Chapter 108

Elara's POV

"You're nothing," Mary spat, coming at me with a knife. "An inferior creature. You don't deserve my son. You don't deserve to live."

I tried to speak, to defend myself, but the words caught in my throat. I touched my stomach, afraid for my baby.

"Oh Goddess, please help me.'' I cried out, looking above.

Mary laughed. "The goddess won't help you. She abandoned you wolves centuries ago. She grew scared of us. How mighty Lycans had become.''

My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, but it felt distant. It felt like she was retreating into the shadows of my mind.

"Mary, please," I managed to whisper. "I love Lucas. I would never-"

"Silence!" Her roar echoed through the garden, and I flinched. Why wasn't anyone coming to save me? Where were the guards, the warriors, the maids? Anyone. "Your love is a stain on our bloodline. You're a mistake, one I intend to correct."

Before I could move, she lunged at me. The dagger was aimed straight at my chest, and I froze. My fight or flight kicked in, freezing me in place. Why can't I fight back? What's going on?

I felt helpless, like a prey animal caught in the gaze of a predator.

Then, something inside me shifted.

A surge of power erupted in my chest, so sudden that it knocked the air from my lungs. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I felt like I was floating. When my sight cleared, the world looked different-brighter, sharper, like I was seeing it through a veil of light. My body moved without my command, my arm rising to meet Mary's attack.

A flash of white light burst from my palm, slamming into Mary with a force that sent her flying backward. I watched, stunned, as her body crashed into the trees. The sound of her impact echoed through the garden. She struggled to her feet, her chest and neck filled with burns.

I stared down at my hand. What the hell was that?

"What… what is this?" Her voice shook, and I could see the pain etched into her face. "How do you wield magic?"

I tried to answer, but even I didn't know. When I opened my mouth to speak, the words that came out were not mine. A voice that was both mine and not mine, spilled from my lips. "Feel that, Mary? That's pure magic from the goddess. Untouched by the filth of Lycans. There's no healing from that. If you don't die from these burns, you'll live with these scars for the rest of your miserable life. Not even your Lycan wolf can heal you from these."

Mary's eyes widened, and I could see the fear flickering in them. She staggered forward, her Lycan strength barely keeping her upright. Blood dripped from her wounds, and her breaths came in ragged gasps. "What is this? What are you? Elara, how do you-"

The voice cut her off. "Think again."

Mary froze, her gaze locking onto mine. For a moment, there was silence, broken only by the sound of her labored breathing. Then, slowly, the color drained from her face as realization dawned.

"No," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It can't be."

The smirk that spread across my face felt foreign, and cruel. "Yes, Mary. It's me."

"Amaris?" Her voice was barely audible. "But… how?"

The laugh that escaped my lips was cold, and merciless. "You've been out looking for me, hunting me down, all along I was right at home. In bed with your king, planning my attack from the inside.''

''You think your petty Lycan strength is enough to challenge me? How amusing. Your kind has always been so arrogant, so blind to the true power that exists in this world."

Mary's hands clenched into fists, and I saw defiance flare in her eyes. She bared her teeth, her Lycan instincts taking over. "You're a ghost, a relic of the past. You have no place here!"

With a roar, she charged at me. Her speed and strength were far beyond anything I could match. But Amaris was ready. With a flick of my wrist, another wave of magic surged forward. It felt like fire burning through my veins like I'd jumped into a hot spring. Every time she used magic,, I felt like I was burning.

Mary screamed, having gotten burnt a second time.

I watched, trapped in my own mind, as Amaris wielded my body like a weapon. I could feel the raw power coursing through me. I need to stop this.

"Amaris, please," I begged, my voice a faint whisper in the back of my mind. "Stop this. Give me back control."

Her laughter echoed in my head, cold and merciless. "Oh, Elara, you naive little thing. Your wolf let me in. It knew you were too weak to protect yourself. And now, you'll learn what true power feels like."

It took me a moment to finally realize what Amaris meant. I didn't believe my wolf would let her in, not with all her plans against Lucas. My wolf had given up control. Locked in a moment where I couldn't defend myself, where I froze, my wolf chose to surrender to save us. I can't blame her.

Mary dragged herself to her feet once more, stubbornly choosing to fight and die. Blood dripped from her wounds, she struggled to breathe. "You think you've won?" she spat. "My husband and children will kill you.''

Amaris's smirk widened, and I felt the cruel satisfaction radiating through me. "Lucas will bow to me, just as you will. Your family is nothing. And when you all bow, I'll be kind enough to give you the mercy of a peaceful death.''

With a final surge of magic, Amaris sent Mary crashing to the ground. Mary's body hit a tree, she bounced off it. The sound of a bone cracking sounded through the forest, and her body convulsed. She spit out blood, and her cries of pain filled the air. Yet, I felt no pity, no remorse. I was a prisoner in my own body, forced to watch as Amaris used me to hurt her.

As Amaris smiled, preparing for her next big plan, I could only pray that Lucas would return soon. Soon enough to stop Amaris before her wrath consumed us all, harming my baby in the process.