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“What do you care?” he grinned, but his gaze held something dangerous. He knew something I didn’t.
Aric had been human once. For the first time in our history, I tried to appeal to his humanity, hoping that he might think twice about hurting her.
Even if it was a fool’s hope.
“You’ll never understand what it means to love, to have a mate. That’s a strength you’ll never possess,” I growled, my muscles tensing.
“Love is a weakness, Kane. It blinds you, makes you vulnerable. Your precious mate will be your downfall.” Aric’s laughter echoed through the forest.
“You won’t lay a finger on her.” My eyes blazed with fury.
“We’ll see about that, old friend. We’ll see.” Aric’s smile widened.
I gritted my teeth. My fingers itched to reach for the gun that lay just out of my grasp, but my wounded body refused to obey. Every movement sent an agonizing wave of pain through me, and Aric knew it. He took a step closer, his expression cruel.
“You see, Kane,” he continued, his tone low and dangerous, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for centuries. The moment when I finally rid the world of your wretched existence.”
“You won’t defeat me, Aric,” I declared, my voice steady. “I’ll find a way to stop you.”
He laughed, a cold, hollow sound that sent shivers down my spine.
“You’re in no position to make threats, Kane. I have the upper hand now.” Aric raised his gun, pointing it directly at me.
“You don’t have to do this,” I said, my jaw clenching with anger.
“You see, Kane, I’m not entirely convinced that this prophecy is true. So, instead of simply killing you, I think I’ll opt for a more… satisfying approach.”
His words sent shivers down my spine, my helplessness echoing in my inability to shift or reach for the gun on the forest floor. Aric’s malevolence was palpable, and he seemed hell-bent on making every moment count.
“I’ve seen firsthand the potency of your blood,” he continued, his eyes gleaming with a wicked fascination. “It works wonders at keeping me alive. And since I have you at my mercy, I think I’ll indulge myself, slowly draining your lifeblood away, savoring every drop, and relishing the exquisite agony it brings you.”
“You’re a monster,” I whispered hoarsely.
As if summoned by some dark sorcery, several more men began to materialize from the shadows of the forest. They emerged one by one, their silhouettes growing clearer as they entered the moonlit clearing. Aric’s grin, cold and wicked, sliced through the tension in the clearing. It was a grin that chilled me to the core.
With a cruel, twisted expression, he lifted his gun, the cool steel barrel aligning with deadly accuracy directly at my head.
Just as Aric’s finger tightened on the trigger, a wild and electrifying force burst into the scene.
It was another wolf.
Its fur was a lustrous coat of midnight black, shimmering with an otherworldly sheen under the moonlight. Each muscle beneath that obsidian pelt rippled with frenzied strength. Its eyes, sharp and golden like twin flames, burned with a ferocious intelligence and a feral, unrestrained rage. The creature was a whirlwind of fur and fangs, a primal force unleashed.
What had Aric done?
Even in the midst of that chaos, I recognized my Lexie. She was unmistakable in the fierce gaze of those eyes. In her wolf form, she embodied a breathtaking mix of strength and beauty, and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was her.
Aric’s gun barked, but Lexie moved with a supernatural speed and agility that defied reality. Her powerful jaws clamped onto Aric’s wrist, causing him to scream in agony as the weapon discharged harmlessly into the night. With a swift, brutal twist of her jaws, Lexie broke his arm and sent the gun flying.
The other men, taken aback by the sudden and ferocious appearance of this new adversary, fumbled to react. Lexie didn’t give them a chance. She lunged at one of Aric’s henchmen, her jaws closing around his throat with a sickening crunch. His lifeless body crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from the fatal wound.
The remaining men, now terrified and disoriented, opened fire. But Lexie was a blur of motion, darting between the trees, dodging bullets with uncanny grace. Her attacks were swift and lethal, her wolf instincts honed to a deadly edge.
I watched in awe and fear as Lexie tore through Aric’s men like a vengeful spirit. In a matter of minutes, it was over. The clearing was littered with lifeless bodies, and Lexie stood triumphant, her chest heaving with exertion.
She turned her piercing gaze on Aric, who lay crumpled and broken on the forest floor. There was no mercy in her eyes, only the primal instincts of a predator who had just defended her territory. He’d grabbed another firearm from one of the fallen men, clutching it in bloody fingers as he stared her down. With a final, haunting howl, she lunged at him.
Aric attempted to strike Lexie with the butt of his gun, but she was quick, dodging his attack with a graceful sidestep. She snapped at his wounded wrist, making him yelp in agony. He retaliated with a wild punch, grazing Lexie’s flank. She let out a growl of pain but didn’t relent.
