Sharp claws rip at my jacket, his long canines digging into the fabric, shredding the material, going straight through to my sweater and pants, the cotton falling away with each slice to reveal the flesh underneath. I turn my head, not wanting to watch, a lone tear trailing down my cheek as I give in to the Beast. I had hurt him, rejected him, ignored his pleas when he begged for my help, my help to contain the animal within, and I shut him out, locked him up, caged him. I've destroyed him!

Knowing that there's nothing left but to wait for the inevitable. I move my right arm, which was free from the wolf's body, and raise my hand so that it's resting on his coarse fur at the back of his head.

I lick my lips and take a shattered breath, allowing my fingers to entwine themselves within his thick coat. I slowly move them up and down, a final gesture of tenderness before he kills me.

I know that if his Beast kills me, it will destroy him if he ever gains his humanity back.

Feeling his teeth on my skin, I brace myself for the pain. Closing my eyes, I allow my mind to drift to the memory of meeting him for the first time: the way he felt when we kissed. Even though the memory was his, I can feel it through our bond, the warmth, the innocence that was between us.

There was an indescribable pull to each other, a light. I hold onto that feeling, my heart growing full. I jolt when I feel a warm, wet tongue trail along the space between my belly button and panties, followed by a whimper as bones begin to crack and shorten above me.

Keeping my eyes tightly closed, I feel the fur beneath my fingers start to recede, his claws shortening, replaced by solid fingers and his muzzle morphing to soft lips that start gently kissing my pelvis as the body on top of mine shudders.

"Doe," Griffin's guttural voice breaks above me as he moves up my torso until he's resting on top of me, his hands and fingers tentatively reaching for my face, turning it upwards to face him. "Please, baby, look at me." He begs, his voice broken.

Forcing my eyes to open, they widen when I take in the glowing red of his orbs, slowly dimming to yellow then to blue, blood coating his naked flesh, his body covering mine. "It's me, Doe. It's me."

My hand, still in his hair, releases the silky strands before traveling around to rest on his face, his head moving to nuzzle my palm, his lips gently kissing the flesh, "Griffin, I didn't know what they were-"

"Hush Doe," he soothes, his warm breath tickling my fingers before he moves his head and pushes his massive naked frame off mine to stand. Leaning down, he reaches for me, his hands taking hold of mine, lifting me to my feet as if I weigh nothing more than a feather, before pulling me into his chest. His ripped arms wrap around my shaking body, drawing me closer until our flesh is molded together.

"It doesn't matter," he murmurs as he buries his face in my hair, inhaling, a gentle purr rumbling from his torso. "All that matters is that you're safe, my light." Kissing my head, he squeezes me tightly before releasing my body and stepping back, a soft yet broken smile on his dirty face.

Swallowing back sobs, I reach for his warmth, the shaking of my body becoming more violent from his loss. I have to explain, let him know that I know, "Griffin, I-"

"It's okay, Doe, I know." He cuts me off again, crouching to retrieve something from the grass before standing back up and returning to me, stopping a few inches away. Eyes crinkling, wetness trailing down his dirt-caked cheeks, he swallows, his prominent adam's apple bobbing, as he licks his lips. "I know Doe, I understand," his voice gruff, thick with emotions, "and it's okay," reaching for my face, his fingers gliding across the skin so tenderly, almost hesitantly as he steps in. "You, my light, my Doe, you're the only one to ever see me, the real me, and not just the Beast. It's okay. I can give you this." He nods as if in agreement with himself before leaning down, his warm lips ghosting over my temple, then my nose. His thumb moves, swiping away at my tears that are freely flowing. I feel my heart drop but don't understand. Why do I feel such grief? It doesn't make sense. Tugging on the bond, I search to feel him, to sense what he's feeling, and find nothing, only an empty void where My Wolf has always been.

"Griffin," I whisper, as he slowly drops to his knees, his lips trailing my torso until it rests lightly on my bare stomach where he pauses, inhales deeply, and kisses it one last time before shifting back to rest on his heels, head tilted to peer up to mine.

"Doe, my beautiful Doe-Eyed light. You woke me up from the darkness, gave me warmth in this cold, cruel world, and for that, I will forever be grateful." He smiles. His blue eyes are glassy, wet with unshed tears. Raising his hand to mine, he presses something in my palm, closing my fingers around the solid edge before letting go. "You have been the joy in my world from the moment I first saw you. So bright, so full of life, of sunshine." He sniffs, using his now empty hand to wipe some of the moisture from his face, before resting it on his bare thighs, "Don't cry for me Doe, this is for the best. I can, I will give this to you."

I look down at the object he put in my hand. I can see that it's Sharpie. Turning back to Griffin, I can see that he has tilted his head, neck bared, waiting patiently for... For what?

"I don't understand Griffin, what are you giving me?"

Moving his head so that his eyes are blazing into mine, he nods. "It's okay, Doe," his usually strong voice chokes. "I understand now, and I'm so very sorry. I never meant to take you against your will. I didn't understand at the time that it was wrong. I just, the heat, Isla, I didn't want... I didn't know, and I hurt you," he sobs, "I hurt my light, the one person gifted to me, who I was meant to cherish, to protect. The one person the powers above gave to me, and I hurt you."

