My body felt like it was made of lead, every muscle heavy and unresponsive, my eyelids so weighed down I could barely lift them. When I tried to open my eyes, a sudden burst of light made me wince, forcing them shut again, my head throbbing with the effort. I waited, breathing slowly, and after a few seconds, I tried again, my eyes fluttering open to stare at the ceiling. It looked familiar, the faint patterns stirring a memory, and as my brain struggled to pull itself together, I realized it was the same ceiling I’d seen before, in a room in Iron Claw. My heart sank a little—am I back here again? I asked myself, confusion swirling in my mind as I tried to make sense of it. A soft shuffling sound came from my side, and I turned my neck, wincing at the stiffness, to see Silvia sitting up from a small bed nearby. Her hair was mussed, her eyes heavy with sleep, like she’d been dozing there, keeping watch over me. “Ashley,” she called, her voice soft but urgent as she moved toward me, her
Back in iron claw Ashley was carried into the healer’s quarters with urgent care, her body limp, her face pale, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths that held the weight of her condition. The warriors moved quickly, their hands steady but gentle, ensuring she reached the healers without delay. The other girls, their faces tight with worry, followed instructions to be shown to their temporary rooms, their bodies heavy with the shock of the battle and Ashley’s collapse. Silvia, though, wouldn’t be moved. Her heart was tied to Ashley, her loyalty fierce and unwavering, and she refused to leave her side, her jaw set with determination as she followed the warriors. She took her place beside Ashley in the healer’s quarters, sitting close, her hands clasped tightly, her eyes locked on her sister’s still face. Every breath Ashley took was a lifeline, and Silvia watched each one, her own chest tight with fear, her mind replaying the moment Ashley’s scream had torn through the air,
Once the healer declared Adrian stable, his breathing even and his life no longer hanging in the balance, Katrina felt a fleeting wave of relief, but it was quickly swallowed by a torrent of emotions. She didn’t linger at his side, didn’t even glance into the room where he lay recovering. Her mind was a chaotic swirl, thoughts colliding, and she rushed back to her room, her legs heavy with the weight of her worry, her heart still racing from the events that had unfolded. Inside, she shut the door, her hands shaking as she fumbled for her phone, nearly dropping it in her haste. She dialed her father’s number, her fingers trembling so badly she had to steady them against the phone. When he answered, his voice warm and familiar, she unleashed everything, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush. She told him about Adrian’s collapse, the moment he’d called her Ashley, how his body had gone limp in her arms, his eyes closed, his face pale. Her voice cracked, raw with fear, as she relived t
Meanwhile in Silver fang. Katrina was lost in a haze of pleasure, her body trembling with need as she lay in Adrian’s room, her voice thick with longing. “Hmm, yes baby, yes, just the way I love it,” she drooled, her eyes squeezed shut, every touch sending waves of heat through her. Adrian’s hands were on her, teasing her nipples, and she couldn’t get enough. “Please don’t stop, baby, yeah, oh moon goddess, take me, please, I want you inside of me right now,” she begged, her words spilling out in a desperate, breathless rush, her body aching for him. They’d been like this for days, ever since the potion had worked its magic, convincing his wolf that she was his mate. It had bound them together, making them inseparable, their every moment filled with touches, whispers, and a closeness Katrina had never known. This was new territory, though—their first time crossing that final line, and Adrian had been so attentive, treating her like she was the only thing that mattered, his hands know
Ashley’s body burned with an inner fire, her scream ripping through the air, a sound so powerful it forced everyone nearby to cover their ears, ducking for cover as the trees bent and dust swirled, carrying debris in its wake. The enemies, those twisted creatures, began to convulse, their bodies jerking as if consumed by an unseen flame eating them from the inside. One by one, they collapsed, their movements growing weak until they lay still, lifeless on the ground. The massive creature, the one that had once ruled the battlefield with its terrifying presence, was no different. It thrashed wildly, its screeches high and desperate, its shapeless form twisting in agony as it too fell victim to the force emanating from Ashley. She stood at the center of it all, lost in herself, caught in a power she didn’t know how to control, her body trembling, her eyes squeezed shut as the scream poured out of her. Only one person remained nearby, a few meters away, watching her with wide, worried eye
I spun around toward the sound so fast, my heart slamming in my chest, and froze when I saw it—a creature, shapeless like the others but so much bigger, towering over us like a living nightmare. Where its eyes should’ve been was nothing but a single, endless, hollow hole, soulless and deep, like it could pull you in and never let go. Its mouth gaped wide, canines jutting out on both sides, long and menacing, glinting in the dim light. The other creatures around froze, like zombies under its command, their twisted bodies going still at its guttural growl. My gaze darted to Alpha Alessandro, and I saw fear in his eyes, raw and unguarded, though he was fighting to keep it hidden, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack. The creature roared again, a long, deafening sound that made my bones rattle, and the sky itself seemed to answer—thunder crashed, loud and violent, as dark clouds rolled in, swallowing the night. Then it charged, its long, shapeless hands—hands that looked lik