Constance emerged, carrying a tray filled with food, utensils, and a cup of tea specially prepared for me. She suggested that I sit, and I did so, still keeping my eyes fixed on Ulrich.
He broke the silence by casually asking, “How did you two meet?”
Constance responded without hesitation, “I hired her to be my caregiver.”
Ulrich tilted his head, intrigued. “Why a pregnant woman? Wouldn't it be wiser to hire someone more capable?”
Constance smiled, staying calm. “I hired her for companionship, and her condition doesn't interfere with her caregiving abilities.”
Ulrich continued questioning, “Do you know the father of the child?”
Constance responded with a carefully crafted story, “The father of the triplets is an ordinary man named John. A great human, or rather, man, for Fierce.”
Ulrich raised an eyebrow, directing his gaze to me. “Triplets?”
I replied defiantly, “Any other questions you'd like to ask before leaving and reporting to Alastair?”
However, he had one more question. “Where are you moving to?”
Constance quickly intervened, “Fierce and her boyfriend are moving to Las Vegas.”
Ulrich didn't seem convinced, commenting, “Las Vegas is an unusual place for a young couple with children.”
Constance smiled casually, “Well, you know how young people are these days.”
He responded coldly, “I don't know, but I'm sure of one thing: you're a terrible liar.”
Constance's smile wavered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, “How can you say that? It's true, Fierce and her boyfriend are going to Las Vegas. I'm not lying.”
Ulrich explained, “Fierce probably already told you who I am and what I'm doing here. I have keen ears. I can hear your accelerated heartbeat, your breathing. You're lying.”
Impatiently, I ordered, “Leave, Ulrich.”
He refused, “I can't leave, not when you're pregnant, preventing Alastair's legacy from continuing.”
“I'm not preventing anything,” I insisted.
“You won't prevent it anymore, because I'm here precisely to stop you,” he announced.
Before I could react, Ulrich began his transformation, his muscles distorting, and his canines becoming sharp.
Constance tried to intervene, but Ulrich was faster, pushing her and throwing a knife in her direction. Instinctively, I shouted to Constance as I ran toward Ulrich.
“Protect yourself, Constance! Now!”
Instinctively, I pushed him towards Constance's shelves, trying to disarm him before the battle began.
The clash began, a fierce confrontation between Ulrich's wild nature and my determination to protect Constance and me. The room became a battlefield, shelves being knocked down, Ulrich's roars and growls echoing through the house as I faced him with all my strength.
The sound of growls and claws colliding filled the air as we fought for control of the situation. Each blow, each move, was a struggle between prey and predator.
I was at a disadvantage, pregnant and facing a powerful werewolf beta. However, determination burned within me, fueling my strength and courage. Every blow I struck had a purpose: to protect Constance and the triplets.
The turning point came when, amid the intensity of the fight, my eyes caught the glass door leading to the backyard. It was my only chance to neutralize Ulrich. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed him toward the door, shattering the glass. He fell into the yard, disoriented.
I quickly transformed back into a human and grabbed a sharp piece of glass. He remained on the ground, momentarily unable to react. I took a deep breath, held the glass between my hands, and drove it into Ulrich's chest, watching his life fade before my eyes.
“We did it,” I murmured to myself, but victory came at a high cost.
I found Constance on the floor, a knife lodged in her chest. I rushed to her, horrified, but she offered me a weak smile.
“No, Constance, no!” I exclaimed, holding her hand.
She smiled weakly. “It's okay, Fierce. You'll be fine.”
I stared at her, unable to accept the situation. “Let's take you to the hospital, now!”
Constance shook her head. “No, it would attract too much attention. We need to go.”
I took a deep breath, trying to contain the agony threatening to consume me. “Where to, then?”
“You need to go to Seattle as soon as possible. Others will come, like Ulrich,” Constance said calmly, despite the gravity of the situation.
“I need to take care of you,” I insisted.
She squeezed my hand. “Take care of yourself and the babies. I'll be okay.”
The pain in her words was palpable, but I knew she was right. Other werewolves, like Ulrich, could come. The pack was clearly determined to eliminate me, and Constance had become a victim of this supernatural feud.
“Constance, I...” I began, struggling to find the right words.
She gently touched my face. “Go, Fierce. We can't let the sacrifice we made be in vain.”
Reluctantly, I stepped away from her. Constance was right; I needed to leave. I picked her up in my arms, my heart was heavy with the impending farewell.
“You're the best friend I've ever had, Constance. I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me,” I whispered, feeling moisture in my eyes.
“You've already thanked me, Fierce. Live this new life, take care of the little ones, and don't forget me,” were Constance's last words before her eyes closed.
I held Constance in my arms. Her breath became weaker until it finally ceased.
“Constance...” I whispered, feeling a deep loss.
She was gone, leaving me with an agonizing emptiness. Constance, the good lady of Denver, my friend and ally, was gone.
With her still in my arms, I walked to the back door, carefully avoiding the scattered debris. The backyard was silent, except for the gentle rain that began to fall.
Tears rolled down my face as I held Constance's lifeless body. Fate had taken away my friend, my protector. Grief mixed with anger, and the promise to protect the triplets she loved so much now weighed on my shoulders.
With a broken heart, I laid Constance on the grass with respect. Then, with care, I went to the car we would use for the move, grabbed a blanket, and covered her with it.
My transformation into a werewolf was inevitable, an impulse guided by instinct. My wet nose touched the earth, and my claws dug deep, shaping graves that would shelter the bodies of those who crossed my path in such different ways. Ulrich, the murderer, and Constance, the dear friend.
When the task was completed, I transformed back into a human, and the pain of physical exertion dissipated by the cold night mist. I picked up Ulrich's body, feeling the stiffness, and carefully placed him in the first grave. His face still bore the wild expression of the battle we had fought, but now he would rest in peace.
Next, I turned to Constance. Her body was wrapped in a blanket, as serene as she had always been. I picked up the blanket, revealing her calm and expressionless face. With a gentle touch, I placed her in the second grave, where a single flower lay, a simple offering in honor of the woman who welcomed me when I needed it most.
Tears rolled silently as I covered the bodies with the earth that would now embrace them. My farewell was a whisper in the night breeze, a lament for the end of lives that had intertwined so unexpectedly.
Beside the graves, I took a deep breath and stood up. The house was silent, a silent witness to what had happened inside. I entered, grabbed a large bag, and filled it with everything I needed—clothes, documents, memories. Constance's house, now empty, carried the echo of the laughter we shared and the whisper of the night wind through the trees.
I transformed back into a wolf, the rustling of the fur and the fusion with the coat turning me into the creature I knew so well. With skill, I slung the bag over my neck, letting it hang like a shadow by my side.
Before leaving, I looked one last time at the house that had been our temporary refuge. Constance had given me more than a home and an identity; she had given me a chance to start over. And now, I had a debt to her that I couldn't repay.
The past was left behind, buried in the damp soil under the moon. Heading to Seattle, I went, Fierce Silver, pregnant with triplets, a werewolf, and the guardian of a silent promise made to the human who believed in me.