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“Please,” I broke down. “Don’t take her away from me. I won’t let you.”
Giselle’s cruel laughter rang out through the clearing. “You really think you can stop me?”
I tried to summon any strength I could muster, but it was slipping through my fingers like smoke. The pain intensified, making it hard to breathe. Thoughts of Ridge filled my mind, and I clung to them desperately. He would fight for me, just as I needed to fight for myself.
I couldn’t give up. The thought of losing my wolf, of severing the bond I shared with Ridge, was too unbearable to contemplate. Every fiber of my being screamed in resistance as I fought against Giselle’s magic, the pain threatening to consume me.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my body to move, inch by agonizing inch. My muscles screamed in protest, but I didn’t care. I would not let her win. With one final push, I managed to get to my knees and shove Giselle away from me.
“Pathetic,” Giselle sneered, her eyes cold and un. “You really think you can fight me? Give up, girl.”
“Never,” I growled through clenched teeth, defiance burning within me.
“Wipe her memories first,” William said. “She won’t fight you so hard if she doesn’t remember who she is or that she was ever a shifter.”
Giselle’s eyes gleamed with malevolent intent as she raised her hands, casting another dark spell. The tendrils of her magic reached for my mind, trying to strip away everything I held dear. Fear held me in its talons, gripping my heart like a vice.
“Ridge, please. I don’t know if I can hold on much longer.”I prayed he would hear me, prayed he would come.
Then, just as Giselle’s magic threatened to engulf me entirely, Ridge burst through the trees, a snarling, furious mass of fur and muscle. He slammed into Giselle, knocking her aside and sending her spell crashing into William instead.
“Leave her alone!” Ridge roared after he’d shifted back into his human form and launched himself at Giselle once more.
Panicking, Giselle used her magic to block Ridge’s attack before casting another spell to escape. She disappeared into the shadows, fleeing from Ridge’s wrath.
Breathing heavily, I stared at William as he lay unconscious on the forest floor, his memories of us wiped clean by Giselle’s misdirected magic. The man who had hunted me for years, who had tried to take away everything that made me who I was, was now reduced to a blank slate.
“Ridge.” Tears of relief wet my cheeks, running freely as he turned to face me, concern etched across his rugged features.With Giselle gone, the crushing weight of her magic slowly dissipated, giving me back control over my body. My legs wobbled as I staggered to my feet. Ridge wrapped his arms around my waist to support me.
“Are you okay?” he asked frantically, looking me over.
I nodded weakly. “Yeah. I’m just glad to still be alive and have my wolf.” I leaned into Ridge’s embrace. He held me tightly, and I could feel how tense he was from not being able to contact me earlier.
Pulling away slightly, his expression turned alarmed. “Did Giselle cure you?”
“Would it matter if she did?” I asked, searching his eyes for any hint of doubt.
“Never.” His grip on me tightened. “You’ll always be the love of my life, my fated mate, whether you have a wolf or not. I just need to know how angry I should be right now.”
A small smile tugged at my lips. “I’m still a shifter, Ridge. I fought her magic with everything I had.”
Relief had him sagging against me, and he pulled me close again, pressing his lips against mine in a fierce, passionate kiss. In that moment, it felt like we were unbreakable, that nothing could come between us, not even the darkest of magic.
As we stood there in the woods, our hearts beating in unison, I felt an overwhelming gratitude for Ridge and the life we’d built together in Blackwood Creek. No matter what challenges came our way, we’d face them head-on, side by side, because that’s who we were. We were a team, a partnership, bound by fate and love.
“Come on,” Ridge said against my lips. “Let’s go home.”
William’s groan cut through our tender moment, pulling both Ridge and me back to the present. He stirred on the forest floor, pushing himself into a sitting position with a dazedexpression on his face. His eyes flickered between Ridge and me, confusion etched across his features.
“Uh, why are you naked?” he asked Ridge, his tone innocent and genuinely curious.
“Ridge.” I grabbed Ridge’s arm as I tried to process this new reality. “He doesn’t remember.”
“We’ll figure that out later. We have more pressing concerns right now.”
“Right. What about Camila’s brother? Is Kyle okay? Everyone else? Is Blackwood Creek under attack?”
“Camila’s brother and Kyle made it back safely,” Ridge said, the muscles in his jaw ticking. “Yes, the town is under attack. We need to get back there now.”
