Page 71 of Fat Sold Mate
Chapter 28 - James
The forest clearing has become a war zone. Moonlight catches on bared teeth, on blood-slicked fur, on desperate eyes gleaming with fear or madness or determined defiance. The ancient stone circle, once a place of natural power, now pulses with the sickness of corruption as Matthias's ritual continues despite our interference.
I fight alongside Nic against Matthias himself, both of us in wolf form, coordinating our attacks through years of practiced combat together. But the corrupted alpha is unnaturally strong, each blow from his twisted limbs carrying the force of dark magic. Every time we seem to gain an advantage, he draws more energy from the captives bound to the stone pillars, their life force visibly feeding his power.
Through the chaos, my awareness of Ruby remains absolute. The bond between us vibrates like a plucked string, carrying her determination, her focus, her growing fear as the counter-ritual struggles against the overwhelming corruption. She kneels at the central altar stone, hands moving with precise gestures as she attempts to progress to the next stage of the cleansing.
“The ritual isn't working,” Nic growls after shifting momentarily back to human form to communicate. Blood runs from a gash above his eye, matting his dark hair. “We need to get Victoria and the others free.”
Before I can respond, Matthias charges again, faster than something his size should move. I intercept, teeth closing on corrupted flesh that tastes of rot and metal and wrongness. The contact sends pain shooting through my jaw, up into my skull,but I hang on, giving Nic the opening he needs to strike at Matthias's exposed flank.
Across the clearing, Thomas and his team are barely holding their own against Petra's reinforcements. For every corrupted wolf we take down, two more seem to emerge from the shadows. We're losing ground, losing fighters, losing hope with each passing minute.
Ruby's voice rises above the sounds of combat, the incantation growing in power despite the desperate circumstances. Through our bond, I feel her drawing on my strength, on the connection between us that has grown from a forced beginning to something vital and necessary. I give freely, channeling everything I have into her, into the magic that represents our only chance of survival.
The counter-ritual flares with renewed energy, amber light pulsing outward from Ruby's position. For a brief moment, the corruption across Matthias's skin seems to retreat, black veins receding ever so slightly before surging back with greater intensity.
He notices, his twisted face contorting with rage as he realizes the source of this attack. With a roar that shakes the ancient stones, he abandons his fight with us, turning toward Ruby with murderous intent.
“The witch dies first,” he snarls, voice barely recognizable as human.
I don't think. Don't hesitate. Don't consider the consequences. I simply move, throwing myself between Matthias and Ruby with every ounce of speed my wolf form possesses. We collide mid-leap, his corrupted claws finding purchase in my side, tearing through fur and flesh with sickening ease.
Pain explodes through me, white-hot and consuming. I feel tissue tear, feel blood pulsing from the wound in rhythmic spurts that tell me something vital has been damaged. Through our bond, I feel Ruby's shock, her horror as my pain transfers to her, disrupting her concentration.
The counter-ritual falters, amber light flickering like a candle in strong wind.
Matthias laughs, the sound scraping against my nerves like rusted metal. “Pathetic,” he spits, casually throwing my wounded form aside. I crash into one of the stone pillars, bones cracking with the impact.
Ruby abandons the altar, rushing toward me with panic flooding our bond. “James!”
“No,” I try to warn her, the word emerging as a pained growl. “The ritual—”
Too late. Matthias intercepts her, one massive corrupted hand closing around her throat, lifting her from the ground with terrifying ease. The grimoire and journal fall from her grasp, pages fluttering in the night breeze.
“Did you really think you could cleanse what I've perfected?” Matthias taunts, his face inches from hers. “The corruption isn't a disease to be cured. It's evolution. Power in its purest form.”
Ruby struggles in his grasp, hands clawing at his arm, feet kicking uselessly as he tightens his grip. Through our bond, I feel her panic, her desperate need for air, the darkness beginning to edge her consciousness.
I try to rise, to help her, but my body betrays me. Blood pools beneath me, strength ebbing with each heartbeat. Across the clearing, Nic is pinned down by three corrupted wolves,unable to reach us. Thomas and his remaining fighters form a defensive circle, surrounded and outmatched by Petra's forces.
This is how it ends, I think, with sudden, terrible clarity. Not with victory, but with watching helplessly as everything I love is destroyed.
Then a scent catches my attention—familiar yet impossible. My head turns toward the northern edge of the clearing, disbelief momentarily overriding pain.
It can't be.
But it is.
Sera emerges from the tree line, very much alive, with six Cheslem wolves flanking her—their eyes clear of corruption's madness, their movements coordinated and purposeful. They’re all as young as her, probably fellow pack members in early corruption or free from it entirely, not yet maddened and controlled. Somehow, she’s found and freed them. They hit Petra's forces from behind, the surprise attack creating instant chaos in the enemy ranks.
Matthias's grip on Ruby loosens fractionally, his attention drawn by this unexpected development. It's enough. She drives her elbow into his throat with all her strength, breaking free and falling to the ground, gasping for air.
Sera darts through the combat, reaching my side with surprising speed.
“Sorry, I'm late,” she says, hands quickly assessing my wound. “Getting these guys free took longer than expected.”
“You're supposed to be dead,” I manage, pain making each word a struggle.
