Chapter 33
Chapter
Thirty-Three
My witch instincts never led me down the wrong path. He must have read The Book of Thoradis.
Though I couldn't see if he was immortal based on his appearance, his essence was undeniably stronger. His supernatural presence was so strong that it overwhelmed me to be in a room with him.
"My Queen," Hayden murmured, his voice dripping with malice.
He stood near the window, the golden light casting shadows upon his chiseled features. But beneath his beautiful outer shell, I detected his darkness. It was a coldness, a detachment from his former self, that sent more chills through my core.
"Don’t call me that," I deadpanned.
Where had he gone wrong? He hadn’t always been a monster. Even Willa trusted him when he was younger, so how had he changed? Had his greed for power consumed him? Or did his obsession with me distort his morality and leave behind only a shadow of the person he once was?
Anger infused my veins, but there was also a pinch of anxiety there. Hayden was unpredictable and lethal. I’d watched him kill my mother with a face devoid of emotion.
"Is that any way to speak to your mate?" he asked mockingly, closing the distance between us in an instant.
Warning bells rang in my mind, urging me to be cautious and tread carefully.
Just because he’d bonded himself to me didn’t make us mates—now I knew that better than ever. The bond I’d formed with Torin was the purest, stretching beyond the powers of a mate bond.
"Leave me alone, Hayden."
Using my bound hands, I clutched the sheets protectively to my chest as he stopped at the bedside. I looked down to find the clothes I’d worn to the fairy realm still on my body, and I let out a sigh.
“You have the book already, so why keep me here? I’m no longer useful to you.”
His eyes darkened dangerously. "You're mine, sweetheart,” he said with a clenched jaw, turning away from me. “Once your precious Torin is dead, you’ll have no choice but to come to me.”
I sucked in a sharp breath at the thought of Hayden, who had acquired immense new power, fighting Torin.
Despite knowing my feelings, Hayden continued to harbor such intense feelings and obsession with me. I couldn’t deny that there had been a time when our connection had felt genuine.
Hayden's toxic obsession had grown like a tangled web, though, trapping both of us in torment. His desperate need to control me was a twisted version of affection that I couldn’t accept.
Or perhaps he saw my rejection as a challenge, a barrier he was determined to break through. Hayden was no longer capable of distinguishing between love and possession, blurring the lines until they merged into one.
I gave my head a slight shake. It didn’t matter anymore. Hayden had bonded himself to me, violating my consent, and he killed my mother—two things I couldn’t forgive or forget.
I would not let him kill Torin too. I’d fight Hayden for Torin and Willa. I couldn’t save my mother, but it wasn’t too late to save Torin.
Even if it cost me my life…
“They’re almost here,” he said.
“Who?”
"Your friends," he replied, his tone cold. "They're on their way here. Once I’m done with them,”—he paused, glancing over his shoulder at me while my stomach churned—“I’ll be back for you."
Hayden smirked, watching me intently, daring me to say something to defy him again.
I didn’t. The tension in the room thickened, suffocating me.
I could not break through my chains before Hayden got to me. Perhaps, if I shifted, I could free myself, but Hayden could shift too.
Suddenly, war erupted outside the bedchamber walls, the sounds of clashing steel and guttural snarls echoing through the air.
“It’s time, my Queen,” Hayden said and strolled to the door. “The war has begun.”
He gave me one last threatening glance over his shoulder, and the door shut and clicked behind him.
I scoffed. He’d locked me in a room, but he hadn’t bound my ankles.
Tossing the sheets to the side awkwardly, I swung my feet over the bed and stood. My wolf surged within me, her presence stronger than ever before. She was ready to protect my human side.
My heart raced, adrenaline coursing through me like liquid fire. I took a deep breath, allowing the strength of my wolf to envelop me completely.
There was only one way to join the war—through the locked door. Jumping out the window even in my wolf form could injure me, and I didn’t have the time to heal.
But I would only be able to open the door in my human form. Sighing, I readied myself for my transformation. Either way, my wolf would be hurt. I was about to close my eyes and call on my wolf when a soft click echoed at the door, and I held my breath.
Why had he come back so soon?
The door creaked open slowly but not enough for a person to walk through it. Milo fluttered inside, and I let out a loud, heavy breath.
“Milo,” I said.
He flew to my face and spread his hands wide as he hugged my cheek, placing his little face against my skin, his touch like a feather caress. Then he fluttered back, looking at me. His shoulders hunched over, and his face appeared ashen.
“I know, Milo. I miss her too.”
He nodded.
“Thank you for staying by her side all the time and for helping me and her.”
His head bobbed again. The tiny sparks glimmering over his cheeks looked like his tears.
My chest tightened.
