Chapter 236 Edwin I watched in horror as the silver arrow tore through the air. Time slowed, and those moments felt like an eternity.
My body froze, every muscle locked in place by the icy grip of impending death. There was no escape. This was it. This was how I would die.
But in the blink of an eye, a blur of black and silver darted in front of me.
Audrey.
âNo!â The scream tore from my throat, raw and broken, but I was too late.
The arrow struck her with a sickening thud, driving deep into her chest. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards, her body crumpling into a heap on the snowy forest floor.
The world around me dissolved into chaos, but it was distant, m***d, drowned out by the frantic beating of my heart.
No. Not again. I canât lose her again.
âAudrey!â I roared as I leaped to my feet and stumbled to her side. My knees hit the ground hard, pain barking through my body, but I barely noticed. All I noticed was my mateâs limp body, curled up in the snow.
You idiot!â Axel snarled, whirling on Fiona. âYou werenât supposed to hit her!â
âMe?â Fionaâs shrill voice cut through the air. âIt was your idea to shoot him to begin with! We had her, we-we could have just left!â
I blocked them out, my world shrinking to the figure laying in front of me. My hands shook uncontrollably as I reached for her and gently rolled her onto her back, terrified that her light had already gone out.
âAudrey,â I whispered, barely able to get her name past the tightness in my throat. âAudrey...â
Her eyes fluttered open, just a fraction, and for a split second, hope surged through me, a wild, desperate thing. But then my gaze fell to the arrow embedded in her chest, its gleaming shaft a cruel reminder of reality.
âNo, no, no...â I muttered, panic setting in as I fumbled with her shirt, trying to see the extent of the damage.
I yanked the fabric aside, bracing myself for the sight of torn flesh, of blood staining her skin.
But what I saw... I never expected it.
There was nothing.
No blood, no wound.
Her skin was smooth, unmarked, as if the arrow had never pierced her at all. I blinked, my brain struggling to comprehend what I was seeing.
The arrowhead was shattered, the silver fragments scattered, broken against her as if they had struck steel instead of flesh.
Audreyâs eyes met mine, and to my astonishment, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She winked up at me. Alive.
She was alive. And lucid enough to wink.
âHow...?â I breathed, my fingers running over where her wound should have been.
1/4 08.25 Sat, Chapter 236 But she shook her head, just a tiny movement, her eyes flicking toward Axel and Fiona as a silent warning rippled through the bond.
They didnât know. We had an advantage.
1 bit back my surprise, forcing my expression instead into one of anguish.
+5 âCharles!â I shouted, letting the raw terror that had gripped me moments before flood my voice once again. âSheâs dead! Kill them!!â
Within seconds, Charles was at my side again in his wolf form, his teeth bared in a snarl. I saw his eyes momentarily widen as he saw Audrey alive and breathing. It didnât take him long to realize what was happening.
A low growl erupted from my chest then, vibrating through my entire body. In an instant, I was on my feet, muscles coiled as I turned to face my brother.
âYou killed my mate,â I lied, forcing every bit of fury I could muster into my voice. âYou killed the Silver Star. Youâre going to pay.â
Axelâs and Fionaâs eyes widened in tandem. Around us, the rogues who had been closing in began to back away, murmuring amongst themselves.
Before Axel could utter a word, I lunged, my body shifting mid-leap.
I crashed into Axel, knocking him off his feet with the force of a freight train. But he shifted beneath me, his own wolf form taking over his body before I could injure him.
The battle erupted around us, the clearing descending into chaos as Charles engaged Fiona, their bodies a blur of fangs and claws. Some of the more daring rogues surged forward, but Charles and I fought the first wave off easily, causing the rest to cower in terror near the treeline, unsure of what to do.
No. This was between us-me, Charles, Axel, and Fiona. Not them. Not yet, anyway.
Axel fought dirty, as always. But I was fueled by something far more potent than his desire for power. My need to protect Audrey.
My mate.
I dodged my brotherâs claws, ducking low and ramming my shoulder into his chest with enough force to send him staggering backwards. While he was stunned, I lunged again, this time sinking my teeth into his throat.
His blood filled my mouth, bitter and metallic.
I could end it. Right now. One quick twist and it would all be over. Axel would never threaten us again.
