10%
My body felt as though it was being torn apart from the inside out. The severing potion had worked–too well I could feel the absence of Martin in my mind, in my heart, and it left a hollow ache so deep that my wolf whimpered in the back of my mind Everything hurt, every breath like inhaling shards of glass. But I was free. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was finally free %
Or at least I thought I was #
Chaos erupted around us, shattering the tense silence in the hall. The sound of growls and tearing flesh filled the air Blood I could smell it, thick and metallic The rogue attack had come out of nowhere, plunging the gathering into pure madness.X
“Roguest” someone screamed, their voice cutting through the confusion #
I tried to use to my feet, but my legs gave out beneath me, weakened by the potion. My vision blurred, the world spinning as I struggled to stay conscious The pain of the severed mateship still gnawed at my insides, draining what little strength I had left. I could barely stand, let alone defend myself #
But before I could even think to shift, Dustin was there
“Stay down, Ella!” Alpha Dustin growled, stepping in front of me, his body rigid with tension. His wolf was barely contained, his eyes glowing with the fury of battle. “I’ve got you”
I wanted to protest, to tell him I could fight, but the truth was, I couldn’t. My wolf was too weak, and my body too broken. All I could do was watch as Dustin stood between me and the chaos, protecting me like he used to–back when things were simpler, back when he was the one I thought I’d spend my life with
His broad shoulders flexed as he tore through rogue after rogue, his movements swift and lethal. His claws slashed through the air, blood spraying with each strike. The rogues were relentless, but so was Dustin. He fought with the strength of an Alpha, his growls a deadly warning to any who dared come close
But the rogues kept coming
I struggled to pull myself to my feet, gritting my teeth against the pain. Come on, Ella, I urged myself. You can’t just lie here.
Dustin glanced back at nie, his eyes filled with concern. “I told you to stay down.”\
“I’m fine,” I lied, though the world still swayed around me. “You can’t do this alone.“/
“I can handle them,” he growled, his voice low and protective. “Focus on recovering.”
I hated feeling weak. Hated that I had to rely on him to save me. But the truth was, I was in no condition to fight. Every part of me screamed to shift, to let my wolf take control, but she was silent, buried under the weight of the broken bond.%
Around us, the gathering had descended into chaos. Alphas and warriors alike fought off the rogues, the sound of claws and teeth clashing filling the air Blood soaked the ground, staining the once–pristine hall. The rogues had planned this attack carefully. They wanted to strike when we were at our most vulnerable.
But they hadn’t counted on the strength of the packs.
Dustin lunged forward, taking down another rogue with a savage bite to the throat. I could hear the sickening crack of bone as he snapped the rogue’s neck, his body shifting back to human form as he wiped the blood from his mouth. His eyes were wild, feral, but focused on keeping me safe.
“I won’t let thern touch you,” he promised, his voice a low growl. “Not while I’m here.”
The intensity of his words sent a shiver through me. This was the Dustin I remembered–the fierce protector, the Alpha who had once been my world. But there was no time to dwell on the past, not when the present was filled with danger.
I leaned against a pillar for support, my breath coming in shallow gasps. My body still ached, the effects of the potion leaving me vulnerable. I hated it. I hated feeling this weak, like I was a burden in the middle of a battle.
As the fighting raged on, something shifted in the air. A scent. One I hadn’t noticed before. It was familiar, but wrong–twisted.% My head snapped up, and there she was.
Marcella.
But this wasn’t the same Marcella I had known in the Darkshire Pack. No, this was different. Her scent was tainted with something darker, something vile. She walked through the chaos with a calm that sent chills down my spine, her eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on me.%
Her gaze locked with mine, and I knew
She was a rogue.
