Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
THEO
C haos rains down all around us. The pack hall, once a sanctuary of celebration and unity, is now overrun with beasts made of shadows. Dozens of them pour from the portal Orix ripped open in the ceiling, their inky forms swooping low, searching for prey as my people run, unprepared for this form of attack.
Orix stands at the center of it all, a smirk of satisfaction curling his lips as his dark gaze locks onto mine, cold and calculating. “This is what you’ve brought upon them, Theodore. I must admit I’m impressed. I thought you’d face me alone, but like the king before you, you’re sacrificing the people for your own wellbeing.”
I shake my head, my wolf snarling deep within me, his fury echoing through my chest. “No.”
This was never the plan. We were supposed to be stronger together, prepared for whatever Orix threw at us, but none of us could’ve predicted this—an army of shadows, untouchable and relentless.
“Yes,” Orix presses, his accompanying laugh haunting. “You’ve led them to the edge of hell. I’m going to take them from you, one by one, just like I did your last family.”
As if to prove his point, one of the shadows finds its mark, wrapping around a young shifter near the front of the room. His scream cuts through the chaos as his knees buckle, his skin paling as though the life’s being siphoned from his veins.
He claws at the shadows, but his movements cease within seconds.
A surge of helpless fury floods me. I lunge forward, desperate to reach him, but Jerome’s voice sounds through my mind.
“We’ll help the pack as best we can, Sire. You’re the only one who can end Orix.”
He’s right. My people need me to end this nightmare at its source, but my chest constricts with every anguished cry that fills the hall. I won’t lose everyone like before. I refuse.
Cecil’s booming voice sounds above the cacophony. “Use whatever’s at your disposal to protect yourselves. Just don’t let them touch you.”
Estee stands beside me, rigid with tension as she points toward a few of the guards. “Look.”
Three of our wolves have ripped tapestries from the walls and are using the rods holding them up as weapons to swipe at the shadows. With every swing, the inky forms disperse, breaking apart into black mist. Though the figures reassemble within seconds, those fleeting moments of reprieve are enough to give the pack hope.
Cecil and Orion bark orders, rallying the shifters, while Jerome ushers the others toward the exits. It’s chaotic, but they’re holding their ground.
Estee was right. They can handle this, and I need to focus on Orix as I’ve already been told.
Hand-in-hand, we walk toward our biggest threat. He stands near the back wall of the room, taller than I’ve ever seen him. The devious god’s joyful expression never falters, but there’s a glint of uncertainty in his eyes. One I fully intend to draw on until he’s on his knees, drained of my energy.
I bare my teeth, my wolf snarling in unison. Though, I don’t dare shift, having no clue what Orix might do to my wolf with that connection still intact. “You’ll regret this,” I growl, my voice carrying the power of the alpha I’ve always been, even when I allowed myself to forget.
“Hmm,” Orix muses, his tone dripping with mockery. “Maybe, but even if you manage to win today, what will the two of you lose?” His eyes dart to our left.
Estee’s gaze follows and she snarls. “Drea.”
The shifter is alone, swinging a candelabrum at the three shadows closing in on her, herding her into a corner of the room, likely without her even realizing it.
“Go,” I tell Estee, my voice firm. “Help her.”
As much as I’d rather have my mate at my side, Orix is my problem, and Drea’s only here because of me and Estee. I won’t allow either of us to live with that guilt if something happens to her and we did nothing to help prevent it.
Estee glares at Orix but speaks to me. “I’ll be back.”
I give her hand a squeeze before she turns sharply, running toward the inky demons.
“And then there were two,” Orix says giddily as if this scenario is exactly what he hoped for.
Even if it is, I’m done playing his games. I don’t need idle chatter while these shadows destroy my pack. I want this done, and I want it done now. Without another word, I charge.
“Finally.” Orix meets me head-on, his dark energy crackling around him like a shield. I feel the impact as our bodies collide, the force reverberating through my bones. My claws lengthen, slashing through the air as I drive him back, my focus singular: ending him.
My knuckles cut into his nose and onyx blood drips down his face, but then he strikes my ribs, cracking at least one of them and making it hard for me to breathe.
I draw on my wolf, pushing him further to the surface, but as I feel the shift trying to happen, I stop myself.
Orix hovers over me, glee in his soulless eyes. “Come out and play, Wolf.”
He needs me to change. Whatever connection he still has to me is important. I don’t know why, but he’s shown his hand too early, and I won’t give in.
My inner beast retreats, just enough that I no longer have claws, but I can feel his power beneath my skin. I’m not alone, and his strength keeps me moving despite my worry for Estee and the pack.
A quick glance shows me that Estee’s now at Drea’s side and they’re slashing their way back to the center of the room. I want to keep watching, but Orix sends a tendril of dark energy at me, lashing the whip of power across my chest.
