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He shifted back into his wolf form, preparing to run. I focused on my inner wolf, trying to shift as well. It was difficult at first, my connection to her still weak from fighting Giselle’s magic. With gritted teeth, I pushed past the exhaustion, managing to finally shift into my wolf form.
Together, Ridge and I raced through the forest, branches whipping against our fur as we sprinted toward Blackwood Creek. Fear and adrenaline fueled my every step. The thought of our friends and family in danger spurred me on, despite the lingering effects of Giselle’s magic.
As we ran, my thoughts turned to William, to the man he had been. To the man he would become now without those dark memories to twist his soul. It was too much to comprehend at the moment, so I pushed it to the back of my mind.
We had a battle to win, and nothing would stand in our way.
As Ridge and I burst into the town square, the chaos of battle surrounded us. Hunters and shifters clashed in every corner, their snarls and screams filling the air. I was relieved when I saw that our side was holding its own, even gaining ground.
I caught sight of Margo and Clawson, their forms a blur as they fought alongside Audrey and Jaxon. The training Kyle and I had given them was paying off. They moved as a cohesive unit, taking down hunters with ruthless efficiency.
I shifted back to my human form, the adrenaline coursing through my veins momentarily pushing aside the lingering effects of Giselle’s spell. I was tired, but there was no way I could sit this fight out. I owed it to my pack and my friends to stand by their side.
“Stay close,”I said to Ridge telepathically.
Before I could take a step toward the fray, a sudden commotion caught my attention. Shifters and hunters alike turned to face the new threat. Giselle had arrived, her dark magic lashing out at Lola, Eleanor, and Julia.
I watched in awe as the three witches countered Giselle’s spells with their own formidable power. The air pulsed with energy as they bent the elements to their will, sending massive blasts of magic hurtling toward their opponent. It was a terrifying display, one that had everyone else ducking for cover.
“Holy shit,” I said under my breath. I had a newfound respect for the witches on our side. Their power was immense, and I’d be forever grateful that they were fighting with us rather than against us.
“Should we help them?” Ridge asked, his voice trailing off, unsure of how to proceed. As he shifted his attention from the battle to me, I could see the conflict and concern in his eyes.
“Let’s see if they have it under control first,” I said. The others in the square still needed our help. “If it looks like they’re struggling, we’ll jump in.”
Ridge nodded, and together, we turned our focus back to the fight at hand. With the need to stand by my pack burning within me, I readied myself to join the melee and protect Blackwood Creek from those who sought to destroy it.
Giselle’s face contorted with fury as she unleashed a powerful wave of magic, knocking Julia out cold and sending Lola crashing through a store window. As Eleanor continued to fight her alone, I saw the exhaustion etched on her face.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, and I nearly keeled over. Giselle was still trying to gather enough power to unleash her mass cure on the shifters in town. If she succeeded, it would mean disaster for everyone I cared about.
Fueled by desperation, I instinctively let out a howl, calling all the other shifters to action in a sort of war cry. The sound was raw and primal, filled with an urgency that resonated with the wolves around me.
“Get Giselle!” I shouted over the din of battle. “Don’t let her cast that spell.”
Around me, the shifters answered my call, turning their attention toward Giselle. She snarled in frustration as she found herself fighting off more enemies than she could handle. Some of them were injured by her dark magic, but they pressed on relentlessly.
“Come on, Jaxon,” I said through gritted teeth as I watched him take on Giselle, his eyes blazing with fury. “You can do this.”
With a powerful swipe of his claws, Jaxon managed to land a lethal blow on Giselle. Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
“Jaxon!” Relief had me racing over to him. “You did it. She’s gone.”
He came over to me before shifting, then grabbed a jacket that had been tossed on the ground and tied it around his middle to spare me from seeing my father naked.
“Damn right.” He panted and threw his arms around me, a fierce grin spreading across his face. “There was no way I was letting that bitch hurt our families anymore.”
With Giselle’s lifeless body lying before us, the remaining hunters began to retreat from the fight. The alphas of the otherpacks wasted no time in leading their wolves after the fleeing hunters, chasing them from town. Some of them would get away and try to regroup, but without Giselle or help from other witches, they stood no chance now and were no longer a threat.
“Let’s finish this,” Ridge, in his wolf form, spoke through our link as he growled at my side, his eyes locked on the retreating hunters.“They’ll never threaten our home again.”
“You’re right,”I agreed, shifting to wolf form. “Let’s make sure they know they’re not wanted.”An odd mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration came over me. We’d won, against all odds. We’d fought back and protected Blackwood Creek.
As we joined our pack mates in driving the remaining hunters from our territory, I was immensely proud of what we’d accomplished. We’d faced insurmountable challenges, yet had come out stronger than ever before.
As I looked around at the faces of my pack, celebrating their triumph, I was certain that together, we could face anything.
A cheer erupted from those remaining in the town square when we returned, and a wave of relief and jubilation washed over me. The injured were helped to their feet or carried to safety as others celebrated. We’d lost some of our own during the fight, but we had emerged victorious.
