Bonds

tack.”

Chapter 99

-Maya’s POV-

The world erupted into a cacophony of snarls, growls, and the sickening thud of flesh on flesh. Alex’s command echoed in my ears, a death knell shattering the fragile peace we’d all clung to for the past hour.

Before I could even blink, his wolves were a blur of fur and fangs, launching themselves towards the center platform where my father stood, his own wolves scrambling to meet the attack. A primal scream tore from my throat as I watched Alex himself shift. The human form I knew, the one that had haunted my dreams and stolen my heart, dissolved before my eyes. In his place stood a magnificent beast, a black wolf, its fur rippling with raw power.

A guttural roar ripped from Alex’s wolf, a sound that sent shivers down my spine and echoed the primal fear rising within me. My father’s pack didn’t hesitate. With snarls of their own, they too shifted, a wave of brown and gray fur surging forward to meet the oncoming black

tide.

The clash was instantaneous, a whirlwind of snapping teeth and thrashing claws. The air grew thick with the stench of fur and blood, the polished floor of the hall slick with crimson. I stood rooted in place, paralyzed by the sudden, brutal violence that unfolded before me.

Then, a cold realization washed over me, sharp and undeniable. This wasn’t a show of force, a fight for dominance. This was a massacre. Alex

hadn’t come here to negotiate peace; he’d come here to destroy.

A frantic voice broke through the haze of terror clouding my mind. “Amaya!” I whipped my head around, searching for the source of the shout. Relief flooded me as I saw Ivan pushing his way through the throng of fighting wolves, his face etched with concern.

Instinct took over. I needed to find Natalia and Sarah, get them out of this madness. “Ivan,” I shouted, my voice barely audible over the growing chaos, “Natalia and Sarah! I need to find them!”

He reached me, his grip firm as he pulled me towards a side door leading out of the hall. “We need to get you out of here first,” he yelled, his voice strained. “I’ll find them once I get you safe.”

gnawed at me. I understood his logic, the need to get me out of harm’s way. But I couldn’t just abandon them. “No! I

up for debate!” Ivan’s voice held a steely edge I hadn’t heard before. He grabbed my arm

the exit.

the swirling mass of fur and fangs. Then, in the distance, I

to escape. All

in a

my arm free from his grasp and bolted towards them. “No!” he roared after me, but I was already in the desperate need to intervene overriding every ounce of

running,

blood–slicked floor felt like running through an adrenaline–fueled dream. The snarls and growls intensified as I got closer, punctuated by the sickening crack of bone on bone. Each step felt like wading through mud, my breath coming in ragged gasps

frenzy, a massive brown wolf, easily twice the size

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Chapter 99

ground. My heart lurched, dread twisting in my

diminished, ragged gashes marking his gray fur. Suddenly, a flash of black fur shot past me. Alex’s wolf, a blur of lethal grace, tackled the brown from the side. They tumbled across the floor in a whirlwind of snarling fury, the

to consume me, but something else, a flicker of my wolf within, urged me forward. I wouldn’t stand by and watch him be ripped to shreds. With a deep breath that did

I shifted.

world narrowing to a predator’s focus. I saw the glint of the brown wolf’s fangs as he lunged

hesitation, I launched myself towards him, aiming for his side. With a primal roar, I slammed into him, driving him back a few steps. He

brown wolf let out a surprised yelp as I collided with him. His momentum faltered, giving Alex’s wolf a vital edge in their fight But whoever he was was a seasoned warrior, and his surprise quickly melted away, replaced by a snarl so vicious it sent shivers down my spine. He lunged

strength. We danced around each other, a deadly ballet on the blood–soaked floor. I darted in and out, nipping at his flanks, trying to draw his attention away

yellow eyes gleaming with predatory intelligence. Each missed attack left me vulnerable, and the

sluggish

through the hall, drawing my attention back to the central brawl. My father’s wolf, fueled by rage and desperation, had managed to get back on his feet and was now charging towards Alex. With a sickening thud, he slammed into Alex’s side,

sprawling