BEAST AGAINST BEAST

BEAST AGAINST BEAST
Chapter 169

Claudia’s POV:

Heat surged through me, like a furnace had been set ablaze, flooding my veins until I thought I might split apart. 

My skin prickled and stretched, every nerve screaming as if it could no longer contain what was awakening inside me. 

I had only ever felt this way a few times and most of those times I was scared of it, but not anymore.

Croft thought he had me cornered, I could practically picture the smirk on his face.

“You still fear what you are,” he said, confidence dripping from every word, “Fear the very thing that sets you above others,”

He was wrong.

I had accepted myself, my past, my failures, the blood on my hands and the lessons carved into my bones. I had accepted my wolf, not as a curse, but as a part of me. She was no longer a threat to anyone.

Especially not to me.

When my eyes cracked open, the world had shifted. I was on all fours, grounded, whole. 

My wounds were gone, healed with the speed of light, faster than any wolf could ever heal themselves.

Croft stood before me unshaken, a twisted look of awe on his face as he beheld my new form, like one he had never seen before.

“The goddess really created a masterpiece,” he murmured, hands stretched out open in front of him.

Disgust curled in my gut and my snout wrinkled.

I growled low and deep, the sound vibrating from my chest, and launched myself at him before he could say another word. 

The impact was brutal. I smashed him into the wall behind with enough force to go through the wall halfway.

That should have been enough to knock him out, but at the same time, I didn't want to take any chances.

The room was already in a mess, tables overturned, equipment spewed all over the floors, debris and shattered glass as well,

For a fleeting moment, with more seconds flying by, I thought, I had finally done it. I had taken down Croft.

A hit like that would have sent a wolf straight into the Moon Goddess’s embrace.

But Croft was not just a wolf.

The debris shifted. The stone cracked. And then he rose.

I took a careful step back, crouching low and ready to pounce.

Of course he would not go down that easily.

A beast emerged on its hind limbs—taller, broader, wrong. 

Long arms corded with muscle hung at his sides, black fur rippling with every movement. His head was shaped like a wolf’s, elongated and monstrous, with a thick mane crowning only his skull, framing a snarling snout filled with jagged teeth. 

His eyes were bloodshot, burning with madness and anger.

The same monster.

The one from my nightmares.

Terror clawed up my spine, cold and sharp, but I didn’t retreat. I planted my paws, lifting myself to my full height. We stood eye to eye now, evenly matched in size, the air between us vibrating with tension.

Croft’s new form released a guttural growl that rattled the broken walls.

He was mad, I knew it.

Then he attacked.

It was no longer a fight between two people—it was beast against beast. 

We tore at each other with claws and teeth, snarls and snapping jaws filling the air. Every strike brought more destruction—columns cracked, floors splintered, the very room groaning beneath our weight.

Pain became a constant, dull companion. 

My muscles burned. My lungs screamed for air. Fatigue dragged at my limbs like chains, but I refused to slow. Somewhere in the chaos, I realized Croft was no longer toying with me. His attacks were sharper, more deliberate.

It seemed he no longer needed my help in his scheming plans.

He was finally taking me seriously.

That realization lit a fragile spark of hope inside me.

At least I was worth the trouble.

We clashed again and again, neither willing to yield. My vision blurred at the edges, blood, his and mine, matting my fur. Then I saw an opening.

I didn’t hesitate.

I lunged and sank my fangs deep into the side of his neck. Flesh tore. Hot blood flooded my mouth, metallic and thick. Croft howled, the sound raw and furious, as I ripped away a massive chunk of flesh.

He staggered, but only for a heartbeat.

I was still in shock at the amount of blood that seeped from the nape of his neck and Croft used my distraction to his advantage. Lunging for my fire limbs and hurling me across the room. 

I crashed hard, the impact driving the air from my lungs. I skidded across broken stone, stars exploding behind my eyes as I struggled to rise.

I forced myself up, swaying. My body trembled with exhaustion, every movement costing more than the last.

I spat out a handful of blood.

Croft stood again, blood pouring from his neck, staining his fur. The wound was severe, too severe. Something was wrong. His steps faltered, just slightly, but enough for me to notice.

Had he finally had enough? Perhaps due to loss of blood, his movements were sluggish, his large paw pressed against the exposed flesh, despite his attempts to stop the bleeding, he failed.

Suspicion rooted me in place and a little bit of hope.

He noticed my hesitation and snarled, fury flaring brighter than the pain. With a sudden burst of speed, he charged.

I braced myself, ready for the impact.

But it wasn't enough.

Croft slammed into me, knocking the little air in my lungs out, carrying us both through the massive circular window at the top of the castle. 

Glass exploded outward in a deafening roar, shards slicing through the air like knives, as well as my skin, piercing deep.

For a split second, we were weightless.

Then gravity took hold.

Fear slammed into me harder than any blow as the night swallowed us whole and we began free faking from the highest point of the castle.