Chapter 43
Ethan let out a deafening roar, scattering the wolves like frightened birds. His voice echoed through the dense forest, a primal command that caused most of the pack to retreat, their
eyes wide with terror.
But not all of them fled. A few bold betas dared to sneak around, their eyes gleaming with
malicious intent. From the corner of my vision, I caught the flicker of their shadows against
the underbrush, circling, closing in.
Ethan’s tail whipped through the air like a living weapon, sweeping the attackers off their
feet.
The betas crashed to the ground with a sickening thud, blood spilling from their mouths.
Their broken forms twitched on the dirt, but they didn’t rise again. The raw power of an
Alpha–it was indescribable. Ethan moved with a lethal grace, each motion honed for
destruction.
Yet even with his overwhelming strength, the forest worked against him. The trees loomed
like silent sentinels, their thick trunks and twisted branches limiting his movements. The narrow spaces forced him to hold back, to measure every swing and strike. And then there were the innocents–wolves uninvolved in the battle, cowering among the shadows, their
whimpers barely audible over the chaos. Ethan’s gaze darted toward them every few seconds, a silent promise that he wouldn’t let harm befall them.
“Ethan, watch out!” I screamed, my voice raw and desperate.
Ken, the devious perverted brute, had signaled his followers. They moved in unison, a
coordinated assault aimed to overwhelm Ethan. Four, maybe five of them, lunged allat
once. Their claws gleamed under the faint slivers of moonlight filtering through the canopy
above.
Ethan turned, muscles coiling as he braced for impact. He didn’t strike immediately–he hesitated. His reluctance to unleash his full fury was evident. The innocent wolves scattered nearby tied his hands, and he was forced into a frantic dance of evasion and counterattack.
Ken’s laugh cut through the air, sharp and mocking. “What’s wrong, Alpha? Afraid to get
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your hands dirty?”
Ethan’s answer was a snarl that vibrated through the ground beneath me. He struck out, his massive claws raking across Ken’s face. Ken reeled back with a pained scream, clutching his mangled cheek. Blood poured from between his fingers, staining the earth. But instead of retreating, Ken lunged forward with renewed fury.
Before I could react, he grabbed me, his claws digging into my arms as he pulled me against his chest. His breath was hot and rancid against my ear, his snarl a chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine.
“Stop!” Ethan’s roar was thunderous, his crimson eyes blazing with fury as he changed into his full werewolf form. He took a deliberate step forward, his shadow falling over me like a
protective shroud. “Let her go.”
Ken sneered, his grip tightening around my throat. Pain lanced through me as his claws
pricked my skin, and I struggled to draw breath. The metallic scent of blood hung heavy in
the air, some of it my own.
“Make me,” Ken growled, his voice dripping with malice.
Ethan froze, his gaze locking onto mine. For a moment, everything else faded–the snarls,
the clash of claws, the chaos around us. It was just him and me. The mate bond between us,
once shattered and thought irreparable, sparked faintly to life. I could feel him–his rage,
his desperation, his unyielding need to protect me.
“Ethan,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Don’t lose yourself.”
His jaw tightened, and his gaze sharpened. “I said, let. Her. Go.”
Ken ignored the warning, pulling me closer as if daring Ethan to strike. I tried to keep my
breathing steady, though fear threatened to choke me. My eyes searched Ethan’s, pleading
with him to stay in control.
The standoff lasted only seconds, though it felt like an eternity. Then, with a snarl of frustration, Ethan moved. His speed was blinding, a dark blur that closed the distance between him and Ken in an instant.
The next thing I knew, I was falling. Ken’s grip vanished, and I hit the ground, gasping for
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air. My vision blurred as I struggled to sit up, I
mands trembling.
When I looked up, Ethan had Ken pinned beneath him. One massive paw pressed against the Ken’s throat, cutting off his air, while the other plunged into his abdomen. Blood and viscera spilled onto the forest floor, the scent so overpowering it made my stomach churn,
Ken’s screams turned to wet gurgles as his body convulsed. His wide eyes rolled back, the life draining from them until he went completely still.
“Ethan!” I rasped, my voice hoarse. “Stop! Leave it for now–we need answers from him.”
For a moment, I thought he hadn’t heard me. His claws remained buried in Ken’s lifeless body, his breathing ragged and uneven. But then he released his grip, stepping back. Blood dripped from his claws, pooling at his feet.
He turned his attention to the remaining betas. His growl was low and menacing, a sound that promised death. “Do any of you want to end up like him?”
The wolves hesitated, their gazes darting between Ethan and Ken’s mangled corpse. For a brief moment, I thought they might flee. But then something shifted. Their eyes gleamed with an unnatural light, and they bared their teeth, defiance radiating from them.
Ethan tensed, his muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike. “Stay back,” he warned, his
voice like steel.
But they didn’t listen. With a collective howl, they charged.
I scrambled to my feet, my body trembling as adrenaline surged through me. The realization hit me like a blow to the chest: they weren’t fighting out of loyalty or fear. Something else was driving them–something dark and uncontrollable.
“Ethan, there’s something wrong with them!” I shouted, backing away.
“I know,” he growled. “Stay behind me.”
The fight reignited with brutal intensity. Ethan moved like a force of nature, each strike precise and devastating. But the betas fought with reckless abandon, their movements erratic and wild. Even injured, they kept coming, their bodies refusing to yield.
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“Kai! I shouted, spotting him limping toward us. Zoe was at his side, dragging Steven’s limp form. The young wolf was barely conscious, his body battered and broken.
Kai nodded grimly. “We’ve got him. Get out of here while you can!”
“We won’t leaving without you!”
Ethan’s growl snapped my attention back to him. He was surrounded, his fur matted with blood. Yet he didn’t falter. His gaze met mine, fierce and unyielding.
“Run,” he commanded, his voice low but firm. “I’ll hold them off.”
“No!” I took a step toward him, my fists clenched. “I pulled you into this, and now we must make it out alive–together!”
He extended his now human hand to me, his palm broad and rough. When our fingers intertwined, his grip was almost painfully tight, grounding me in the chaos.
“Then stay close,” he said, his tone softening for just a moment.
Together, we charged forward. The wolves had drawn weapons–knives, crude axes, anything they could find. It was a desperate escalation, and I could feel the weight of it bearing down on us.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and sweat, the sounds of snarls and cries echoing through the trees. My legs burned with every step, but I refused to stop. Ethan’s presence beside me was the only thing keeping me upright.
We fought like our lives depended on it–because they did. Every movement, every decision, was a gamble. And though the odds were against us, Ethan’s unwavering determination. gave me hope.
Whatever darkness had overtaken these wolves, we would face it. Together.
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