The sickened luna’s last chance

Blood spattered across my face as | tore through another rogue wolf. The metallic taste filled my mouth,

momentarily dulling my other senses. | whipped my head around just as another rogue charged at me, narrowly

missing the brunt of its jagged claws.

The rogue snarled, skidding to a stop a few feet away as it realized it had missed its mark. It whirled around and

charged back at me, but this time, | was prepared.

My claws slashed on instinct, catching the rogue in the belly. Blood and guts spurted out before the beast even

had a chance to stop. With a guttural howl, it crashed into the ground, kicking up dirt and debris with its

momentum as it slid and slammed into the base of a nearby tree. Dead.

| panted, looking around for others. In the distance, | could hear the sounds of my warriors fighting off more

rogues. Goddess, how many were there? Dozens?

The northern border of Ashclaw territory had always been a problem area. Rogues-wolves without packs, often

stuck in wolf form and completely feral-would occasionally test our boundaries, hoping to claim a small piece of

land for themselves.

Usually, a simple show of force was enough to send them scampering back into the wilderness, because rogues

rarely banded together. Perhaps a few might join forces, but typically they were alone, unorganized, and easy to

maintain.

But not this time.

This group had been more organized than usual. They'd killed the family living on the piece of land by the border

and had taken it over as their hbase during the night, then ambushed our patrol before the sun rose, killing

two of my warriors and capturing

several more.

“Alpha!” Gabriel shouted from somewhere to my right. “There’s more coming from the east!”

The forest blurred aroundas | ran in that direction in wolf form, far faster than | ever could on human legs,

dodging trees and leaping over fallen logs. The scent of unfamiliar wolves grew stronger, mingling with the smell

of blood and sweat. They were close.

| slowed, dropping into a crouch as | approached a small clearing. Five rogues were gathered there. They looked

up as my scent inevitably reached them, their lips peeling back to reveal yellowed fangs dripping with foamy

saliva.

Before they had tto strategize, | launched myself at the closest one with a missing ear, my jaws immediately

finding his throat, His warm blood gushed into my mouth as | ripped and tore, then tossed his limp body aside.

The other four attacked as one, surrounding me, circlinglike prey. | spun, slashing at anything that ctoo

close, landing blows that sent the smaller ones flying. But they kept coming, emboldened by their numbers.

A set of teeth found my shoulder, sinking deep into muscle. | howled and twisted, trying to shake off my

attacker, but another one latched onto my back leg at the stime. Pain shot through me.

For a moment, | faltered. There were too many of them, and they were coming atfrom all sides. My strength

was waning, blood loss making my movements sluggish. | might actually lose this fight.

This was my fault, dammit. | hadn't been sleeping well since Ella had gone to the hospital, | hadn't been sleeping

much at all, actually.

The side of the bed where she normally slept was too empty, too cold. | spent my nights laying awake, staring at

her untouched

1/3

60%

Chapter 53

pillow, wondering how the hell | had gotten so used to her sleeping besidealready that I could no longer rest

without her laying there.

Ella. My mate.

| shut my eyes as the pain bectoo much to bear, and there was her face hovering in the darkness. She was

smiling, head bent, over a chess board, slender fingers reaching for her queen.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, the sight of her face in my mind sent a fresh surge of energy through me, burning

away the fatigue and pain. With a roar, | shook off my attackers, sending them flying into the surrounding trees.

The rest was a blur. | hardly noticed the flurry of fangs and claws-all | saw was that face. Those lips. My mate

kissingin the alley.

When it was over, | stood panting in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by the bodies of my enemies. Blood

dripped from my fur, sof it mine, most of it not. The forest had gone quiet.

“Alpha?” Gabriel's voice cfrom the edge of the trees. He limped out of the forest in human form. “The rest

have fled. We've won.”

| nodded, too exhausted to attempt shifting back to human form just yet. My wounds were already beginning to

heal, the deep gashes closing up, leaving behind matted chestnut fur sticky with blood.

As | followed Gabriel back toward the others, my mind kept wandering back to those final moments during the

battle. | almost lost.

| should have lost. | was exhausted, outnumbered... And yet, | had closed my eyes and there was her face.

Why had | thought of Ella during those moments? Why had her face drivento push through the pain and fight

back?

“Because she’s our mate,” my wolf snarled.

Right. It was biology. Of course a wolf would think of his mate when he needed strength to survive. It didn’t

mean anything.

“Keep telling yourself that,” my wolf scoffed. “But we both know the truth.”

What truth? That | was starting to care for her? That the sight of her in my sweatshirt made my fucking heart

pound? That | looked forward to our nightly chess games more than I'd looked forward to anything in years?

No. | shook my head in an attempt to dislodge the thoughts. | wasn’t falling for her couldn’t be. If her family had

anything to do with my parents’ death, if she was a spy... Besides, she had said she didn’t wantto mark her.

She was the one who wanted a divorce. There was no future for us.

“Alexander!”

Ifroze as a familiar voice rang through the forest.

“Alexander!”

It was Ella’s voice, calling my name. But that couldn’t be right. Ella was in the hospital, miles away, | was hearing

things, my exhausted mind playing tricks on me.

“Alexander, where are you?”

The voice was getting closer. Gabriel whipped his head toward me, his eyes widening in panic, and | knew |

wasn't just imagining it.

2/3

16:33 Fri, 22 Aug

Chapter 53

Ella was... here? How? She belonged in the hospital, not in a fucking battle zone!

Without thinking, | raced toward the sound, heart pounding. If there were still rogues out there, if she was in

danger-

00 60%B

Suddenly, she emerged from the trees on the far side of the clearing. Her hair was wild, her feet bare and

bloody, her hospital gown flapping around her legs beneath my oversized sweatshirt.

What the hell was she doing here? How had she even found us? And why in the nof the Goddess had she

left the hospital in her

condition?

She skidded to a stop at the edge of the clearing, her eyes widening as she took in the carnage around us. The

blood, the bodies. Her face paled, and for a moment | thought she might faint again.

Then her gaze landed on me, and relief washed over her face. “Alexander,” she gasped, stumbling forward, arms

outstretched as if to reach for me. “You're alive.”

As she staggered toward me, | shifted back to human form, racing toward her just as she stumbled and began to

pitch forward. But in my haste, | shifted too quickly and with too little control.

Ella's eyes widened, her gaze dropping for a brief moment before she quickly looked away, her cheeks turning

bright pink.

| looked down and realized that my clothes had shredded during my careless shift, leavingcompletely nude

in the moonlight.

3/3

Share to your friends

word

word

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLHI0RAO&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1

mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1