"He took his wife into the freezing forest at 2 AM to abandon her. But when the beast attacked, he realized the monster wasn't in the woods... IT WAS HER."

Contractors and mercenaries screamed as massive shadow-shapes leapt from the snowdrifts, tearing throats open and ripping through Kevlar vests with biological brutal force. The cold air filled with the coppery stink of fresh blood and gut-wrenching screams.

Alex and Victoria sprinted through the deep drifts, the crust of ice snapping beneath their boots. Victoria was losing blood fast; her movements were becoming sluggish, her breathing loud and wet.

"Victoria, slow down! You're gonna bleed out!" Alex panted, grabbing her elbow to steady her as she stumbled over a hidden root.

"Shut up..." she choked, clutching her crimson-soaked shoulder. "The estate... two miles north... the armored bunker... we can lock the gates..."

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind a massive pine tree directly in their path.

It was Elena. Her dark hair was wildly windblown, her face covered in soot and splatter. Her handgun was raised, trained squarely on Victoria's chest.

"End of the line, Victoria," Elena said, her voice eerily calm amid the distant sounds of slaughter. "Hand over the master drive in your coat, or I put a bullet between your eyes."

Victoria stopped, her body trembling with exhaustion. She let out a soft, mocking laugh. "You really think Julian cares about you, Elena? You're just a tool to him. Once he gets the money, he'll kill you just like he tried to kill me."

"Shut up!" Elena snapped, her finger tightening on the trigger. "Alex, step away from her! Move to my right!"

Alex looked at Victoria, then at Elena. His entire life had dissolved into a nightmare constructed by these two lethal women.

"Elena... please," Alex begged, taking a slow step forward, holding his hands up. "We can just run. Leave the money. Leave the Vance family. We can take my car and leave the state—"

CLACK.

Elena shifted her aim and pointed the gun directly at Alex’s forehead.

"I never loved you, Alex," she said with absolute, emotionless clarity. "You were an annoying, pathetic chore. I hated every second I had to let you touch me."

Alex felt something inside his chest snap. The cowardly fear that had dictated his entire life melted away, replaced by an intoxicating, burning rage.

"You used me," Alex whispered.

"Yes. And now you're in my way."

Before Elena could pull the trigger, a low, guttural growl vibrated through the air behind her.

Out of the darkness, a shadow bounded forward with blinding speed. Fenris, the giant alpha wolf, hit Elena from behind like a freight train.

Elena let out a sharp, strangled scream as the wolf's immense jaws clamped down around her shoulder, slamming her hard into the snow. Her gun flew from her hand, skittering across the ice toward Alex's feet.

"Alex! Help me!" Elena shrieked as the massive wolf pinned her down, its razor-sharp teeth sinking deeper into her arm. "Shoot it! Alex, shoot it!"

Alex looked down at the gun sitting in the snow. He knelt slowly and picked it up. The cold steel felt heavy and absolute in his grip. He racked the slide, chambering a round.

He walked over to where Elena was struggling beneath the beast.

"Alex! Please! I'm sorry! I'll give you everything!" she wept, horror breaking through her cold facade as the wolf growled into her face.

Alex raised the gun, aiming it at her head.