alpha Unit. "Keelan, looks like you can try some of those visibility spells sooner than you thought." Aiden's smile was dangerous.

Keelan's answering smirk was just as deadly. "I can't wait."

Aiden looked around. The trainees were breathing hard and pulling on their gear in the foyer. The Alpa Unit members were pulling out their gear to be put on in the car while en route and checking the large duffel bags that held their weapon sand ammo.

Gavriel pulled Elizabeth close. "I have to go," he whispered.

She nodded without saying a word.

"I love you." He stepped back and kissed each eyelid gently.

"I love you too! That's why you have to come back to me," she said her heart in her throat.

"I will," he promised.

Aiden strode towards the door. "Alpha Unit. Move out."

Elizabeth prayed to anyone listening to watch over her mate.

*****

Gavriel stood to the south and took aim. Multiple rounds were going off all around him. Some of the ferals were visible, some weren't. With the extra manpower provided by the trainees, the prospect of taking out a dozen ferals wasn't impossible, but that didn't rule out fatalities. Over the radio he heard Gamma's Unit leader, Sascha, report that a fresh wave of ferals was heading their way and that Gamma was right behind them.

"Aiden! Ferals coming up on our six," he called out.

Gavriel brought his gun up and fired. He took out the feral that had been running up behind Keelan. The more they killed the more there seemed to be.

"Not too long now. Then you'll be like us," a voice taunted. Gavriel turned and fired several rounds into empty air. Heinous laughter surrounded him. Growling, he felt his fangs burst through his gums.

Not now, please Gods not now!

Taking deep breaths he focused on the sights at the end of his gun barrel and kept firing. He was reloading when more ferals spilled out of the woods from the south.

"Sonofabitch!" Aiden roared.

The ferals ignored the unit warriors and ran past them heading north towards the mountains. Sascha burst from the tree line at a dead run and began yelling out his report. "Delta and Beta got called out to take down a pack northeast of the city. Zeta and Epsilon are about fifteen klicks east of here taking down another reported dozen.

"Let's get these fuckers!" Oron yelled.

Gavriel stopped as Sascha's words sunk in. "Freeze!" he yelled. The men stopped their forward advance and fell back to surround him.

"Talk to me, Gavriel, why did you stop us?" Aiden demanded.

"All of the feral packs are converging to the north, I think they're leading us into a trap. Delta and Beta are to the northeast and Zeta and Epsilon are to the northwest. I think they have something designed for us in those mountains," he explained.

"Why would they want all the units together in the mountains?" Keelan asked thinking out loud.

Gavriel felt ice flood his veins. He turned and looked back.

"Oh Gods! We're not being led into a trap, we're being led north." Gavriel began to shake.

"What is south of here that's so special?" Christoff asked.

"Meryn," Aiden whispered.

"The Alpha estate," Colton replied at the same time.

Gavriel threw his head back and roared.

Beth!

They were after his mate. Gavriel felt his fangs descend even further as blood began to pour from his fingertips as longer, sharper claws emerged.

"Fuck! It's his apex!" Christoff turned to the men. "Stay back and no matter what you do, do not get in his way!" he yelled.

Gavriel was beyond caring. Under the surface of his skin his muscles were ripping apart. Each tendon snapped and lengthened the pain was immeasurable.

"Keep the ferals off him!" he heard Aiden yell.

Gavriel opened his blood-filled eyes. The ferals had realized that they weren't being followed and had doubled back to attack them en masse.

He opened his mouth and released a sound that thundered through the mountains. Around him even the ferals stopped to stare at him in horror. He used every ounce of pain, every spasm that set his body on fire to fuel his rage. His fangs dropped to their full battle length and his shirt ripped as his chest expanded. He was taller, broader, faster, stronger.

Laughing manically, he moved forward. Everyone was moving so slowly. Cackling, he used his new claws to rip the throats out of the ferals who seemed like they were standing still.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

He wanted blood and death. No one harmed his mate!

When he looked around and the only bodies that stood were his fellow unit members he hesitated. He tried to remember why he shouldn't kill them.