My clothes are ripped open, and a red line mars my skin, but the hit doesn’t cut me. “I’m done playing your games, Orix.”
His laughter surrounds me. “Oh, Theodore. And here I was hoping that we were only just getting started.”
I lunge at him again, unleashing blow after blow. For every hit I land, Orix counters with shadowy wisps that snake around me, seeking to trap my limbs. I twist and dodge, but the bindings are relentless.
I let them close in on me, feigning weakness as I grab Orix around the waist and slam him to the ground. The force of our impact cracks the floor beneath us, and the shadows shatter like glass, freeing me from their grip.
Taking advantage, I position myself over Orix, striking him with my fists. I expect him to fight back, but he laughs harder. “I used to hate your stupidity, but I see now that I should’ve been grateful for it.”
Confusion fills me, and it’s not until I pause that I realize the wisps of his power didn’t dissipate completely. Where he already ripped open my tuxedo, onyx lines of poison spread over my chest, and my heart slows, making my breathing worsen.
I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I do know I’m not giving up that easily. With Orix still staring at my growing wound, I use his distraction to reach for the dagger disguised as a royal scepter.
“The crown jewels won’t help you now,” he taunts, but the moment I break the metal, revealing the weapon, his eyes go wide.
Orix scrambles, trying to shove me aside, but I won’t be stopped, not when I’m this close to freedom. I reach for his shirt, risking everything when I allow my wolf to surge forward, borrowing his strength to keep Orix close as I drive the dagger into his chest.
“I’m taking back what’s mine.”
Ancient power warms my palm as I hold the hilt, doing my best to keep the blade in place while he bucks beneath my weight.
“No,” Orix groans, but his refusal means nothing.
The blue stones glow around the dagger, and the dark magic bleeding through my skin, attempting to claim my heart, starts to fade.
This is it. Our nightmare’s going to end.
Power thrums with purpose around us— my power—as Orix weakens, barely able to fight back as his energy fades. He’s done. There’s nothing more he can do to hurt me or the people I care about.
The relief is nearly as joyous as bonding with Estee, but it doesn’t last long.
He shakes his head, his dark eyes filled with defiance. “Even if you kill me, have you already forgotten my warning, Theodore? You’re still going to lose. I’ve made sure of that.”
I have no clue what he’s talking about, and I don’t want to know. He’s trying to take advantage of me like he has all these years, and I won’t allow it. Never again.
“Listen to their cries,” he taunts, chuckling despite the blood flowing freely from him and the translucency of his skin. “Do they remind you of the last family I took from you?”
There’s a roar pulsing in my ears, a thunderous pounding of unfiltered power as I reclaim the god energy he’s stolen from me. The rush is intoxicating—a storm of strength and purpose coursing through my veins, filling the void Orix created. His essence bleeds into the air like the last notes of a dying song, and my rightful energy settles into every fractured piece of me.
“You’re more like me than I wanted to admit,” Orix garbles, his once-commanding voice raspy and weak. “Congratulations, Theodore. Just remember, this kind of power always comes with a price.”
His words are hollow, laced with malice and mockery, but I don’t falter. The pulsing desire to never hear his vile voice again is all I need to ignore his words, focusing only on his once-untouchable form as it trembles and shudders.
The heat from the dagger begins to brand my palm, the transfer of power reaching its peak. I’m tempted to let go, but I don’t. Maybe it’s my greed or just the desire to be done with this nightmare, but I hold on tighter, fighting for the moment this god finally takes his last breath.
My fingers start to blister and no matter how hard I try to stay focused, the burns moving up my arm shatter my concentration. The first thing I hear is Orix’s haunting laughter and then…
The screams. And not just any screams.
Estee .
Her s cut through my haze like a blade, and I drop the dagger without a second thought, ready to find my mate. I whip my head to the side, my gaze sweeping around the chaos. The shadow beasts are everywhere, their inky shapes latching onto my people, possessing their bodies, and turning them into weapons against one another. Jerome and Cecil are among the few still standing, rallying those who remain fighting, but even they look moments from collapse.
But I don’t see her. I don’t see the one person who matters most.
“Where are you?” I yell through our bond.
“Foun…tain.”
Her voice is labored, but she’s alive. I spot her then, her silver wolf shaking with determination amidst the chaos. My heart clenches at the sight. She’s cornered, the darkness closing in, and she’s trembling with exhaustion yet refusing to yield. The shadows slither closer, circling her like predators savoring their prey.
“Shift back and fight!” I command, knowing her wolf’s bite will do nothing against these incorporeal beings.
“She’s faster than I am right now,” Estee pants. “I need her.”
“No, you need me,” I murmur, a wave of helplessness surging through me.
I can’t fail. Not again. Not like before.
