Chapter 44

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Time seemed to still. All I could feel was the stiffness of Azriel's body over me, the coldness in the air, the dread that seemed to build with every second past.

Screaming tore through the clearing again, along with a couple of other yells. Azriel jumped off me in an instant, and if I wasn't so fearful, I may have been disappointed that he'd done so. 

He turned to me, lifting me to my knees and grabbing both my hands as he knelt. He bought my face close to his. "Kyra, you have to stay here okay?" his voice sounded raspy, and it took me a moment to realize he was desperate. The realization sent a chill down my spine as much as it twisted my heart. "Promise me? I know you may think you're ready to fight this, but I can't risk losing you. I know I sound selfish but... but please..."

He was begging -- begging me, and I just couldn't say no. So I nodded, and taking that as word enough, he quickly shifted into his werewolf form and bounded out the clearing, leaving me in the wake of my own shock.

I let out a shuddering breath as I stood, the screaming and yelling slightly distorted in my ears. Just moments ago, I had loved the darkness that Moonfall had bought, but now it just seemed eerie. I wanted to go out there and to see what was going on -- I needed to. Raina could be out there, and she might need my help.

It only took a few moments of debate before I'd made up my mind. Though I felt guilty about breaking Azriel's swift promise, I could only imagine the guilt I'd feel if something happened to Raina. So, shifting into my werewolf form I raced back to the castle grounds. 

The chaos became louder in my ears as I approached. By the time I reached the tree line, I was forced to stop, a gasp ripping from my throat. 

The scene was devastating. Tents had been set alight, their heat palpable from even all the way over there. People and wolves alike ran in all directions, and it took me a moment to realize some were pursuing whilst others were running. I watched as wolves pounced upon wolves, and people, ripping into them with a kind of vigor that made my insides churn. 

I scanned the area, searching for any sight of Azriel or Raina. They were nowhere to be found. I didn't know what the hell had happened or what the hell was going on, but all I knew was that I had to protect the defenseless at all costs. 

Just then I spied a frantic Omega running before me, a larger wolf in pursuit. Without another thought I took off, my paws pounding the ground as I closed in on the assailant. I watched in horror as the wolf tackled the Omega to the ground, readying his claws to slice skin. A roar of desperation escaped me as I barreled into the wolf, and for a precious moment, his attention diverted to me.

It was all I needed.

I wasted no element of surprise as I sunk my teeth into the other wolf's neck. I held him there for a few seconds, waiting until he stopped struggling. Gore slipped through my maw, and I shivered at the metallic tang it bought. I turned towards the Omega, who was just lying there, shocked. 

"Go, into the forest!" I barked, my voice coming out as a guttural growl. The youngster nodded and it wasn't long until he was lost in the thicket of undergrowth.

I returned my attention ahead. I could feel the desperation inside me, the fear as I watched people of my own pack getting attacked. I felt the energy drumming against the inside of my skin, begging me to let it out. But I knew I couldn't -- if I lost control, what good would I be to my friends? My pack?

So, I continued to fight. It all passed in a blur -- one minute I'd be fighting off a werewolf from a fragile Omega, and the next I'd be fighting back-to-back with other Thetas. I sustained a lot of injuries, and the bite one of them had landed on my shoulder was killing me, but I knew I had to keep going; I just had to.

Throwing off another wolf, I heard a strangled yelp from behind me. I whirled, my eyes widening at the sight that greeted me.

Azure was standing in front of a group of Omegas, all of them cowering in their human forms. She was in her human form, too, but the blue glow of her eyes and glint of elongated canines told me she was using Lunar magic. Several wolves circled her, and yet she stood her ground. I watched in slow-motion as one of them charged her, and before I knew it, I was rushing over to help.

I barely made it in time to knock the wolf out the way, preventing the bite that would've claimed her leg. 

Azure looked as shocked as I. Time seemed to still as we stared at eachother, and a silent agreement passed between us. We may hate each other. We may want to tear each other out, but right now we had the defenseless to protect; we couldn't afford to let our differences to get in the way. So, we stood back-to-back, my fur brushing against her legs as I snarled towards our assailants. 

The kids cowered at either side of us. We eyed the stranger wolves like hawks, looking for an indication of attack. They snarled back at us, prowling, waiting, analyzing. For the longest time, we remained at a standstill.

Then one barreled towards a girl on Azure's side. Fortunately, she was quick to step out and intercept the attack that would have ended the Omega's life. All it took was a swift lunar-powered punch and the wolf was sent sprawling. Had the circumstances been different, I may have allowed myself to admire her strength.

Then, two wolves charged for the Omegas on my side, and I was aware of another wolf charging for Azure. With no other option, I lunged forward to greet them. One of the wolves -- a black one -- managed to latch onto my collar. I ignored the pain that sang through me and focused all my energy on the other wolf, slamming him into the ground and biting his side. I tried to ignore the blinding pain as the other wolf twisted his teeth, tearing my sinew from bone, trying to distract me from his friend on the ground. 

