Chapter 197

ALPHA PARTHE.

The battlefield was chaos.

A brutal, blood-soaked chaos that should have fueled me, should have ignited the monster within and sent me storming through the carnage like the wrath of the gods themselves.

But my mind—my fucking mind—was splintering.

Rorden was cutting down my warriors, hacking through them like they were nothing. The bastard was laughing, reveling in the destruction he was causing.

And I was stuck.

Torn between the bitter truth he had shoved down my throat and the beast snarling before me—my mate.

Luxuria.

I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my mate was actually the cure to my curse, as well as that of Rorden's.

If I didn't act—if I kept standing here like a fucking fool, trying to grasp what had already unraveled before my eyes—she would rip me apart.

And the worst part?

I wouldn't even fight back.

Not against her.

Not against my own damnation.

She moved too fast.

One second, she was snarling, her monstrous form rippling with barely contained fury. The next moment, she lunged in a blur, aiming straight for my throat.

I barely managed to twist out of the way, the tips of her claws grazing my skin, leaving burning lines in their wake. Instinct took over. I spun, catching her by the arm and using her own momentum to swing her around.

The impact sent a tremor through the ground as I pinned her beneath me, pressing my weight into her limbs to keep her still.

"Luxuria!" I panted, my breath ragged, "Snap out of this! Please!"

No response.

She bucked violently, snarling in a deep, guttural sound that wasn't hers. Her pupils were blown wide, the veins at the edges of her irises totally darkened and corrupted.

Fuck.

Her eyes were empty.

Void of recognition.

Void of her.

I swallowed hard. "Lux, it's me. Look at me."

Another snarl erupted from her throat, her lips pulling back over elongated fang with her body writhing with unnatural strength beneath me.

The beast had taken full control.

She didn't see me. She didn't even know me.

All she wanted was blood.

With an earth-shattering growl, she threw me off her. The force of it sent me flying, my wounded side slamming against the jagged remains of a fallen tree. Pain exploded through my ribs. A sharp, wet sound gurgled in my throat as I hit the ground hard, my vision flickering from the impact.

Fuck.

I forced my body to move, struggling to push myself up, but before I could fully register my own pain, she was already upon me.

Her claws came down, aiming for my throat.

I caught her wrists just in time, the raw strength behind her attack making my muscles tremble.

Her face hovered inches from mine, those blackened, soulless eyes piercing into me.

I had seen monsters.

I was a monster.

But this—this was something else entirely. This was twisted and manipulated.

I had to bring her back.

My grip tightened on her, and I rasped out some ancient words, pouring every ounce of power I had into them.

"Sethari korvash, veera salmoth. Kievan'tal lux!"

(Return to yourself. Cast out the darkness. Come back to me.)

Nothing.

The words vanished like a mist.

She laughed at my attempt, and her soulless eyes trailed to my sides, which were gushing out blood. A sick satisfaction appeared on her face.

A cold shudder raked down my spine.

"I don't want to hurt you," I murmured, my voice barely holding steady. "Please, come back to me."

A roar ripped through the battlefield, shaking the ground beneath my feet. The scent of burning flesh and fresh blood thickened the atmosphere, choking me.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Rorden.

He wasn't just fighting. He was butchering. He was unmaking everything in his path.

Suddenly, from all corners of my gates, a thunderous sound roared, and the seven gates burst open, unleashing a flood of enemies.

Kahel. Three other Alphas I knew well. And behind them, an army bred for slaughter.

My warriors barely had time to react before the enemy forces crashed into them.

We were totally outnumbered.

The tide was turning.

And it wasn't in my favor.

A surge of raw energy coursed through me, renewing my strength. I sucked in a breath, my grip tightening on Luxuria's wrists. If she wasn't going to listen—if words weren't enough—then I had no choice.

I whispered another incantation, "Vetra'kan soltaris! Kievan'tal!"

A violent burst of power erupted between us.

Luxuria was wrenched away from me, her body flung through the air as if struck by a divine force. She crashed into a stone wall with a sickening crack, the impact sending debris flying.

