Chapter 268 Chapter 268

Chapter 268 Chapter 268
BRAD

Her eyes are as cold as the chill that runs down my spine after the words leave her mouth. My skin shivers with goosebumps as I search for a fraction of her demeanor, a crack in the armor she is wearing to show that she doesn’t mean what she just said. But the armor is firm, almost like it was forged by Hephaestus himself. I swallow as she turns, the tip of her hair whipping across my face.
I close my eyes letting the pain seep into me.

This can’t be it, this cannot be the end of us. There is no way I am going to back down without a fight. I had hurt her, by the goddess, I am such a fool for neglecting her for so long, for letting her suffer that pain alone, and I would always leave with that pain burning in my chest, but as long as there is breath in my lungs and my eyes can behold her beautiful face, I will never stop trying.

I snap toward the balcony, my eyes automatically squinting in the darkness when a ruckus breaks out in the field.
“Alpha!” a voice bellows, the anguish palpable in his tone. I rush across the room, leaning over the stone slab. One of my men, a gash across his face, the metallic smell of blood tainting the entire field. Half of his face is engulfed in the thick viscid fluid of what I assume is his blood.

“Dominic is coming, he is furious. I tried to stall them but…” he wipes his forehead and I nod in response, “inform the others, we are prepared for this,” I say calmly. The head was a message, the war was coming whether I wanted it or not, I just needed it to be on my own terms.

I turn toward Bella who is facing the mirror, her eyes snap away from me and a trickle of hope sparks in my heart. I sigh, “please, stay here, okay? Whatever you hear, no matter the sounds, please do not come out of your room, Bella. I don’t want to worry about your safety.”

She scoffs and I don’t miss the eyeroll, “you are two years too late for such baseless promise,” she says as she tugs her brush from the table and aggressively brushes her hair. I want to reach out and apologize again, I want to recount everything I had done and apologize for everyone, but what good will that do when her eyes still tell me of how much she hates me?

I clench my fist and walk out of the room, moving briskly across the hall and out of the house.

“Report?”
“They are moving quickly, Alpha, and it isn’t pleasant.”
“We are prepared for this,” I assure myself more than I assure him.
“I know, but the casualties this will cause,” he sighs.
“And Damien?”
“He is safely secured in the bunker where no one will find him.” I nod, to think all of this is for the little boy. I wonder how Bella feels, taking care of her sister’s son when she lost her child.
“Ariana?” I ask, even though I don’t care much for her anymore, but there is no way Dominic will be getting anything he wants tonight, not now, not ever.
“She is…”

The first line of trees quiver as the first set of wolves breach through the tree line. From the distance, they look like a spec of dust, a microbe. My hairs hackle as I feel my men flank me, waiting for my orders. There is no need to give a speech tonight of the consequences. They knew that every war we venture into, some people will not make it home.

“Attack on my command!” Andrew belts out. I stare at the wolves as they advance quickly, I scan the crowd, searching for the biggest of them all, for Dominic, he is mine.

“Attack!” Andrews chants and the wolves brush past me with force, leaping and converting mid-air. Finally, I spot the large dark wolf in the middle of the advancing crowd and my face deepens into a snarl. I am going to make sure that everything ends tonight. I break into a sprint, not feeling the urge to transform yet.

I cross the field in minutes. One of his men leaps, their paws extended, ready to slash across my face. One of my men sinks their teeth into his sides causing him to squeal. I slide across the grass, dodging the duo as they tumble to the grass. My eyes are fixed on Dominic as I slam my fist into the snout of another wolf, grab its head and twist quickly before spinning it around and slamming his dead body into another advancing wolf.

Dominic is directly in my line of sight. I pause, breathing heavily as I stare at him down. He snarls, stationary as he stares at him. He bares his teeth, saliva dripping from the side. The anger that bubbles in my chest causes heat to radiate fiercely across my entire body. I have never wanted someone to suffer as much as I wanted him to suffer.

“I will use your fur as a rug.” He snarls in return before pouncing toward me. I break into another race, transforming easily meters away from him. I leap into the air when a weight slams against my side.

Dominic tears across me, pounding toward the pack house. No, I chase after him, knocking down his men who tried to stop me. I easily link with Andrew, “stop him,” I order. Andrew whips around in time before Dominic brushes past him, he slams his paws across his face, momentarily blinding him. Dominic crashes to the ground with force, and I seize the opportunity to close the distance and sink my teeth into his body.

He growls, swiping for my face. I tug at his flesh, deepening my bite, when the smell hits me. I snap my gaze toward the balcony, and there she is, Bella watching the war.
No, she is to stay hidden.

Heat flushes through before a sharp pain rakes across my chest from Dominic’s blow to my chest. I crash to the ground and he wastes no time in leaping for my throat.