Oh Dominicus… Writing this chapter made me so sad…
DianaI slowly stand back up straight. My heart sinks as my eyes take in the monster before us.I swallow hard before speaking through the pack bond, my voice tight. 'These are werewolves that the witches have experimented on. They've turned them into... these things.'Collective inhales, and curses sound around me.This one… its much larger than any of the other ones I’ve seen.This particular creature has the thick, dark fur of what appears to be a bear. Three of its paws look like they belong to a massive grizzly, while the hind right paw is obviously that of a wolf. The head is grotesquely human, with wild eyes and a mouth full of mismatched teeth. The tail looks like it was taken from a lion, and the entire creature is as large as two grizzly bears combined.When it emerges fully from the cage, the human head throws back and gives a bone-chilling roar that's part human scream, part animal howl.The witch has a cruel, bloodthirsty smile on her face that makes my stomach turn. "To
Diana Like disorderly dominoes, one by one, random rogues from the army standing opposite us start to collapse. Each death is swift but brutal, their bodies simply giving out as if some invisible hand has reached inside and stopped their hearts. I gasp in horror and take an instinctive step forward. I open my mouth and scream. “Stop it!” "Stop!" Dom shouts at the same time as me. Instantly, the rogues stop falling. The field falls silent except for the heavy breathing of rage from the Amadeus wolves and the frightened whimpers of the other rogues. Then a voice reaches us. "Rescind your command, Amadeus." I stiffen. The female voice is arctic cold, making me feel like I've been dropped into a freezer. This voice doesn't belong to the red-clad witch in front of us. In fact, it's not from any of the witches I can see. But I recognize this voice. It's the same voice we heard while hiding in that closet, trying to avoid detection. It's the Dark Witches' Matriarc
Diana They look relaxed, and the reason is what stands between us and them. Creating a living barrier of flesh in the large field between the forest and the castle are numerous rogue wolves in their shifted forms, all facing us with hollow, desperate eyes. I suck in a cold breath, my heart sinking as I quickly scan their numbers. These rogues number in the thousands, easily outnumbering us two to one. I know immediately what I'm looking at—this must be the rogue army that the witches have been exploiting, the displaced wolves they've been forcing to attack the packs all this time. I instantly understand these witches' strategy, and it makes me sick. They're forcing us to fight the rogues first before we can reach them. But everyone knows that having ordinary wolves fight against the Amadeus is nothing short of a death sentence. Even though they vastly outnumber us, they still stand no chance against Amadeus superior training and natural abilities. The rogues know this too. I can
Diana"At ease," Dom commands, his voice carrying across the assembled army. "Heal and catch your breath. We move out in fifteen minutes."I lead Emerald to a quieter spot on the side to rest. Billy himself is mostly healed from our fight with those creatures, but his worry for Emerald makes him unable to let the child out of his sight. He settles beside her.The fifteen minutes pass quickly. The second the time is up, it's as though a silent command ripples through the group. Every wolf instantly straightens, comes to attention, their collective aura sharpening like a razor's edge. The transformation is impressive—wounded soldiers becoming lethal weapons in the span of a heartbeat.Dom looks out over our army of powerful warriors, his expression grave. "I'm not going to lie to you," he begins, his voice carrying to every corner of our makeshift camp. "We're in enemy territory now. This forest is riddled with traps, and we don't know the terrain the way our enemies do."The silence is
DianaAs I make my way back through the forest, every step is deliberate and cautious. That witch's death hasn't made this place any less dangerous_ this entire place is a dangerous with dark magic traps as well as other witches crawling the place.Thankfully, I don't trigger any more traps. I'm almost back to where I left Billy and Emerald when I stop abruptly and look down at myself.Blood. So much blood.My clothes are torn and stained crimson, the fabric clinging to wounds that are already trying to heal. Dark energy burns still smolder along my thigh where the witch's magic hit me, and I can feel the deep ache of a broken rib with each breath. I purse my lips and sigh before resting against a nearby tree, its bark rough against my back.The healing process isn't comfortable. I furrow my brows as I wait as my Alpha healing kicks in, enhanced by the additional perks of being a Priestess. The itchy, crawling sensation makes me want to scratch at my skin as it knits back together, ne
DianaA third attack comes without warning—a blast of dark energy that catches me across the thigh. I scream as the magic burns through flesh, and my leg gives out beneath me. I collapse to one knee, struggling to stay upright."Getting tired already?" the witch taunts. "But we're just getting started."Blood loss is making me dizzy, and the darkness seems to be closing in even more. I can feel my strength ebbing with each passing second. This is how I'm going to die—blind, bleeding, and helpless in the dark.Her footsteps approach slowly, deliberately. She's not even trying to hide her movements anymore. Why should she? I'm no threat to her like this."Any last words, little wolf?" she asks, and I can hear her raising her hand for the killing blow.I'm going to die. The thought pounds through my mind with sickening clarity. After everything I've survived, this is how it ends. I'll never see Dom again, never hold him, never—Focus, Diana.The voice cuts through my terror like a blade.