tack.”
Chapter 99
-Maya’s POV-
The world erupted into a cacophony of snarls, growls, and the sickening thud of flesh on flesh. Alex’s command echoed in my ears, a death knell shattering the fragile peace we’d all clung to for the past hour.
Before I could even blink, his wolves were a blur of fur and fangs, launching themselves towards the center platform where my father stood, his own wolves scrambling to meet the attack. A primal scream tore from my throat as I watched Alex himself shift. The human form I knew, the one that had haunted my dreams and stolen my heart, dissolved before my eyes. In his place stood a magnificent beast, a black wolf, its fur rippling with raw power.
A guttural roar ripped from Alex’s wolf, a sound that sent shivers down my spine and echoed the primal fear rising within me. My father’s pack didn’t hesitate. With snarls of their own, they too shifted, a wave of brown and gray fur surging forward to meet the oncoming black
tide.
The clash was instantaneous, a whirlwind of snapping teeth and thrashing claws. The air grew thick with the stench of fur and blood, the polished floor of the hall slick with crimson. I stood rooted in place, paralyzed by the sudden, brutal violence that unfolded before me.
Then, a cold realization washed over me, sharp and undeniable. This wasn’t a show of force, a fight for dominance. This was a massacre. Alex
hadn’t come here to negotiate peace; he’d come here to destroy.
A frantic voice broke through the haze of terror clouding my mind. “Amaya!” I whipped my head around, searching for the source of the shout. Relief flooded me as I saw Ivan pushing his way through the throng of fighting wolves, his face etched with concern.
Instinct took over. I needed to find Natalia and Sarah, get them out of this madness. “Ivan,” I shouted, my voice barely audible over the growing chaos, “Natalia and Sarah! I need to find them!”
He reached me, his grip firm as he pulled me towards a side door leading out of the hall. “We need to get you out of here first,” he yelled, his voice strained. “I’ll find them once I get you safe.”
Panic gnawed at me. I understood his logic, the need to get me out of harm’s way. But I couldn’t just abandon them. “No! I can’t leave them!”
“Amaya, this is not up for debate!” Ivan’s voice held a steely edge I hadn’t heard before. He grabbed my arm and began dragging me towards
the exit.
My eyes darted frantically around the hall, searching for any sign of Natalia or Sarah amidst the swirling mass of fur and fangs. Then, in the distance, I saw them. My father and Alex, locked in a vicious light, their wolf forms a tangle of snarling fury.
A primal scream ripped from my throat. They were going to kill each other. In that moment, everything else faded away- the chaos, the fear, the need to escape. All I saw was my father, the man who raised me even though he hates me, and Alex, the man I knew I still loved despite
everything, locked in a deadly struggle.
Before Ivan could stop me, I ripped my arm free from his grasp and bolted towards them. “No!” he roared after me, but I was already in the desperate need to intervene overriding every ounce of common sense.
running,
My sprint across the blood–slicked floor felt like running through an adrenaline–fueled dream. The snarls and growls intensified as I got closer, punctuated by the sickening crack of bone on bone. Each step felt like wading through mud, my breath coming in ragged gasps that tore at my lungs.
Just as I reached the outskirts of the fighting frenzy, a massive brown wolf, easily twice the size of any I’d ever seen, slammed into my father,
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Chapter 99
sending him sprawling across the ground. My heart lurched, dread twisting in my gut.
A strangled cry escaped my lips as I saw my father trying to scramble to his feet, his wolf form diminished, ragged gashes marking his gray fur. Suddenly, a flash of black fur shot past me. Alex’s wolf, a blur of lethal grace, tackled the brown from the side. They tumbled across the floor in a whirlwind of snarling fury, the sound of teeth snapping and claws ripping echoing through the hall, my father forgotten.
I wondered why Alex was helping my father but fear didn’t let me focus on it and it threatened to consume me, but something else, a flicker of my wolf within, urged me forward. I wouldn’t stand by and watch him be ripped to shreds. With a deep breath that did little to calm the frantic pounding of my heart, I felt my wolf finally break through the cage that had bound her in my head and I did the one thing I hadn’t done in four years.
I shifted.
The transformation was instantaneous, a wave of searing pain followed by a rush of power surging through my body. My vision sharpened, the world narrowing to a predator’s focus. I saw the glint of the brown wolf’s fangs as he lunged for Alex’s throat, his eyes filled with a feral hunger that sent chills down my spine.
Without hesitation, I launched myself towards him, aiming for his side. With a primal roar, I slammed into him, driving him back a few steps. He whipped his head around, his yellow eyes narrowing in surprise as he met my defiant gaze.
The massive brown wolf let out a surprised yelp as I collided with him. His momentum faltered, giving Alex’s wolf a vital edge in their fight But whoever he was was a seasoned warrior, and his surprise quickly melted away, replaced by a snarl so vicious it sent shivers down my spine. He lunged at me, his massive jaws snapping inches from my ear.
Instinct took over. I twisted away from his attack, my wolf’s agility giving me an advantage against his brute strength. We danced around each other, a deadly ballet on the blood–soaked floor. I darted in and out, nipping at his flanks, trying to draw his attention away from the fight with Alex
However, the wolf was no fool. He anticipated my attacks with surprising speed, his yellow eyes gleaming with predatory intelligence. Each missed attack left me vulnerable, and the growing pain in my leg, a result of a swipe from his paw earlier in the chaos, made my movements
sluggish
A thunderous roar echoed through the hall, drawing my attention back to the central brawl. My father’s wolf, fueled by rage and desperation, had managed to get back on his feet and was now charging towards Alex. With a sickening thud, he slammed into Alex’s side, sending him
sprawling
The sight of my father fighting Alex, the two alphas locked in a deadly struggle, ignited a fresh wave of fear and confusion within me. My wolf whined in protest, torn between her loyalty to the pack and the lingering affection she held for Alex.
But before I could act, the wolf seized his opportunity. With a powerful lunge, he knocked me to the ground, his massive weight pinning me down. A sharp pain lanced through my shoulder as his teeth sank into my flesh. I roared in agony, clawing at his fur with desperate fury.
A flash of black fur caught my eye. Alex, having fended off my father’s attack, was now charging towards me. Just as the wolf was about to deliver another punishing bite, Alex slammed into him with the force of a battering ram. The impact sent them both tumbling across the hall, a tangle of snarling fury.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I scrambled to my feet. My shoulder throbbed with pain, and blood dripped from the wound. But the adrenaline coursing through my veins ignored the injuries.
The battlefield was pure pandemonium. Wolves from both sides were locked in a brutal fight, the air thick with the stench of blood and fur. My father and Alex, now separated by the warring packs, snarled and snapped at each other, their rivalry overshadowing any semblance of
reason.
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Ignoring the searing pain in my leg and the throbbing wound on my shoulder, I launched myself back into the fray. My wolf yowled in defiance, her primal instinct to protect. But who? The answer was muddled, lost in the chaos.
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Time seemed to slow as I tore towards them, the raw power of my wolf surging through me. But before I could reach them, a blinding flash tore through the hall. A deafening crack of thunder split the air, and the ground trembled beneath my paws.
The massive chandelier above us, caught in the crossfire of the battle, came crashing down. Shards of glass rained dowit like deadly arrows, the wolves scattering in a panicked frenzy.
The world seemed to disintegrate around me as I dove for cover, bracing myself for the inevitable impact.
