Chapter 188

Chapter 188
Ethan's POV

Through our soul bond, I felt Freya's terror spike like an electric current. The sensation jolted me from my pain-induced haze, my vision clearing just in time to see Kassak shove my mate toward the ridge's edge. Her body stumbled backward, arms windmilling as loose rocks crumbled beneath her feet.

Rowan howled inside me, a primal sound of rage and fear that echoed through every cell in my body. Our mate. Our Luna. In danger.

My wounds—the deep gashes across my torso, the bite marks on my shoulder, the possibly broken ribs—all faded to background noise. Alpha strength surged through my battered frame, the desperate need to protect overriding everything else. I'd heard stories of dying Alphas finding impossible strength to save their packs, but I'd never understood until this moment.

Blood slicked my fur as I launched myself toward Kassak. He turned, surprise flashing in his eyes as he registered my approach. He'd thought me defeated, broken on the ground. He was wrong.

I didn't hesitate. My claws extended fully, my jaws opened wide, and I struck with every ounce of strength I had left. The taste of blood filled my mouth as my teeth sank into Kassak's throat. He tried to rear back, but I twisted my head sharply, feeling tissue tear and arteries rupture.

Kassak's massive body convulsed once, then went limp. I released him, watching as he crumpled to the ground, his eyes already glazing over. I didn't wait to confirm he was dead. Nothing mattered except getting to Freya.

I sprinted toward the ridge, my heart hammering against my broken ribs. Freya was hanging on, her fingers desperately clutching a jutting rock, her body dangling over the steep drop. Our eyes met, and what I saw in hers wasn't fear—it was a strange calm, an acceptance that froze my blood.

"Ethan," she said softly, as if we were simply meeting in a hallway rather than at the edge of death.

I lunged forward, stretching my arm down toward her. My fingertips brushed against her wrist, almost—almost—making contact. For one breathless moment, I thought I had her.

Then the rock she gripped gave way.

Time slowed as I watched her fall, her eyes never leaving mine until she disappeared into the mist of the canyon below. A scream tore from my throat, a sound so raw and broken it barely seemed human.

I moved without thinking, positioning myself to jump after her. I didn't care about the pack, the territory, or even my own life. Without Freya, none of it mattered.

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me back from the edge. James. I fought against his grip with savage strength, but he held firm.

"Alpha, don't!" James shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "The pack needs you! Theo needs you!"

Theo. My son. The child who had already lost so much. The mention of his name pierced through my grief, anchoring me to reality. I stopped struggling, my body going limp as overwhelming despair washed over me. Through our bond, where Freya's emotions should have been, I felt only a strange, hollow emptiness.

I stood up mechanically, turning to face what remained of my pack. Their faces registered shock, grief, confusion. I couldn't feel anything. It was as if my soul had fallen with Freya.

Then—a sound behind me. A rush of wind, followed by excited shouts from the gathered wolves. Their expressions transformed from grief to astonishment, their eyes focused on something beyond me.

I turned slowly, afraid to hope, afraid of another cruel disappointment.

Rising above the ridge like something from a dream was Ivy, her feet balanced on a broomstick that hovered impossibly in the air. And clutched tightly against her, arms wrapped securely around Ivy's waist, was Freya.

My legs nearly gave out. As Ivy guided her broomstick to the ground, I stood frozen, unable to believe what I was seeing. Freya's hair was windswept, her face pale with lingering fear, but she was alive. Alive.

The moment her feet touched the ground, I moved. In three strides, I had her in my arms, crushing her against my chest, breathing in her scent as if it were the oxygen I'd been denied. Through our bond flowed a torrent of emotions too complex to name—relief, joy, lingering terror, love so intense it bordered on pain.

"I thought I lost you," I whispered against her hair, my voice breaking. "I felt you disappear."

Freya's arms tightened around me. "I'm here," she murmured. "I'm here."

We stayed like that, locked together, as the pack erupted in cheers around us. Alpha and Luna, both alive against impossible odds. The sound barely registered; all that mattered was the steady beat of Freya's heart against mine.

Eventually, she pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at me. "I think I may have taken a few years off your life with that cliff dive."

A laugh escaped me, half sob and half genuine amusement. "A few decades, more like."

She smiled, then turned toward Ivy, who was straightening her clothes with a casual air, as if swooping in on a flying broomstick to rescue someone from certain death was a regular Tuesday for her.

"Thank you seems woefully inadequate," Freya said to her friend.

Ivy shrugged elegantly. "I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd drop by to see if you needed anything."

"Your timing is impeccable," I said, still not entirely processing what had happened.

"Witches aren't supposed to interfere in wolf pack wars," Ivy explained, brushing dust from her sleeve. "But technically, the war was over when I arrived. Kassak was already dead." She winked at Freya. "Besides, I couldn't let my best silversmith and designer plummet to her death, could I? Rose Winters' pieces are far too valuable to the supernatural community."

I froze, my mind catching on her words. I looked down at Freya, who was suddenly very interested in a spot on my bloody shirt. "Rose?" I asked. "You're Rose Winters?"

Freya bit her lip, then nodded. "I was going to tell you, but then everything with the war happened, and it never seemed like the right time."

My mind flashed to the exquisite silver pieces displayed in Moonlit Crafts, pieces I'd admired for their perfect balance of beauty and functionality. Pieces I'd considered approaching this mysterious Rose Winters about, hoping to commission her for special Moonshade Pack ceremonial items.

"My Luna," I said, feeling a surge of pride, "is the most talented silversmith in the supernatural world." I shook my head in amazement. "And I had no idea."

"To be fair," Freya said with a small smile, "you were a bit preoccupied with trying to divorce me."

The pack members around us laughed, the tension of the day's battle finally breaking. I pulled Freya close again, pressing my lips to her forehead. "Never again," I promised. "Never again."