LOGINHolden’s POVThe world went completely quiet. The sounds of the fighting pack, the shouting townspeople, and the dripping water from the melting ice all vanished. The only thing I could focus on was the girl in my arms.Lily was not moving. Her beautiful eyes were closed, and her face was totally blank. I kept my hand pressed against her warm neck, waiting for that familiar, steady thumping sound.Nothing. There was no pulse. Her chest was completely still.My fated mate was dead. She had taken a brutal hit meant for my head, using her own human body to save mine.Something broke inside my soul. It felt like a giant, burning tear ripped through my chest, letting out a monster that had been locked away for a thousand years. The fated mate bond did not just wake up. It exploded with a violent, terrifying power.A loud, cracking sound echoed through my bones. My muscles began to expand, ripping right through the fabric of my varsity sports jacket. My claws grew longer, sharper, and stron
Lily’s POVThe heavy iron pipe was coming down fast. Marcus had a disgusting smile on his face, his arms swinging the metal bar with full force straight at the back of Holden’s head. Holden did not see it.He was looking right at me, his hand reached out, his brown eyes filled with pure worry for my safety. If that metal bar hit him, he would not survive. He was just a human boy now.No, I screamed inside my head.My body was completely numb, frozen to the cold ice by the dark magic that had sucked away my energy. But seeing Holden about to die broke something deep inside my soul. I did not care about the pain anymore. I did not care if my body was broken. I refused to let Marcus take the boy who had just risked everything to save me.With a loud gasp, I forced my mind to snap the invisible chains holding me down. It felt like tearing my own skin, a sharp explosion of heat bursting through my chest.I threw myself forward, sliding across the wet, slick ice.Holden blinked in surprise
Lily’s POVThe arena was filled with the sound of heavy breathing and weak groans. I lay on the freezing white ice, my muscles feeling like lead. Every bit of the white light inside me had been ripped away by that horrible black rock. I could barely lift my chin to see what was happening.All around the spectator stands, the powerful Blood Moon pack enforcers were flat on their backs. Alpha Thomas was clutching his chest, gasping for air like a regular man running out of breath.Their wolves were completely gone, locked behind a dark wall inside their own minds. They were not supernatural protectors anymore. They were just ordinary humans, completely defenseless.The rogue wolves looked at each other, and then a loud, ugly sound broke the silence.They started laughing.It was a cold, cruel sound that echoed off the high metal ceiling. The rogues stepped over the plastic benches, their yellow eyes glowing brighter than ever in the dim sports lights. They did not have to worry about pa
Lily’s POVAlpha Richard’s fingers dug into my wrists like frozen metal clamps. I twisted my body, kicking my legs and screaming for help, but he did not even blink. His grip was too strong. I was completely helpless against him.Let me go, I screamed, my voice echoing wildly across the giant ice rink. Help me!Across the ice, Holden heard my cry. He turned his head away from his fight, his golden eyes widening in pure horror as he saw Alpha Richard holding me.Marcus used that split second of distraction to slam his heavy elbow right into Holden’s ribs. Holden groaned, stumbling backward against the plastic barrier, but his eyes never left me.Lily, Holden roared, trying to push past Marcus to reach the center of the ice.He was too far away. Alpha Richard let out a dark, mocking laugh and dragged me closer to the stone pedestal. With his other hand, he reached into his heavy leather jacket and pulled out the giant black rock.The corrupted relic was cracked, its surface covered in g
Lily’s POVMy breath froze in the air as I stared at the sharp silver blade pressed against my dad’s neck. The tiny drop of red blood on his collar screamed at me to move. My mind stopped working, and my body took over.Do not do it, Lily, Holden hissed, his large hand gripping my shoulder like a steel clamp. It is a suicide mission. If you walk out there, he will take your power and kill him anyway.I cannot just stand here and watch him die, Holden, I whispered, tears burning my eyes.I pulled away from his grip. For the first time, Holden did not stop me. He knew as well as I did that we had zero options. I pushed open the small plastic gate and stepped onto the slippery white ice.The cold hit my sneakers instantly. I took a slow, shaking step forward. The ice crunched under my feet, sounding incredibly loud in the dead silence of the stadium.Thousands of trapped townspeople watched me from the stands, their eyes filled with absolute desperation. The rogue wolves smirked, their y
Lily’s POVThe silence that followed Marcus’s laugh was heavier than the darkness in the tunnel. My ears buzzed, and the cold air in the locker room felt like ice water filling my lungs.We were trapped inside. The main doors were jammed, the hallway doors were locked, and Marcus was watching us from somewhere behind a glass screen.Holden did not wait around for something else to happen. He let out a deep, furious roar that rattled the metal lockers. His brown eyes turned completely gold, glowing with the wild fire of his Alpha wolf. He stepped toward the heavy metal doors leading to the main ice rink and pulled his fist back.Get down, Holden ordered, his voice deep and booming.I dropped to the floor, covering my head with my arms.Holden slammed his fist directly into the center of the metal door. The sound was like a car crash. The metal dented deeply under his knuckles, but the lock held tight. He did not stop.He let out another angry growl and threw his entire heavy shoulder a