But a memory stopped me in my tracks. A memory of us as pups, rolling in the grass, his laughter ringing out as I pinned him down. Back when things were still good, before it all went wrong. Before our parents ripped us all apart and sowed the seeds of hatred and jealousy.
For just a moment, I hesitated. That hesitation cost me.
Axel wrenched free, scrambling back with a snarl.
Across the clearing, I saw Charles holding Fiona down, her eyes wide with terror. But like me, he also hadnât delivered the killing blow just yet. Our eyes met, and in that silent moment, we understood each other.
We couldnât do it. We wouldnât become like them.
âEnough!â I roared, shifting back into my human form. âStand down!â
Axel laughed as he shifted too, but it was a bitter, hollow sound. Weak, Edwin. So weak. Whatever happened to the young Chapter 236 90%
+5 fighter who shattered that kidâs eye socket?â
I clenched my teeth. âHeâs always here, waiting,â I snarled. âStand down now, and Iâll show you mercy. But if you donât, then maybe Iâll let him loose one last time.â
Axel shook his head and chuckled again, cracking his knuckles. âI think Iâd like to see that.â
âNo,â a new voice suddenly rang out. âI donât think you would.â
Audrey rose to her feet, her hair glowing entirely silver as her power surged. The broken arrow fell from her chest, clattering to the ground in a pile of shattered pieces.
Gasps rippled through the clearing. The rogues moved backwards, terrified as the realization washed over them.
The Silver Wolf had emerged.
âImpossible,â Axel breathed, taking a step back. âShe... How...?â
Audreyâs lips curled into a cold smile. âDid you really think your silver could harm me?â she asked. âI am silver. It is my essence, my power. It cannot touch me.â
Axel just stared at her, frozen in shock.
âShe... She shouldnât be able to shift,â Fiona whimpered, still held down by my Betaâs powerful paws. âShe hasnât undergone the bonfire ritual...â
âF***k your rituals,â Audrey hissed, snapping her head toward Fiona. âAll I ever needed was my mate. Youâre a fool if you think that my powers lay in Coldclaw. Iâm not like you.â
Without hesitation, Audrey shifted then-just as she had this morning. Her body erupted into a blinding silver light, so bright I had to shield my eyes from the glow. And then, a moment later, her wolf form stood before me.
Her fur gleamed like liquid moonlight, her eyes blazing with an inner fire that burned brighter than the stars. She threw back her head and howled, the ear-splitting sound reverberating through the clearing with a force that shook the ground beneath my feet.
At that moment, the air seemed to go silent. Iâd heard rumors that, once shifted, the Silver Star would let loose a howl that would announce her presence to the entire world.
I knew that now to be true.
And the rogues, knowing that they had lost, whimpered in terror and took off into the woods. Their screams faded into the distance, and then they were gone.
I turned to Axel and Fiona. âLooks like itâs just us now,â I said.
Charles shifted back, rolling a whimpering Fiona onto her belly and binding her wrists behind her back, Axel didnât put up a fight when I advanced on him; he simply dropped to his knees, still shocked, eyes fixed on Audreyâs gleaming silver fur.
âGuess you were too late, huh?â I asked as I tied his wrists behind his back. âYou and Fiona thought youâd be able to steal the Silver Star before she shifted. That some fancy âritualâ of yours would be the only thing that could help her shift.â
away Axel snorted in response. âThere are others, you know,â he growled. âPriests, chieftains who will raise hell if they donât get the Silver Wolf.â
Ishook my head and let out a bitter laugh. âEven Coldclaw priests and chieftains arenât s***id enough to go after a shifted Silver Star. Itâs over, Axel.â
âIs it?â Axel retorted, glancing at me over his shoulder with a malicious smirk.
08:25 Sat, Oct 19 Chapter 236 Suddenly, I heard a weak groan. Peter.
Goddess, my brother. Iâd gotten so caught up in everything else that Iâd forgotten. Leaving Axel with Charles, I rushed to Peterâs side, Audrey at my heels. He was pale, his breathing labored.
âThe silver...â he gasped, his voice thick. âItâs spreading...â
I turned to Audrey, my heart clenched in desperation. âCan you heal him?â I asked.
Audreyâs eyes were wide. âI... I donât know how,â she admitted.
No. It couldnât end like this. I took her hand, squeezing it tightly.
âYes, you do,â I whispered. âCome on. Iâll help you.â
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