Chapter 67
The triplets sped through the forest toward Pine Creek, their wolves pushing hard against the night. Kael led the pack, his mind still reeling from the image. Behind him, Ronan’s red wolf ran with deadly focus. Darian brought up the rear, his hand never leaving his jacket pocket. They were still two miles out when the scream shattered the darkness.
Elara’s scream. Pain. Terror. Death. Ronan’s wolf launched forward, leaving his brothers behind. His paws barely hit the ground as he flew between trees, branches whipping past his face. Mate in danger. Kill threat. Protect mate. The smell hit him first. Blood. Elara’s blood. Then he saw her. She was on her knees in the town square, surrounded by the children she’d been saving. A man in black leather stood behind her, a silver knife pressed to her throat. Blood ran from a cut on her shoulder where the blade had already tasted flesh.
“Come any closer and she dies!” the assassin shouted as Kane and Celeste circled him. Ronan shifted mid-leap, landing hard on human feet. His eyes were pure gold, his wolf clawing to break free. “Let. Her. Go.” The assassin laughed. “Marcus Blackwood sends his regards. The Moon Alpha dies tonight.” He pressed the knife deeper. More blood flowed. That’s when Ronan snapped. The anger that lived in his chest, the beast he’d spent years learning to control, exploded outward like a bomb. His wolf didn’t just rise. It consumed him. Bones cracked as his body grew. His muscles grew thick as tree trunks. His claws became silver daggers. His teeth turned into fangs that could crush steel. But his eyes. His eyes became black holes of pure fury. This wasn’t his normal wolf. This was the monster his father had beaten into him. The killer that lurked in every Blackwood’s blood. The assassin’s confident smile died. “What the hell—” Ronan moved faster than lightning. His claws ripped through the man’s chest like paper. Blood sprayed across the square as the assassin’s scream cut short. But Ronan wasn’t done. He turned on Kane, who was helping Elara to her feet. His wolf saw movement and classified it as danger. “Ronan, no!” Elara cried, but her voice seemed to come from miles away. Kane barely dodged the swipe that would have taken his head off. “He’s lost control!” The children screamed, running in all directions.
Celeste changed to wolf form, trying to herd them to safety. Ronan’s monster-wolf stalked forward, hunting anything that moved. Saliva dripped from his fangs. His claws left gouges in the stone beneath his feet. Kane drew his sword. “I don’t want to hurt you, but—” Ronan lunged. Kane rolled away, but claws caught his arm, shredding flesh to bone. “Stop!” Elara stumbled forward, forgetting her own wounds. “Ronan, look at me!” The beast swung toward her, and for a frightening second, she thought she saw hunger in those black eyes. Then Kael and Darian burst into the square. “Get back!” Kael shouted, silver knife shining in his hand. “He’ll kill you!” “He’s my mate,” Elara said definitely. “He won’t hurt me.” “That’s not Ronan anymore,” Darian warned, his own knife ready. “That’s the Blackwood curse. Pure killing sense.” The monster-wolf circled them, huge head swinging back and forth. Looking for the next target. Elara stepped forward. Every urge screamed at her to run, but she ignored them all. “Ronan,” she whispered. “Come back to me.” The beast froze. “I know you’re in there,” she continued, moving closer. “I can feel you fighting.” A low growl rumbled from the creature’s throat. Warning her away. “I’m hurt,” she said simply. “I need you. The real you.” She held out her hand, blood still dripping from her shoulder. The monster-wolf’s nostrils flared, scenting her hurt. The black in his eyes flashed for just a moment, showing gold underneath. “That’s it,” Elara breathed. “Come back to me, my wild wolf.” The beast took a step forward.
Then another. Kael raised his knife. “Elara, get away from him.” “No.” She never took her eyes off the creature. “He’s fighting it. He’s fighting for me.” The monster-wolf was close enough to touch now. Close enough to kill her with one swipe. Instead, he lowered his massive head and whined. The sound broke something inside the rage. Ronan’s human consciousness clawed its way back to the surface, fighting against the bloodlust that wanted to consume everything. Mate hurt. Protect mate. Not kill mate. Slowly, painfully, the monster began to shrink. Bones cracked back into place. Muscles returned to normal size. The black faded from his eyes, leaving them gold, then brown. Ronan collapsed to his knees, fully human again, shaking like a leaf. “I’m sorry,” he gasped, reaching for her with trembling hands. “I’m so sorry. I could have killed you.” Elara fell into his arms, both of them bleeding and broken. “But you didn’t. You came back.” “I almost didn’t.” His voice cracked.
“The rage was so strong. I wanted to destroy everything.” “But you chose me instead.” Kael lowered his knife, relief flooding his face. Behind him, Darian watched with calculating eyes, his hand still on the vial in his pocket. Kane limped over, his arm wrapped in torn cloth. “We need to get out of here. That attacker wasn’t alone. I can smell more coming.” “How many children did you save?” Kael asked Elara. “Fifteen. But the threats are getting stronger.” She swayed on her feet. “Each one fights back harder.” Darian stepped forward, pulling out a small flask. “Here. Drink this.
It’ll help recover your strength.” Elara reached for it, trusting him totally. But Ronan’s wolf, still close to the surface, caught a smell that made his hair stand on end. Sulfur. Magic. Betrayal. “Don’t drink that!” he yelled, knocking the flask from Darian’s hand. It shattered on the stones, black liquid hissing as it touched the ground. Darian’s mask finally slipped completely, showing the cold calculation underneath. “You always were too protective, brother,” he said quietly. Then he pulled out the real vial. The one Mordecai had given him. And smiled.