I was about to deal with the wolf at my neck when I saw another wolf dart in my peripheral, making a bee-line straight for one of the younger girls we were trying to protect. Time slowed, and I felt myself shriek as the wolf's teeth sunk into her throat, sending her blood all over the grass.

I could feel that dreadful energy rising up within me, pleading, begging me to let it take control. I wanted nothing more than to keep fighting, than to stay in my right mind and protect those I loved. But the girl's wide eyes, her scarlet blood on the grass, the dead look in her gaze, it only told me one thing: we were losing. 

I looked again at the wolf who had attacked the girl. Azure was on top of it now, but I could see she was slowing, and the blood growing on her white coat was hers. I was losing blood, too, and the wolf at my shoulder was only making it worse.

I had no other option. I had to give up my control to it

Save them, I pleaded, closing my eyes as I freed the energy from its constraints.Kill me if you must. 

It thundered through me, my bones cracking and breaking as my wolf form grew even larger, even stronger. Energy pulsed throughout every inch of my being; I could feel its power in my muscles, my blood, my senses. 

A loud roar escaped my chest as my violet-tainted vision pulsed. I had never felt this much heat pulsing through me, this much... power.

And I loved it. 

With my large paw, I took the wolf that was clamped on my chest -- who's body had now stiffened with fear -- and held her before me. She yelped and whimpered as I slammed her into the ground, wrapping my jaw around her neck. Without another thought I bit down, the metallic taint in my mouth only fueling my bottomless hunger. 

The wolf that had attacked me was scrambling towards the forest. I didn't let him get far -- he only managed a couple of paces before I took him up in my jaw and shook him like a dog would do a rat. I threw its disorientated form on the ground and started to bash his skull in, and after a few beats, he went still.

But it wasn't enough. Azure was still fighting, and my people were still around me, struggling, dying.  I needed more power. More! I called into the abyss, my body shaking with energy. More!

Electricity surged through me, and I howled as my blood became white-hot. My whole body was thrumming, every inch of me burning. But I didn't care; I needed to save my people. 

The group of the enemy wolves before me who had once sneered were now cowering. At impossible speeds I pounced on them, managing to pin two under my giant body. I wrapped my hand around one of their heads and squeezed, forcing energy to my palm. A sickening crunch sounded beneath me as I crushed his skull. 

The other one began to panic as I wrapped my furry hand around his head. He begged for mercy, but all his pleas fell deaf on my ears. All I could hear was my anger, my rage, and the need to kill anyone and anything that proved a threat to me and my people. 

I crushed his skull as easily as one would shatter glass. I turned around, looking for my next target, and instead found the shocked gaze of Azure. She looked nothing short of horrified, but at that moment I didn't care. I saw enemy wolves running behind her, tail between their legs as they tried to make an escape.

The sight angered me, sending another wave of power through my body. How dare they come here, hurt my people, and turn tail the moment they begin to lose?

COWARDICE! I bellowed. Something in me responded to those words because before I knew it, I was charging after them, the thumps of my pads sending reverberations through the ground, shaking the earth beneath me. A rattling melody that signaled the oncoming end of their lives.

Their eyes widened as they caught sight of me. I grabbed one of their heads between my maw, closing my teeth around them as I bit down, crushing them. I tossed it away and headed for the other who, upon realizing he couldn't outrun me, reverted to his naked human form and begged for mercy. I pushed him on his back and bought my fist down, shattering every inch of his chest. His eyes bulged, conveying the scream his shattered lungs could not. I left him there to die. Let him suffer. 

It wasn't long before I caught up with the last one. I planned to give him a slow, painful death starting at the stomach, but he had other plans. I snapped my teeth towards his torso, but during my strike, he'd managed to maneuver himself so his neck bared the brunt of the blow. I opened my mouth, allowing his limp form to fall. It was a smart move on his behalf, I knew, but cowardly all the same.

My vision jutted. Heat seared through me, but it didn't feel good this time. My blood was boiling, and it felt like every inch of me was on fire. I shrieked as splitting pain took over, forcing me to the ground. I writhed around, tears forming as I slowly reverted to my human form, the blistering fire inside me growing with every second that my wolf was absent. 

People were calling my name, but I couldn't hear them over the ringing in my ears. The shredded Pelta around my body felt too hot and too heavy, and I clawed at it to get it off, but it only seemed to twist further. Sweat dripped from every pore, my head pounding as though I were being boiled. 

I glimpsed Azure's form crouching over me, her eyes glowing blue as she held her hands out, a green glow at her fingertips. "Don't you dare give up on me, damn it," she sobbed through gritted teeth, her face contorted with pain. 

Everything started to fade. I could hear yelling and clamor, and then someone grasped my hand. They continued to hold it, even though I could sense the pain it caused them. 

"My mate..." I heard them say.

Azriel...



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