47

47
Orion’s scream continued to echo through the fortress long after the chains had shattered.

The sound was no longer one of power.

It was pain.

Real pain.

For the first time since Kai had met him, Orion looked vulnerable.

But he was still dangerous.

Terrifyingly dangerous.

The air around him twisted violently as black energy erupted from his body in unstable waves. The stone floor cracked beneath his feet. The walls trembled. Dust rained from the ceiling as the entire mountain seemed to groan in response to its master’s suffering.

Kai remained where he stood, chest heaving, the bond with his mates still blazing warmly inside him.

Lucian slowly stepped beside him.

Then Kieran.

Then Rhett.

The four of them stood shoulder to shoulder.

United.

Orion lifted his head.

Blood ran from his eyes.

His face was twisted with hatred.

“You think you’ve won?”

His voice shook the cavern.

“You think breaking one bond changes anything?”

Dark energy exploded outward.

The blast slammed into everyone in the room.

Kai barely managed to stay standing.

Lucian was forced back several steps.

Kieran crashed into a broken cage.

Rhett slammed into a stone pillar hard enough to crack it.

The imprisoned wolves screamed.

Anna fell to her knees.

Mira barely caught herself before being thrown into the wall.

Orion rose slowly.

His body looked wrong.

The skin across his chest split open as black veins spread beneath it.

His red eyes burned brighter than ever.

The power inside him was becoming unstable.

Wild.

Uncontrolled.

And that made him even more dangerous.

“I gave all of you a chance.”

His gaze swept across the room.

“I offered freedom.”

He looked at Kai.

“I offered purpose.”

Then he smiled.

A horrible smile.

“Now I’ll give you extinction.”

The entire fortress exploded into motion.

Controlled wolves emerged from every corridor.

Dozens.

Maybe hundreds.

The surviving guards charged into the chamber.

Selene moved with them.

The female Beta’s face was pale, but her eyes remained locked on Rhett.

“This ends now.”

Rhett wiped blood from his mouth and grinned.

“Finally.”

The battle erupted.

Kai shifted instantly.

Bones cracked.

Muscles stretched.

His wolf surged forward.

Beside him, Lucian transformed.

Then Kieran.

Then Rhett.

Four wolves.

One purpose.

Kill Orion.

The controlled wolves crashed into them like a tidal wave.

Kai tore through the first attacker.

Then another.

Then another.

The bond between him and his mates pulsed with every movement.

Strength flowed through it.

Not power stolen from others.

Not domination.

Trust.

Love.

Choice.

Everything Orion could never understand.

Across the chamber, Rhett and Selene collided again.

Their fight was brutal.

Savage.

Neither gave ground.

Selene moved like a blade.

Rhett fought like a wildfire.

Every strike shook the floor.

Every clash sent sparks flying.

Kieran joined the fight moments later, forcing Selene backward.

Still she smiled.

Still she fought.

Still she believed Orion could win.

Lucian cut through the battlefield like death itself.

Every wolf who tried to reach Kai fell.

Every enemy who got in his way died.

His focus never wavered.

Never shifted.

Always returning to Orion.

Because they all knew the truth.

None of this ended until Orion was dead.

The ancient Alpha watched from the center of the chaos.

Then he moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

One second he stood twenty feet away.

The next he was directly in front of Lucian.

His fist connected with Lucian’s chest.

The Alpha was launched across the cavern.

Stone shattered.

Blood sprayed.

“Lucian!”

Kai lunged.

Orion backhanded him before he could reach him.

Pain exploded across Kai’s face.

He crashed into the ground.

Orion turned toward him slowly.

“You should have joined me.”

Kai spat blood.

“Never.”

Orion’s smile vanished.

Then he attacked.

Kai barely dodged.

The floor exploded where Orion’s hand struck.

Chunks of stone flew through the air.

The ancient Alpha wasn’t fighting like a wolf anymore.

He was fighting like a force of nature.

Raw destruction wrapped in flesh.

Kai rolled beneath another strike.

The mountain shook.

A nearby wall collapsed.

Several cages were crushed beneath the falling stone.

The imprisoned wolves scattered.

Anna struggled to her feet.

The fading mark on her arm suddenly flared.

Silver light erupted again.

Orion staggered.

Only for a second.

But it was enough.

“Kai!”

Lucian’s voice roared across the cavern.

Kai understood instantly.

Now.

All four mates moved at once.

Lucian attacked from the front.

Kieran from the left.

Rhett from the right.

Kai from behind.

Orion turned toward Lucian.

Blocked Kieran.

Caught Rhett’s strike.

But he couldn’t stop all four.

Kai’s claws raked across Orion’s back.

The ancient Alpha screamed.

Black blood spilled across the stone.

The fortress trembled violently.

Something was breaking.

Not just Orion.

Everything connected to him.

Selene froze.

For the first time fear appeared on her face.

“No…”

She looked toward Orion.

The realization hit her.

He was losing.

The god she worshipped.

The monster she followed.

Was dying.

Orion roared.

Dark energy exploded from his body.

Everyone was thrown backward.

The ceiling cracked open completely.

Moonlight poured into the chamber.

The mountain itself was coming apart.

Orion stood at the center of it all.

Bleeding.

Broken.

Still refusing to fall.

His eyes found Kai.

Hatred burned within them.

“You ruined everything.”

Kai slowly rose.

His body ached.

Blood covered his skin.

But he wasn’t alone.

Lucian stood beside him.

Kieran joined them.

Then Rhett.

The bond between them blazed brighter than ever.

Orion saw it.

And finally understood.

That was why he had lost.

Not because they were stronger.

Because they were together.

He had built his empire through control.

Through fear.

Through ownership.

And they had destroyed it with trust.

With loyalty.

With love.

The ancient Alpha laughed.

A broken sound.

Almost sad.

Then he attacked one final time.

Everything happened at once.

Lucian met him head-on.

Kieran struck from the side.

Rhett locked onto his other flank.

And Kai moved straight for his heart.

The four of them became one.

One strike.

One purpose.

One final attack.

Orion tried to stop them.

Tried to fight.

Tried to survive.

But he was too weak.

Too damaged.

Too alone.

Lucian’s blade pierced his chest.

Kieran’s claws tore through his side.

Rhett’s strike shattered his defenses.

And Kai—

Kai drove his claws directly into Orion’s heart.

Silence.

The entire fortress froze.

Orion looked down.

At the wounds.

At the blood.

At the hand buried in his chest.

His red eyes lifted slowly to Kai.

For a moment, something strange appeared there.

Not hatred.

Not rage.

Regret.

Then the light vanished.

Orion’s body cracked.

Black energy burst from every wound.

“No!” Selene screamed.

The ancient Alpha opened his mouth.

But no words came out.

Only darkness.

Then he exploded.

Power erupted outward in a wave of destruction.

The fortress shook violently.

Walls collapsed.

Stone shattered.

The black energy consumed everything it touched.

Selene’s scream echoed through the chamber.

She tried to run.

Tried to reach him.

But the implosion caught her first.

Her body dissolved into black light.

Gone.

Just like that.

Orion’s remaining power consumed her completely.

Then the darkness turned inward.

Collapsing.

Shrinking.

Destroying itself.

The chains.

The control.

The corruption.

Everything Orion had built.

Everything he had stolen.

Everything he had become.

Gone.

The implosion ended with a deafening crack.

Then silence.

Complete silence.

Kai stood frozen.

Breathing hard.

Staring at the empty space where Orion had stood.

There was nothing left.

No body.

No shadow.

No power.

Only dust.

The ancient monster was dead.

The god had fallen.

And the war was finally over.