Chapter 23

The main hall is a battlefield of wolves, the front door a casualty on the floor, a chunk of the wall missing.

The air is thick with snarls and cries of pain. I don’t recognize any of the wolves.

Kai has thrown himself into the fray, fighting alongside the others.

A wolf lunges at him and I call on my magic to send the wolf flying.

He crashes into a wall.

“Stop!” My plea falls on deaf ears; the battle rages on.

A wolf edges closer to me, sniffing the air. He howls at me and it hits me. Roman is here somewhere. I weave through the fighting wolves, dodging attacks.

“Roman!” But none of the wolves acknowledge me.

I scan the room for his fur, but it’s nowhere in sight. I bound up the stairs two at a time.

I summon my wind again as a wolf lunges at me. Panic and frustration ignite within me.

I dart in and out of rooms, desperate to find Roman and end this. I need to see my mother; he can’t do this right now!

Suddenly, a heavy weight slams into me from behind, and I crash to the ground.

My nose smashes into the floor and I hear a sickening crack. My eyes well up with tears.

I feel the wolf’s saliva drip onto me as he growls menacingly.

The shock douses my fire, but I quickly reignite it.

The wolf doesn’t budge. I don’t smell the scent of burning fur or flesh.

This must be one of the wolves with the protection spell! I squirm underneath him, but he’s too heavy to shake off.

His teeth sink into my shoulder and I bite back a scream.

~Think, Katelynn. You’re a warrior, you trained for this,~ I remind myself.

I swing my arm up to elbow him in the face. He stumbles a bit, and I seize the opportunity to flip around.

Lorcan is glaring at me, his growl so low it sounds downright evil.

I drive my knee into his stomach, but his teeth sink into my arm again. This time, I can’t hold back the scream.

His teeth hit nerves, sending waves of pain shooting up my arm to my shoulder.

Before I can make another move, a terrifying growl makes me flinch. In a flash, Lorcan is thrown off me.

His teeth rip a chunk out of my arm, and tears stream down my face. I quickly blink them away and scramble to my feet.

My hands ablaze, I turn back to the battle.

Roman’s beautiful grey fur is all over Lorcan.

I allow myself a moment of relief, before the sounds of pain snap me back to reality.

“Roman, no! Let him go.” Roman’s eyes flicker briefly to mine.

They’re ablaze with anger. I involuntarily take a step back.

His power radiates off him, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.

I almost bow to him, my wolf-side submitting to his power. He slowly releases Lorcan.

The moment he steps back, Lorcan scrambles to his feet and bolts.

Roman’s gaze falls on my arm. He growls deeply again.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” We lock eyes. His are filled with worry and love.

He lowers his head in submission as he approaches me.

I drop to my knees and embrace him. I bury my face in his neck, his scent calming me.

The pain recedes to the back of my mind, as do the sounds of battle.

Suddenly, growls snap us back to reality. Roman instantly spins around, shielding me with his body.

Alan stands before us.

He’s as tall as Roman, his teeth bared in anger.

Before I can say anything, they lunge at each other. I let out a small scream, distracting Roman.

Alan seizes the opportunity and sinks his teeth into the side of Roman’s face.

Roman struggles, but Alan doesn’t let go. I see blood dripping from him and my heart clenches.

I hurl a fireball at Alan, but it just glides over him and hits the wall.

I rush forward and grab Alan by the neck to pull him off.

His hind leg kicks me and I land on my butt. I don’t know what to do, so I scream.

A high-pitched scream that would make banshees proud. Alan turns to look at me, and the room falls silent.

I slowly rise to my feet and ascend the stairs. The fighting has stopped and all eyes are on me.

“As your future queen, I command you all to stop.”

Some of the wolves start growling again. I leap off the stairs, shifting mid-jump and land on my paws.

My growl is deep and commanding. The omegas instantly bow their heads in submission.

I approach the few who do not bow.

One by one, I stand before them and force them into submission, one by one they bow.

Lorcan is all healed up now, feeling bold and cocky. Without hesitation, I attack him.

I manage to pin him on his back, his belly exposed. I grab him by the neck while my paws sear his stomach.

When he doesn’t submit, I bite down harder. He doesn’t budge.

I start shaking my head, tearing his neck apart.

Suddenly, I’m being pulled away. I release Lorcan and look behind me.

No one is there. Something slams into me and I can smell the magic.

I’m thrown off Lorcan, but manage to land on my paws. I look up, expecting Roman’s witch.

What I see takes my breath away.

Her eyes are locked on me, tears shimmering in them.

Her mouth is slightly open.

Her black hair shines in the light streaming through a window.

She is beautiful.

Beautiful and alive.

I shift back to my human form, not caring that I’m now naked.

My lip trembles as I take a step forward.

“Mom?” My voice breaks, sounding foreign in my own ears. The beautiful woman nods at me while tears slide down her cheeks.

“Mom?” I ask again, taking another step forward. She opens her arms to me and without a second thought, I run straight into them, collapsing into her embrace.