Lifting his hand to mine, he brings Sharpie to his neck. "The blade, it's embedded with ancient magic, if you cut the jugular, it will enter cleanly, and break the tie so that you can be free. So-" blinking several times, he swallows, his voice soft, "so, I can be free."

"What, I-" I choke, knowing that he intends for me to slit his throat. I don't understand why he wants this.

"Doe, it's the only way," he replies, reading my thoughts, "It's the only way to break a completed mate bond. My death will set you free, will set us both free. I can no longer control the Beast when it comes to you," he says defeatedly. "He'll never stop until you're his, and I'm tired. So tired of keeping him caged Doe, I don't want to go on fighting and hurting you."

Death. That's what Siobhan didn't tell me. The only way to be free is for one of us to die, and he's giving me that choice. The choice to end his life so I can...

Pursing his lips, he blinks before offering me a devastating smile, "Promise me something, Doe. Take care of them, love them fiercely. Isla can be a handful, but she would do well with a woman's influence, and she'll go with you if you allow it." He chuckles, his eyes turning away to look at the valley below. "That girl has been through so much," he chokes out another sob, crying freely, no longer hiding the tears or wiping them away. "We've tried to give her the love she needs, Gamma and I, but I know, if you're willing, you can help her heal and be strong."

I'm so confused now. I understand Isla, but who are the 'they' that he's referring to. Could he mean his other sister, the one from the facility?

"Aye, Doe, Ciara, she's lost to me, to Isla, but no," he speaks, his voice barely above a whisper. Raising his hand again, he rests it on my stomach, the warmth sinking through, just above my groin where my womb is.

"I need you to promise me, Doe, that you will protect this one," he begs, his fingers massaging the flesh. "Promise me you'll let them grow within you, let them live. I know I have taken so much from you, but before I go, please promise me you'll let this one live." He breaks, hands dropping to the ground to support his unsteady weight as he crumbles. "I've lost so many," he cries, "but I know, I know you can do this, this is what you were destined to do, as my Maité Fíor you can carry the next generation of the clan."

Pulling himself up off the ground and burying his face in my stomach, he kisses the flesh, whispering to the child I realize is growing inside, "I love you, little one, I will always love you. Just like my Da did me. Remember, you are wanted."

Griffin turns back to me, his eyes pleading. "Please, Ava," he begs. He used my name again. "I know the choice is yours, but please, let me die knowing that you will let my child, our child live."

I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant. I repeat as I fall to the ground beside Griffin, my body in shock. My lungs constrict, I allow the idea of a living being growing inside me to fill my mind. It makes sense, the nausea, the sensitivity to food, the hunger. How could I have missed that?

Reaching for my body and drawing me into his arms, he holds me to him, his signature scent of pine and musk filling my nostrils as I draw him in, the smell of him, the smell of home. I'm pregnant. I'm carrying his child. His child.

Rocking my body with his, I hear a wail and know it's from me. From the grief that I feel, for him, for his pain, of losing all those little lives, lives that were never his choice to make, but were loved for just being his. I finally understand why he didn't see what he did was wrong. He was never given a choice. He was taken against his will but was taught it was natural and that consent wasn't required in what the body wanted, what the body needed, especially in heat.

My heart breaks even further as I continue to wail in his arms, my tears mingling with his own as he holds me close, like a fragile doll, about to shatter if he lets me go. And he's right.

This broken man, this fractured beast, this broken wolf, is giving me his life so I can be free, and in return, all he asks is for me to take care of his sister, who Erin and I have already claimed, and to let the child, his child, our child, live. This wonderful, beautiful, broken man would sacrifice his life for me.

I know what I must do now. I think I have always known. Griffin's life has been nothing but misery. He was rejected by his own kind for things that were done to him, things that no child should have to witness, let alone endure. But he did, he survived and protected not only his sister but his pack, and all he ever asked for was me.

I'm the only thing he has ever wanted, ever needed, and now he's giving me a choice, the choice of whether he lives or dies.

Clutching the blade in my hand, I swallow, my heart swelling as I move back, and take in his face, My Wolf's beautiful, lost face, blurred by the tears in my eyes and raise my hand.

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Okay, so I know what you are thinking - ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!!! 🤬🤬🤬

I do apologize while I cackle an EVIL laugh. I do promise that the next chapter will be delivered as promised, five days from now, which will make it the 11/11th 

How many of my readers started this book hating Griffin but now want to save him? And how many of you still don't like him?

It has been fascinating looking at my reader's comments as you all move through the chapters, commenting on how excellent Liam is, to now hating him and vice versa with Griffin. From wanting Ava to be with Liam to being frustrated with her actions towards Griffin while at the ranch. I almost feel like I am sharing your emotions as I see your words.

So for that - THANKYOU! I don't want my readers to dislike Ava. I mean, shit, it has been 48 hours since she ran from Griffin (again) thinking that he was a mass murderer. But I also get that some of us want our Anti Hero to be loved. I mean, DAMN - if he were next to me, I would love him too (but then the book would only be three pages long)...

I am also curious if any of you got a tear in your eyes reading this chapter - Only reason I ask is that I even had a tear writing it. Also - when was the last time you read something that made you cry? What was it? And If it's a Wattpad story, please feel free to share it - I struggle to find things that can evoke the emotions I am looking for, but I know that there are hidden gems out there that are not in the current rankings.

Anywho - thank you again for your support and votes - keep them coming.