Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Katerine – POV
Despite my reluctance, I headed home. It took a lot of willpower to leave him there in the forest, following Lucan alone. I didn’t want to disrespect him or hurt his pride by insisting that he shouldn’t be the one tracking a wolf suspected of being a killer. But Jared was right about one thing—I always seemed to underestimate his strength. Especially after this new discovery, I needed to show more faith in my mate. In him as a male, as an Alpha, and as a top predator.
Even with all the reasons he gave me—despite him being right—I couldn’t find peace. From Lucan’s behavior the night before, we now suspected he might be involved in the deaths haunting our pack. Jared needed to know how long he had been following him... and whether he had done so on the nights of Jared’s intense, amnesiac episodes. He wanted to be certain Lucan hadn't taken advantage of Magnus’s trust and attacked him in betrayal, only to frame Jared as the cold, cruel killer and push him into leaving the pack—abandoning his people. That way, Lucan could finally get what he had always wanted: leadership. Jared had good reason to distrust him. And tonight, he needed answers—certainty—and to put an end to the threat once and for all.
I took a deep breath and stepped out of the forest, heading toward my cozy, safe cabin. It was going to be a long night, waiting alone for Jared with nothing to distract my thoughts.
“What do you think you’re doing here… still?” I asked, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear, frustration bubbling up as I looked toward the porch steps.
“We haven’t finished what we started this morning!” Roxane snapped, her tone dripping with irony and fury. She had been waiting there for hours after I’d vanished before her eyes when she tried to follow me. Now she stood, wild-eyed, her expression nearly insane.
“You didn’t seem to understand what I told you this morning.” I glared at her as she advanced. “There’s nothing left to say. And I won’t tolerate any more pointless fights. This time, if you attack me… I’ll make you bleed.”
“Who do you think you are?!” she roared, shaking with fury. My words had pushed her to the edge. In her mind, I was beneath her—just a mutt who could shift into any creature, a freak. She was pureblood, older, and in her eyes, more worthy. “We still have something to settle. Jared is mine. And I want him back.”
She didn’t wait another second.
With a savage snarl, she lunged at me, claws extending as she slashed across my chest. My blouse tore open, blood staining the fabric. Satisfaction twisted her face for just a moment—until I slammed a punch into her jaw, throwing her back almost a meter.
“You can’t lose something you never had!” I growled through the pain, kicking off my sneakers as blood trickled down my stomach. It stung, but the wound wasn’t deep. “Damn you,” I muttered, already mourning the ruined blouse. She was going to learn the hard way—you don’t mess with an attached male’s mate. I watched her closely as she staggered up, shifting—her eyes glowed, her features warped. I readied myself.
“How can you say that?” she screamed, now visibly transformed. “He was mine! Only mine!”
The way she looked at me sent a chill through my spine—she wanted me dead. She lunged again, trying to sink her teeth into me, but I caught her by the throat and slammed her against the porch.
“Roxane, he was never yours. Maybe you had his body once, but not his soul. We had no emotional connection.” I sighed, keeping my eyes on her. She couldn’t see the truth through her obsession. “Soulmates give themselves fully—heart and soul. That’s what completes a bond.”
She rose again, trembling with fury. “No…”
The word came out as a low, broken growl. Deep down, she knew I was right. Jared had never belonged to her—not truly. Maybe she could have earned his respect as a packmate, maybe even shared leadership, but that chance was gone. And with nothing left to lose, she surged forward, determined to destroy me. She struck with her claws, more like daggers now, but I dodged her again.
“Roxane, please,” I growled, my voice filled with warning. “You’ve seen what I’m capable of.”
I was wounded, but still standing, my fangs fully exposed. I was one step away from losing control. My she-wolf was clawing to take over.
“Don’t make me do something I don’t want to do… not this time.”
I turned my back on her and started toward the house, breathing deeply, trying to stay calm. But the shift was coming—I could feel it. And I wasn’t sure which of my forms would emerge to defend me.
“I want to see you try…” she sneered.
I didn’t see the razor until I felt it.
A scream of pain tore from my throat as the blade sank into my back. I stumbled. My legs buckled. And then I let go. My second nature exploded through me. I spun around, my hand catching her throat as I lifted her effortlessly. My claws—massive now, much larger than hers—dug into her skin. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the white bear I had become.
But it was too late.
With one brutal swing, I slammed her to the ground. Then, with my other paw, I drove my claws into her chest, tearing through bone and flesh. Her cruel, black heart was in my hand. The light in her lupine eyes faded. Her howl never even had time to rise.
I collapsed to my knees beside her. Blood soaked my fur. I looked down at her body in horror.
Yes, it had been life or death—but still, I wasn’t proud.
I leaned against a nearby tree, my breath ragged. My body shifted back into human form. I reached out to Jared with my mind. The connection had been quiet since he left to follow Lucan, but now… now I needed to say goodbye.
“Forgive me, Jared… my eternal companion…”
I was going to leave him. My wound was too serious. I wouldn’t survive without immediate help—and I was alone.
I felt the mental link spark again just as my eyelids became too heavy. A smile touched my lips as I heard his desperate, emotional howl echo through the night.
At least I could feel him… one last time.