CHECKMATE'S POV Fighting Ivanka turned out to be more difficult than I had expected. She had so many advantages over me, considering that she had even been my martial arts teacher not too long ago. And when I realised that the only way to stand a chance of surviving was to shift to my wolf form, it was already too late as she was capable of making a half-shift—just like Hillary, she could still be in human form and access her werewolf strength. So, I had no time to shift and was vulnerable to her attacks. I couldn't even defend myself as I had no weapons to wade her off. She rose me up in the air and flung me at the wooden wall of the cabin which cracked open. Blood oozed out of my head, soaking my entire hair within few seconds and judging from the excruciating pain at my back, I could bet that I had fractured my backbone. Moaning in pain, I watched my stepsister walk towards me with a cruel smile on her stiff face, while twirling the point