“I hope I can help you and the other fairies by defeating Hayden. I don’t know how, but I’ll try,” I said. “I wish for your life to get better from now on. No dark magic. No demonic-looking creatures. I’ll do everything to make sure you and your family can live the rest of your days in peace here.”
He dashed to my cheek again and hugged me, but this time his tiny tears left wet traces on my skin.
He flew toward the door, waving his hands.
I followed Milo down the hallways until we entered the fairy throne chamber, where I’d seen Hayden kill his father. The sounds of battle cries and clashing steel reverberated in the large room.
Glancing at Milo, I rushed my words. “Go. Leave, Milo. I don’t know how this will turn out.”
He gave me a nod and fluttered away.
Standing at the threshold, I scanned the battlefield. Limp bodies already littered the bloody marble floor. I gulped for air as I recognized some of the fairy guardians.
Immediately, I searched for Torin and found him close to the King’s throne, slashing his sword at a fairy warrior.
My eyes widened as Hayden sprinted toward Torin’s back from the opposite side of the room. I couldn’t reach them in time to save Torin in my human form, so I called on my wolf.
As my bones cracked and adjusted, I broke through the chains binding my wrists, and sharp pain exploded in my limbs. I swallowed the scream and let my wolf spirit completely take over.
My wolf, though unsteady, lunged at Hayden. I feared I couldn’t defeat the evil King, but I needed to protect Torin. I bared my teeth, ready to tear into Hayden, and tackled him hard in his stomach. We fell to the ground, rolling over dead bodies.
He met me with equal ferocity, shifting into his slender, large wolf.
Our two forms collided. By the Gods, even his wolf had become more powerful.
His rippling muscles beneath his fur seemed to be made of steel, radiating unnatural energy and strength.
His claws and canines appeared elongated and sharper.
"Anna," Torin shouted, his voice filled with concern.
But I couldn't afford to let my focus waver—not when my freedom and the fate of those I cared about hung in the balance.
We disentangled, standing on all fours. Hayden snarled as he swiped at me with his massive paws, trying to knock me off balance. I dodged his attack, using my smaller size and agility to my advantage. With each strike, I could feel his frustration growing.
I snarled, launching myself at him again. My teeth found his flesh this time, sinking deep into his shoulder. His howl of pain echoed through the chamber, momentarily drowning out the chaos that surrounded us.
It was surprisingly easy to sink my teeth into him. Had he let me? To test me, perhaps?
Hayden’s wolf stumbled back, blood oozing from the gash I'd left in his flesh, coating his brown fur crimson.
Seizing the opportunity, I shifted back into my human form, standing amidst the carnage. Naked. I would never get used to that.
"Anna," Torin called, rushing to my side.
He quickly removed his white T-shirt he had changed into when we were in the human realm and offered it to me. I accepted it without hesitation, slipping it over my head and letting it fall to cover my exposed body. Never mind I had no underwear.
“Hayden used the book and became powerful and immortal, Torin. Be careful.”
Torin nodded.
Hayden had also shifted back into his human form, zipping up leather pants. He nodded toward a man nearby—probably the person who had brought him the clothes, and that fairy disappeared among the fighting bodies.
The scent of blood and fire mixed with the tang of adrenaline in the air. I could feel the eyes of my allies and enemies upon me as I faced Hayden, their gazes heavy.
The outcome of the war depended on my defeat of the wicked fairy King. His dark fairies outnumbered us, so it all depended on me. Just like with the vampire Queen, when she’d fallen, her minions had given up and submitted to us.
I had come too far, endured too much, to back down now. Desperation fueled me.
Hayden glared at me, his eyes blazing. What was he waiting for?
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to lunge at him and tear him apart with my bare hands—probably impossible to do, but I wanted to.
Instead, I took a deep breath, centering myself. This wasn't just about me anymore. It was about everyone who had suffered under Hayden's rule.
"I will not stand by and let you hurt anyone else,” I shouted.
“Is that right, sweetheart?” he said, tilting his head to the side and observing me.
With that, Hayden turned and sprinted toward a group of injured werewolves, leaving me frozen to my spot.
So unpredictable. My eyes widened in horror as I realized what he intended to do.
"Stop him," I yelled, but the chaos of the battle drowned me out.
I had no choice. I had to act. Ignoring the burning pain in my muscles and the fear clawing at my chest, I raced after him, my every thought focused on stopping him from causing any more harm.
As I closed the distance between us, the power of my wolf surged through me, lending me strength and speed. I wouldn't let Hayden hurt anyone else—not if it was within my power to stop him.
I leaped at him and tackled him to the ground in my human form. We rolled across the floor, fighting for control. He clutched my wrists with bruising force.
"You can't win this, sweetheart. I’m the strongest man in this room."
But I refused to yield.
I stared into his eyes and whispered, "Watch me."
For the first time since this nightmare had begun, doubt flickered in Hayden's eyes—and I knew I was finally free.