All Chapters of Too Late To Want Me: his reject, her rising: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Mara’s POV The tunnels were silent now, save for the faint drip of water echoing against the stone walls. My wolf still hummed beneath my skin, alert, restless, sensing traces of danger even after the shadowed elder had vanished. Each breath I took carried the weight of anticipation, the thrill of survival, and the tension of knowing this was far from over. Dresden’s presence beside me was a grounding force, steady and unwavering. His hand brushed mine, fingers intertwining, a silent reassurance that no matter the enemies lurking in the shadows, we were united. The bond thrummed between us, alive and fierce, a heartbeat that echoed our shared determination. “We’ve made him retreat… for now,” Dresden murmured, amber eyes scanning the darkness. “But he won’t stay down. Not him, not anyone who dares challenge the Crescent pack.” I nodded, letting my senses sweep the tunnels one last time. “He’s hiding… regrouping… probably waiting for reinforcements. But we’re ready.” My voice was l

Mara’s POV The room was small, claustrophobic, and suffocating. Dust and debris hung in the air from the battle raging just beyond the walls, the echoes of snarls, growls, and crashes vibrating through the stone. My heart hammered so violently it felt as if it might burst from my chest. Daisy’s trembling hand found mine, and I gripped it tightly, grounding both of us as my wolf coiled beneath my skin, snarling at the unseen threat. Dresden moved in front of us, amber eyes sharp, muscles tense, ready to spring. His presence was a shield, a living barrier that seemed to radiate power, but even he looked unsettled—his jaw tight, fists clenched. The door slammed shut moments ago, and every instinct I had screamed that it wasn’t locked by ordinary means. There was a pulse in the air, dark energy that hummed like a venomous serpent. I could feel it crawling along my spine, through my veins, burrowing into my soul. This wasn’t just a physical trap—it was a psychic one. “Dresden…” I whis

Mara’s POV The air was thick with smoke, the scent of scorched stone and the tang of blood overwhelming my senses. Every nerve in my body was on fire, every heartbeat a drum of warning. My wolf surged beneath my skin, raw and untamed, her claws itching to tear, to defend, to annihilate. I could feel Dresden’s presence behind me, solid and unwavering, a shield that radiated strength, but even he was tense, his amber eyes burning as he tracked the shadowed elder’s movements with lethal precision. The vault quaked again, the stone floor cracking beneath the force of the elder’s attacks. Shadows rippled along the walls, moving as if alive, tendrils reaching for us, twisting and writhing, eager to consume. Daisy shrieked, ducking behind a shattered column, and I lunged forward, catching her shoulder and pulling her into my side. “We have to move, now!” I shouted, wolf snarling, fangs bared. My claws scraped against stone as I pushed us forward, every step an effort against the tremors

Chapter 77: Shadows of the Past Mara’s POV The air was thick with dust and heat, swirling like ghosts of the battle that had just ripped through the vault. My lungs burned, each inhale tasting of scorched stone and shadow, my claws still tingling from the energy I had unleashed. I sank to my knees, trembling, and the wolf inside me growled, still riding the adrenaline, still aware that the danger wasn’t truly gone. Dresden knelt beside me, his hand steady on my shoulder, grounding me. “You did it, Mara,” he murmured, amber eyes soft but alert. “You struck him at the core. That’s what matters.” I shook my head slowly, wolf snarling low in my chest. “Did I… really stop him? Or did I just delay the inevitable?” My voice was hoarse, but the question burned brighter than any pain I felt. Dresden’s jaw tightened. “No one can say for sure. But you faced him, Mara. You reached deeper than you ever have, and you survived. That counts for more than anything else.” I let out a shaky breath

Mara’s POV The aftermath of the shadow attack left the pack house eerily silent. The once-bustling corridors were now lined with whispers of fear and exhaustion. Every pack member moved cautiously, wary of invisible eyes, of hidden threats. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, tense, restless, alert to every flicker of shadow. Even after the initial assault, I could feel the elder’s energy lingering, like smoke in the air—intangible, but suffocating. Dresden walked beside me, steady, unyielding, but I could see the strain behind his amber eyes. The attack had shaken him, perhaps more than he let on. I reached for his hand, intertwining our fingers, grounding both myself and him. “We need to know where he’s hiding,” I murmured, voice low, barely audible above the soft hum of tension that clung to the pack house. He nodded, jaw tight. “He’s fractured, but clever. He won’t attack openly again. He’ll strike where we least expect it, and he’ll exploit anything—any weakness. I can feel it.