AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bane steps forward as the other wolves start to back away. He’s approaching me, but I can't tear my eyes from the Night Fang leader. “Do you find it strange, Chase?” he asks as he passes. “To stare at a man who doesn't fear you?”
There’s a burning in my chest, a ceaseless throbbing that threatens to explode as a howl. This is far different from the alley. Far different than anything I've ever faced. For the first time in my life, I’m staring down at an existence that I’m not sure I can win against.
Palpitations surge through me, and I can hear my heartbeat drumming in my ears. The sensations come all at once. Power coursing through my veins, all-encompassing, strong enough to rip the very existence of these wolves shreds. It surges through the almighty roar that tears through air and echoes into the twilight.
And I let it.
I thought that I wouldn't need to face this side of me ever again. The side I never want Aria to see. The side of me that is no different from Bane.
The side of me that is a killer to my bones.
But Night Fang’s leader is dangerous.
Far too dangerous.
Maybe if I can control it…
I can't feel my legs moving, but everything in my periphery fades to a blur. My hands pump at my sides, and I catch the familiar shine of dark black fur. I haven't fully turned, not yet. But I'm close. The closest I've ever gotten. The line between my humanity and my dark, deadly wolf has never felt so blurred.
But it doesn't matter. All that matters is stopping the masked man.
I can feel the wolves. I can feel the red eyes of Bane bearing down on me. No one makes a sound. And not one of them makes even a single move.
All eyes are on the Night Fang leader as he stares down from the building. His impassive demeanor barely wavers as the silver wolf he is sitting on leaps. It lands on the ground two storeys below, absorbing the impact, then straightening. The masked man slips from the wolf’s back, still calm in the soft glow of twilight, almost as though a nightmare has finally descended. Everything stands quiet. All I can hear are heavy breaths and rustling leaves.
“I’ve looked forward to this.”
His voice is as cold as ice, his words laced with an undercurrent of authority. The black mask conceals his expression, but as he draws out a set of black handguns, he exudes confidence—the confidence of someone who has no chance of losing.
With a guttural roar that echoes through the valley, I launch myself at him, my fangs bared in a savage snarl. His reflexes are razor-sharp as he sidesteps the charge with fluid grace. My claws rake through empty air instead, cleaving right through the concrete of the old building.
A crack splits the air and a bullet rips right through my shoulder. Before I can register the shot, his gloved fist flashes through the air and swings towards my exposed flank. Pain shoots through my side right before there’s a snap of bone. I ignore the unnatural bend in my arm as I spin and regroup. I only focus on the hot, hard determination to kill this man.
He braces his feet and aims both guns at me, rapidly firing. I feel every single round that impales my body even as the bestial blood inside of me slowly pushes the bullets out. It’s agonizing, so much so that my vision keeps blurring, but I keep powering forward.
With one leap, my claws find their mark. The Masked Man is sent flying, slamming into a nearby tree. Bane watches, but he barely reacts. The other wolves don’t move.
And in a few moments, I realize why.
The Night Fang Leader rises to his feet with ease. A small piece of his mask has broken away, revealing his cheek bone. I’m staring into a pair of glowing amber eyes, very much like mine.
“You definitely have some skill. ” He cocks his head, smiling. “But for being the Big Bad Wolf, I’m disappointed.”
He leaps, and in a split second, the Masked Man is right in front of me. Before a heartbeat has passed, his fist plows into my chest and breaks my rib. I don’t have time to grunt, to draw a pained breath. Over and over, he strikes. His fists drive further into my chest with each one. His blows are fueled by an untamed ferocity I've never seen before. Each strike seems to shake the very earth as it lands on me.
When my knees give out, he wraps a hand around my throat, holding me up. “Disappointing,” he says, his eyes almost pitying. “You deny the beast within you. And the result will be your death. Fool.”
I try to summon some strength, but all I find is pain.
And an untapped well of primal power. One that if I use, I become unfit of Aria’s love.
I’d rather die.
That roar that explodes through the trees is feral, even a little panicked. The masked man drops me as his eyes narrow, focusing past my drooped shoulder. I crumple, turning to see another wolf has joined us, one who I instantly recognize.
Aria.
Even as a beast, she's beautiful. Threads of clothing cling to her thick, white fur. Her eyes shine a striking shade of jade.