My breath caught. I hadn't meant for it to happen that severely.

I stumbled forward. "Luxuria—"

Her body crumpled to the ground.

Motionless. But I knew she'd be fine.

My chest constricted. The battlefield, the war, the blood—none of it mattered in that moment. All I saw was her.

I took a step toward her, but before I could reach her, a blur of movement lunged at me from the side.

A blade that gleamed in the firelight arced toward my throat.

I twisted, barely avoiding the strike. The wind from the blade kissed my skin, close—too close, before I heard the bearer of the sword yell, "For my father! For Valdish!"

I caught his wrist mid-swing, stopping the blade inches from my face.

He growled, struggling against my grip. "You killed him! You slaughtered him like an animal—!"

It was a pity he'd die just like his father – without a fight.

My free hand shot forward, piercing through his ribs.

A wet, sickening gasp tore from his lips as my fingers wrapped around his beating heart.

I stared into his wide, disbelieving eyes and twisted my grip.

"As stupid as your father."

The organ tore free from his chest with a wet squelch. His body convulsed, his sword slipping from his fingers.

I let out a low, unimpressed breath.

His body crumpled. The lifeless heart dripped in my hand.

What a pathetic revenge.

Then, I turned my focus back to the battlefield.

My warriors were being cut down in waves, outnumbered, but still fighting ruthlessly.

Rorden knew all our weaknesses, so he came prepared. His weapons were designed to kill my warriors.

Brilliant.

I strode into the chaos, power thrumming through me, a dark force welling in my chest. My fingers flexed, heat crackling between them.

I lifted a hand—

Flames erupted, sweeping through the enemy lines.

Another wave surged toward me. I raised my arm, muttered a spell—

The ground beneath them split apart, swallowing them whole before slamming shut like the maw of a beast.

Blood splattered my face.

A small sense of satisfaction ran through me. I had killed almost a thousand warriors already – if not more – and I wasn't even close to being done. I loved to see how Rorden's men decreased in size. To his dismay.

A flash of movement caught my eye—

Shikta.

She wasn't with the witches.

She was on the battlefield, fighting like a creature possessed.

I narrowed my eyes.

Shikta, who had betrayed me. Who had stood with those who tried to ruin me.

And yet, here she was, drenched in battle, cutting down warriors who weren't on my side.

Laughable.

For a split second, I was almost surprised. Almost.

But whatever this was, it wouldn't redeem her.

She could fight until her bones broke, until her blood soaked the earth beneath her feet, and it still wouldn't be enough.

*

I was bleeding out.

More than I should have. More than any man should and still be standing.

I was surprised I hadn't emptied all the blood in my body yet.

I fought with my magic, my strength, my might... And I think it was time to release my beast to take over. I wouldn't last much longer in this form. My body was failing, and I didn't want to give in to the defeat that was staring me in the face.

Less than three hundred of my warriors were still standing.

Three hundred against an army that outnumbered us tenfold.

We were loosing the battle and the smug look on Rorden's face was enough to drown me in shame and pity.

I braced myself, flexing my fingers as the shift began to take hold. My skin prickled, the first signs of transformation rippling through my bones—

But, suddenly, I heard a sound.

Loud. Deep.

It was a battle cry.

It came from the gates.

I froze, my head snapping up, my breath ragged as I turned towards the source.

The main gates—

They were wide open.

And through them, warriors surged forward like a tide of death.

Thousands of them.

I didn't recognize them. At least not with the haze of battle clouding my mind. But they looked vicious.

If this was another set of Rorden's warriors, then it meant we were totally fucked.

But then I saw him.

At the front.

Riding a black warhorse, his armor smeared with blood, and his face set with an expression to kill and destroy.

Urik.

The breath in my lungs stilled. I blinked as if my vision had deceived me. But no—he was there. Charging in like a war god from the depths of hell with warriors storming behind him.

What the fuck?

Author's Note: MATED TO MY OBSESSIVE STEPBROTHER is still sizzling hot. It is the kind of forbidden romance you wouldn’t want to miss. Quickly add it to your library and join in the thrill.