I glance down at Orix, still pinned beneath me, his blackened blood pooling around the dagger. He’s alive, though barely, his hand weakly reaching toward me. My teeth clench, rage and despair warring within me as Estee’s voice screams through the bond.
“Finish him, Theo!” Her plea is desperate, commanding even, but I can hear the fear in it, the unspoken knowledge that we’re running out of time.
“I can’t,” I rasp, my voice breaking under the weight of my memories. My mind flashes back to my old pack, to the blood and the bodies, the screams that have haunted my nights. I won’t let it happen again. I won’t be the only survivor. Not this time.
“This isn’t like before,” Estee reminds me. “You can do this, Theo.”
Her words are the anchor I need to bring me back to the present. I made the choice to forgive myself for the past and to move forward. I can’t go back now. I vowed to be better, and this is the time for me to prove that I can be.
The sooner I end this, the safer they’ll all be.
Except I’ve already paused for too long and lost my advantage. Orix’s hand shoots up, clamping around my throat with supernatural strength. His grip tightens, and I feel the god energy I’ve reclaimed slipping back into him.
“You’re pathetic,” he snarls as he pushes me off him while reversing our positions, his black eyes glinting with triumph. “Unworthy of the power you’ve been given.”
The edges of my vision blur, spots of darkness creeping in as his energy drains me. I can feel my strength waning, my body succumbing to the intensity of his power. But then, above it all, Estee’s voice slices through, raw and filled with fire.
“You made me promises, Theo Northcroft. Don’t you dare give up.”
Her strength and belief in me ignite something primal and unyielding from deep within me, a reminder that I’m more than just a wolf shifter.
Orix can take my energy, but that doesn’t change who I am. An Alpha King, a shifter who is more god than wolf. I’ve bowed to this monster for too long and I’m done.
His nails cut into my throat, keeping me pinned as my lungs burn for air. I close my eyes, blocking out the pain, and search inside me for the power I need, something Orix will never be able to take from me.
The love I have for my people.
My link to the pack, and even the tether to Estee, glows at my core. I hold tight to that connection and the longer I do, the more I realize I never needed that dagger to take my essence back from Orix.
There’s a simmering shift in the air around me and when I open my eyes again, I know everything is about to change.
Orix tenses above me and opens his mouth to speak, but his time here is done.
The dagger is still lodged in his chest, but I quickly remove it. Ignoring the blisters still on my palm, I keep a tight grip around the hilt and shove him off me as I stand.
He scrambles back but gets to his feet within seconds. “You can’t kill me.” His hiss is venomous, his voice dripping with hatred.
“Maybe not, but I will stop you.” I charge forward as a new presence fills the room.
Aurora .
I’m not sure if she’s here to kill Orix herself, but I don’t stop. This has always been my fight and I’m going to finish this.
He tries to turn away from me, but I kick the back of his leg, forcing him to his knees. Gripping the back of his head, I step around him and tilt his head up. “Goodbye, Orix.”
“This isn’t over,” he mutters, but his words mean nothing to me anymore. He means nothing.
I drag the blade across his throat, the cut deep enough to nearly take his head off, then release him. His body drops to the floor with a thud and his eyes stay open, unmoving, while black blood paints the floor beneath him.
There’s a brief moment where I’m tempted to celebrate, but Estee is still at the forefront of my thoughts. I start to go to her, but before I can take a step, I find her at Aurora’s side, back in her human form and walking toward me.
One of the shadows moves to attack them but seems to be repelled by Aurora’s aura. Her lip curls as she snaps her fingers. I watch as the creature is forced upward, back into the portal it came from. Two more follow suit and I realize that’s the last of them just as the opening begins to stitch itself back together.
With the threat seeming to be taken care of, I run to Estee and wrap my arms around her waist as I lift her off the ground. “Thank you.”
The goddess next to us scoffs. “You should be thanking me.”
Aurora might have helped with the shadows, but it was Estee’s belief in me that won this fight. Something I’ll spend the rest of my life repaying her for.
Shouts of victory ring out from the pack members still present, most of them barely standing, but each filled with pride.
We did it.
Aurora steps forward until she’s standing over Orix and sneers. “This one’s being burned. I won’t let anyone get in my way again.”
Her way? I glance at Estee, and she seems just as confused, but before we can question the goddess, she turns back, her commanding expression locked on me.
“You’ve surprised me, King Theo,” she seems to reluctantly admit. “I didn’t believe you were worth my time, but I see I was mistaken. Just don’t make me regret coming to clean up after you. If you abuse that which you’ve been given, I will be back.” She places her heel on Orix’s limp hand, and his body takes on a brief purple glow before disappearing. “I’ll dispose of Orix. A favor for you. One I’ll be back to collect on.”
Her words linger as she vanishes in a burst of light, leaving us alone in the aftermath of the battle. I should worry what the goddess means to collect from us, but as I look over at Estee, I only care that she and my pack are safe.