88 An Easy Win 1

88 An Easy Win 1
Diego’s presence made my blood boil. The anticipation of finally putting an end to his life thrummed in my veins. Still, I kept my expression measured, hiding the satisfaction that bubbled beneath the surface.

“Don’t you think it was unwise of you to waltz into my territory with your bitch in tow?” Johannes sneered, his bravado as hollow as his throne.

I smirked, meeting his gaze with unflinching defiance. “Yes, I do. I think it’s bold, daring, and the fastest way to end this farce. Save us both the time and effort—surrender now. Your game is over.”

His laughter was bitter, full of anger and disbelief. The shift in his expression told me he had pieced it together—he realized the tables had turned, and he wasn’t in control anymore.

“Karolyn!” Johannes bellowed suddenly, his voice cracking through the tension in the room. The sound of her name being twisted in his mouth made me growl low in my throat, a warning that he had no right to invoke her.

“Leave your niece out of this, Wallace,” I snapped, my tone cutting through his attempt at manipulation. “You’ve used her enough. Denying her medication? Leaving her to die because she was no longer ‘useful’ to you? You’re not just a monster—you’re a coward.” I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, making sure Randy and Marco—my half-brothers—absorbed the truth of the man they served.

Randy’s expression flickered, confusion and anger battling for dominance. “Is that true, granduncle?” he demanded, his voice thick with disbelief.

“Shut up!” Johannes barked at him, but the damage was already done.

“Do you think it’s easy to build something of this magnitude?” Johannes retorted, his tone sharp with irritation. “Personal sacrifice is inevitable. She’d gone soft, like her old man. I couldn’t afford liabilities.”

The words landed like a punch. Even the loyalist in Randy seemed to crumble under the weight of Johannes’s admission. Marco growled, his face twisted with anger as his faith in the man shattered. Loyalty to a cause could stretch only so far, and no one could forgive a man who tried to murder their mother for convenience.

I opened my mouth to speak, to press further and drive the wedge deeper, but a shot suddenly rang out. The sharp, deafening sound froze everyone in place. My head whipped around, scanning the room until my eyes landed on Johannes. He was staggering, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to form words, before he collapsed heavily to the floor. Behind him, Karolyn stood holding a gun, her arm steady, her face a mask of cold determination.

For a brief moment, the room was silent, stunned by what had just happened. But the calm shattered as Diego Gallo lunged at me, his speed forcing me into action. He shifted mid-air, his wolf—massive and brown—bearing down on me with ferocious intent. Declan, my wolf, rose within me, surging to meet the threat head-on. He was bigger, faster, and far more skilled, giving me the edge I needed to counter Diego’s attack.

“Get to safety!” I linked Emma as I dodged Diego’s snapping jaws, my claws raking his side.

“I’m with Karolyn and your father, heading out now,” she linked back. Her calm, focused response reassured me, but it also deepened my resolve to end this quickly.

Diego’s wolf staggered, limping from a heavy blow I’d landed, but he wasn’t ready to give up. I growled low, circling him, observing the weakness in his movements. The cult’s mistake had been stepping into the open, abandoning the shadows they thrived in. Out here, without the advantage of secrecy, they were outmatched and outmaneuvered.

I lunged, sinking my teeth into Diego’s neck with savage force. Memories of Roberto flashed through my mind, fueling my anger. I bit down harder, tearing at his flesh until his wolf whimpered in surrender. But I hadn’t come to offer mercy. With a final, brutal twist, I flung him across the room. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Diego’s wolf twitched once, then went still. The fight was over.

The moment Diego fell, the others surrendered. The remaining cultists dropped to their knees, their faces pale with fear. Even Randy and Marco, who had stood so defiant earlier, raised their hands in defeat. Johannes’s death and Diego’s failure had broken whatever illusion of power they’d clung to.

It was done. The cult’s reign had ended, their arrogance bringing them to their knees. The battle was won, but the lessons learned tonight would echo for a long time.

I hadn’t expected this to be easy. Every step of the way had been fraught with danger and uncertainty, but seeing how things had unfolded tonight, it was almost as if fate itself had worked in our favor. Johannes had truly believed my father wanted me dead, and his misguided confidence had been his undoing. The victory was ours, but it wasn’t solely my doing—we owed much of this to Karolyn.

Karolyn was a thorn in my side, manipulative and self-serving, but tonight, she’d proven her worth. I couldn’t ignore her role in making this happen. She’d played her part because she wanted her children to live, forcing my hand to spare their lives. For that, if nothing else, I could begrudgingly acknowledge her contribution.

Aldo and Castelo joined me inside as we began to wrap things up. The satisfaction of victory lingered in the air, but we knew better than to celebrate openly. Calls were made to inform our allies of Johannes’s defeat. While tonight marked the end of this cult, there was always the looming possibility that another one could rise in its place. For now, though, we could breathe. It had been a grueling fight, and the prospect of rest, of returning to some semblance of normalcy, was a welcome thought.

I shifted back to my human form, my body aching but relieved. Gerald handed me a pair of shorts, and I quickly slipped into them, aware that our presence in Somberg—a no man’s land—meant we couldn’t linger. Victory or not, this place wasn’t safe for long. We needed to leave and start heading back to Celio.

“Luca!” My father’s voice cut through the buzz of activity. He stood nearby with Karolyn and my half-brothers, Randy and Marco. I knew what was coming. He wanted to introduce me to them, to bridge some kind of connection. But I wasn’t in the mood for family bonding. How could I be? The memory of what they’d done—kidnapping my wife—was still fresh, a wound that hadn’t even begun to heal. The only reason they were still alive was because I had no choice.

Still, I obliged my father, offering them a curt hello. My words were polite, but my tone was distant, my walls firmly in place. I exchanged no more than a few sentences before excusing myself. Whatever trust or camaraderie he hoped to foster would take time, if it ever happened at all. Before leaving, though, I made a gesture of goodwill, inviting them to Ashfield once we’d all had a chance to settle. Whether they’d take me up on the offer, I didn’t know, and frankly, I didn’t care much.

I turned toward my car, where Emma was waiting. Without a word, I motioned for her to join me. We’d spend the night at a hotel nearby and start the journey back to Celio in the morning. The sooner we left Somberg, the better.

As I slid into the driver’s seat, ready to close the door on the night, my half-brothers approached the car. I rolled down the window out of politeness, keeping my expression neutral.

“Thank you for sparing our lives,” Marco said, his tone measured, almost humble. “We won’t forget this gesture. I’m Marco, and this is Randy. I wish we’d met under better circumstances.”

I opened my mouth, ready to deliver a sharp remark, but Emma’s hand on my thigh stopped me. Her touch was grounding, a silent reminder to hold my tongue. I swallowed my bitterness and kept my response simple.

“I guess I’ll be in touch,” I said, my voice flat but civil.

Marco nodded, and the two of them stepped back, giving us the space to leave. As I pulled away, I felt Emma’s hand linger on my leg, a quiet show of solidarity.

When we finally reached the hotel, exhaustion settled over me like a heavy blanket. I was eager to put this night behind us and return to the life we’d been forced to put on hold. Tomorrow, we’d start the journey back to Celio. Back to the life we’d fought so hard to protect. Back to picking up the pieces.