Chapter 206

Jaxon

The night was a knife against my skin, sharp and cold, I could feel the tension thrumming through my chest, every heartbeat echoing in my ears like a war drum. Callen was gone. Dead. And Carlton had the nerve to keep breathing, to keep walking among humans and wolfs as if nothing mattered. As if he hadn’t spat on everything I loved.

Elvira’s voice haunted the edges of my mind. “Jaxon, you can’t let rage make your decisions.”

I clenched my fists. She was wrong this time. This wasn’t anger; this was justice. Controlled, inevitable, necessary. Callen hadn’t just been a packmate—he had been a brother, loyal to the end. And Carlton had ended him, with that smug, arrogant smile on his face, laughing at the “weird smells” of my kind. Every word he’d ever sneered at me, at my people, fueled the fire now burning through my veins now.

I left the city lights behind, the hum of human life fading as I drove along the winding road to Carlton’s estate. The forest swallowed me whole, and I felt my wolf inside me stir, smelling blood, scenting weakness. The mansion came into view like a shadow in the fog, a crumbling relic surrounded by iron gates and overgrown hedges. It was perfect for a confrontation.

I parked the car out of sight and stepped into the wet grass, each step muffled by the night’s dampness. I could almost taste the tension in the air, coppery and heavy, and it drove me forward, purposeful and silent.

From the treeline, I saw him. Carlton, pacing like a caged lion, unaware that the predator was closer than he thought. I remembered every slight, every insult: the way he sneered at our rituals, mocked our packs, the careless cruelty with which he’d taken Callen’s life. I clenched my jaw until the taste of blood filled my mouth—not mine, not yet—but the memory made my mouth dry.

“You think you’re untouchable,” I murmured under my breath. My wolf stirred, low and growling beneath my ribs, sensing the scent of prey.

Carlton turned, startled, just as I stepped into the moonlight. His eyes widened, then narrowed with the arrogance that always made me grit my teeth.

“Jaxon,” he said, his voice dripping false politeness, “I didn’t expect—”

“Spare me your excuses,” I said, my voice low, heavy with intent. “I’ve had enough of your words. You’ve killed one of mine, and I will not let another fall.”

He smirked, trying to mask the tremor beneath his calm. “I’ve always hated wolves,” he said, voice cold. “Weird smell, too much hair… always knew you were different, but never thought you’d actually care about one of your own.”

I took a step closer. The gravel crunched beneath my boots, and I saw the faint flicker of fear cross his face, quickly replaced by arrogance. “Different?” I growled, low and dangerous. “Callen was my brother. And you—” I let the word hang in the air, sharp and lethal.

His eyes darted, calculating. He made a move, desperate, and I reacted before his body even fully committed. My hands were on him in a blur, fingers like iron clamps on his collar, lifting him off the ground with ease. Carlton struggled, kicking and clawing, but I was stronger, faster, and precise. My  wolf within me coiled, ready to strike, but I held him at the edge, watching, tasting the fear that had always been his weakness.

“You think this is just about Callen?” I asked, my teeth clenched. “It’s about every brother, every sister, every life you’ve tainted with your arrogance. You will pay for it. All of it.”

He laughed, the sound hollow and desperate. “You’re a monster, Jaxon. Always were. And now you finally show it.”

“Monster?” I spat, feeling the words like fire in my throat. “No. I am your reckoning.”

The fight was brief. I felt Carlton’s panic, the jerks and flails, but none of it mattered. I moved like a shadow, anticipating his every attempt to escape, every feeble strike. He wasn’t a wolf; he never understood instinct, loyalty, and honor. In a single, precise motion, I ended it, swift, and merciless. The sound of his collapse echoed through the empty estate, a grim punctuation to the night.

I stood over him, chest heaving, sweat mingling with the cold drizzle settling on my skin. The scent of his blood was sharp, metallic, filling my senses, but it was relief too, bitter and necessary. Justice was served, not with noise, not with chaos, but with the precision of a pack leader protecting his own.

Silence enveloped the estate. Only the distant howl of wolves carried across the fields, a mournful, haunting reminder of the lives lost and the bonds that still held strong. I could almost hear Callen’s voice, faint, urging calm, reminding me why I was a leader, not just a killer.

I stepped back, letting the tension bleed from my shoulders, but the adrenaline still clung like fire beneath my skin. My wolf within me had tasted justice and was sated, for now. Carlton’s arrogance, his cruelty, ended here. And I knew that every packmate, every family member, would feel safer knowing their protector had acted.

My commlink buzzed, pulling me back to the present. Elvira’s face appeared, worry etched in her features even through the small screen. “Jaxon…” she said softly. “Are you…?”

“Yes,” I said, voice steady, though my chest still pounded. “He’s gone. Justice is done. For Callen, for every life he ever thought he could harm.”

Her relief was evident, though tempered by the gravity of the act. “And… you’re okay?”

I allowed a brief smile, one that didn’t quite reach the depths of what I felt. “I am. Justice doesn’t weaken me. It strengthens me, strengthens the pack. We endure, Elvira. And no one will harm my family and walk away again.”

She nodded, pride and concern mingling in her gaze. “We’ll face the consequences, Jaxon. But… I know you did what had to be done.”

I ended the call, letting the night absorb the finality of it all. The estate was quiet now, save for the wind whispering through broken windows. Carlton was gone, and his hate, his arrogance, ended with him. But the pack would remember, the humans who lingered near us would take note. My actions tonight were a warning, clear and unforgiving.

As I walked back toward my vehicle, the forest seemed to lean in, the shadows curling around me. I could feel my wolf in me settling, proud and protective, yet aware of the delicate balance I must maintain. I had crossed a line, yes, but for the right reasons. Callen deserved that. My pack deserved that. And I would not let the world forget it.

The wind carried a distant howl, and I allowed myself a moment to imagine Callen, free from harm, running through the moonlit forests, proud of the justice I had delivered.