Page 425 of Fated to the Wolf Prince
When we rounded a bend and emerged into a small clearing, the sight that greeted us sent shivers down my spine. Castro stood at the center of it all, his entire body practically vibrating with rage. His snarl was feral, his eyes cold and deadly as they locked onto mine.
“You!” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “Traitor!” He bared his teeth at us. “How could you betray your own pack?”
“You were never part of our pack. You killed my father, and now you’ll pay for what you’ve done.”
The moment our eyes locked, I knew there would be no mercy or remorse. This was a battle to the death, and only one of us would walk away alive.
As I charged forward, I thought of the family Castro had taken from me, the love and warmth I’d been denied for so long, and it gave me strength.
“Let’s end this,” I whispered, closing the gap between us.
With a final surge of energy, Ty and I lunged at Castro, the world narrowing down to this one moment, and this one fight for justice and revenge.
Then, there was only the fight.
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TY
The air crackled with tension as Liza and I circled Castro, our wolf forms lean and powerful. My ears twitched at the distant howls from the other packs, and the scent of blood spurred me on. My heart thudded as I fought the urge to leap forward and tear into Castro, but this was Liza’s fight.
I growled, and she responded with a low snarl that sent goosebumps down my spine. She was ready. We charged together, our paws pounding against the earth, and leaped at Castro. He twisted away with a snarl, swiping a paw across Liza’s flank. She yelped, but her eyes burned with fierce determination.
Before I could land a blow on Castro, his backup arrived. Men in various stages of shifting burst out of the trees, lunging for me with claws and teeth bared. Their attacks came fast and relentless, forcing me to dodge and weave between them.
I snarled and snapped at the wolves attacking me, feeling the sting of their claws tearing into my fur.
Despite the pain, my instincts took over, painting the world in red and black as I ripped through my attackers. Their numbers dwindled, but each time one went down, another seemed to take its place.
Where were they all coming from?
I couldn’t keep up with what was happening with Liza and Castro. My building rage had my heart nearly tearing out of chest.
“Ty!”
Liam’s yell cut through my thoughts like a bullet. He burst through the trees, shifting into his own wolf form, larger and stronger than any I’d seen before. Together, we made short work of the remaining wolves attacking me.
The injured wolves lay scattered around us, their whimpers filling the air. The vibrations of their pain resonated within me as my attention was drawn back to Liza and Castro. The fur along my spine bristled at the sight of them locked in battle. A surge of protectiveness coursed through me, urging me to aid Liza, but a firm grip on my shoulder stopped me in my tracks.
I glanced over, watching as Liam shifted back into his human form, his expression serious. “You have to let Liza do this.”
I shifted back to human form, too, snarling, yearning to rip Castro apart. “Are you insane? She could be killed!”
“Trust her,” Liam insisted, his eyes unwavering. “This is her mission, Ty. Once it’s done, she’ll be free of what our father did. She needs this.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged animal. The taste of fear lingered on my tongue, mixed with the scent of blood and sweat. Liam was right. Liza needed this victory for her own revenge, for her peace, but it felt like a thousand needles were drilling into my chest as I forced myself to stay put.
“Stay with me,” Liam murmured. “We’ll be here if she needs us.”
“Of course,” I replied through gritted teeth, watching as Liza dodged another swipe from Castro.
My senses were on high alert: the metallic tang of blood in the air, the sound of their snarls and growls, the sight of Liza’s graceful movements, the taste of dirt and sweat on my tongue, and the feel of Liam’s calming presence beside me.
“Come on, Liza,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes never leaving her as she circled Castro.
“Ty,” Liam’s voice was a low growl in my ear. “Remember who she is.”
My gaze flicked to him for a moment, his determined expression mirroring my own. “I know,” I whispered, turning back to the fight. “But it doesn’t make this any easier.”
