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The smell was pungent and sour, mixed with notes of decay and decomposition.

She held the intestines, soft and flexible, staining her fingers with blood, intestinal mucus, and remnants of undigested food, and wound them twice around Hunter's neck, who trembled and spat blood.

She removed her hand from his neck and then pulled the intestines tied around it, strangling him. He fell to the ground, unable to contain his weight.

I couldn't take it anymore, I turned to the side and tried to vomit, but nothing came out, as my stomach was empty. I forced it, involuntarily twisting and feeling pain in my abdomen. I lay in Andrei's arms, breathing through my mouth to avoid absorbing the smell.

Hunter choked on his own blood. Desperate, he tried to hold onto the intestines wrapped around his neck, gasping for air. Fenrir stepped on his stomach and watched him from above, analyzing every fleeting reaction on his contorted face as life drained from his body.

He gave one last peaceful sigh. His pupils dilated, and his eyes lost their shine.

Dead. The Alpha of the Eclipse pack was finally dead.

For the first time in months, I let out a sigh of relief. I felt free, after so long. Truly free. Free from his constant presence and the shadow that had been chasing me.

Fenrir let go of the putrid intestines. He crouched over the body and wiped his hands on Hunter's pants. He stared at him one last time, as if he wanted to ensure his death.

There was no possibility of the Eclipse Alpha surviving all the injuries he had suffered; not even his wolf genes could handle them.

He stood up, and in the blink of an eye, was in front of me, looking me up and down, his expression showing concern.

“You're weak.” It wasn't a question; it was an obvious observation, something he could feel through our bond.

A broken sigh separated our lips at the same time.

“I need... I need you to bring me the bowl of blood on the table.”

He furrowed his brows.

“Why?”

I raised my hand and touched his face, running my fingertips over the soft skin, memorizing his features, sculpting them in my mind.

“It’s the blood of an innocent, the missing piece to complete the ritual. I’m dying, Fenrir. I can’t and won’t drag you down with me. Dăneşti needs you, they need their leader.”

He shook his head, and tears illuminated his blue eyes.

“Never, Savannah! Never.”

I nodded, silently pleading.

“Please, complete the ritual. Live, Fenrir.” He couldn’t, he didn’t need to die. So many people depended on him, counted on him. “I’m sorry,” I sighed, tears running down the corners of my eyes.

I wouldn’t tell him about our bond, nor about the pup. Fenrir had been hurt too much by Catalina’s death; he didn’t need to live the rest of his days blaming himself for mine as well.

He pulled me from Andrei’s arms, cradling me in his own.

“Listen well, little wolf. There is no way you can force me to do any ritual!” he spat, in a determined tone. “If you die, I will die too. Do you understand?”

I sobbed, crying even more.

I mourned for him; for me; for our pup; for us.

It was beyond the two of us, it was about an entire pack, about wolves who depended on him and counted on him.

“Please, Fenrir. Give me the pup's blood. Let’s sever this bond. You need to survive, you need to stay alive for everyone in Dăneşti.”

He held my head with both hands, forcing me to look at him.

“There’s no way I can live without you, little wolf.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I can feel your body weakening, life slipping away. If you die, then I will die too.”

Why was he doing this? Why couldn’t he accept our reality?

He took my arm and brought my fist to his lips, licking the wound that was slowly healing. His eyes roamed over my body, rubbing his tongue over every crack, every small bruise covering my skin.

He lifted me in his arms, holding me against his warm, muscular body.

“Listen here, I will never perform any ritual to remove our mark. We are one, and we will remain so. If you die, I will die gladly too.”

I snuggled against him, inhaling his scent of fresh pine and damp earth, the aroma that calmed me and made me feel at home.

“You can’t die,” I protested.

“And neither can you! There is no life without you, not for me.”

I took a deep breath, feeling more and more tired, exhausted, and ready to sleep. I blinked and kept my eyes closed.

“This is so unfair,” I sighed.

“Listen well, little wolf. You need to fight, you need to deal with the exhaustion. You need to survive.”

I opened my eyes and stared at Andrei. He walked over to the she-wolf and snapped her neck, killing her coldly as I had asked, before coming closer to us.

“What are you going to do?” our friend asked.

“I’m going to take her home, to heal her.”

Andrei furrowed his brow.

“You won’t make it in time.”

Fenrir tightened his arms around me.

“Yes, I will.” He planted a kiss on my forehead. “I won’t stop, little wolf. Not until we’re home, until you’re safe and healed. Live, for me, for us. Fight, just as I will.”

I blinked again, my eyelids dragging slowly.

“I promise I’ll try,” I whispered, weakened.

“It’s days of travel.” I heard Andrei’s voice, but it seemed too distant.

Everything was dark, only then did I notice that I had closed my eyes.

“Don’t follow me, you won’t be able to keep up with my pace.”

“It’s madness, Fenrir. As she weakens, you will weaken too. Perform the ritual to sever the bond, and then run to save her life.”

Their conversation was just a distant hum.

“We are one, a single soul,” Fenrir growled. “We will survive, we will hold on and get through this together.”

Andrei made a noise in his throat.

“I hope this works, I can’t lose two more friends.”

I tried to stay conscious, to listen to what they had to say, but the darkness reached me before I could fight anymore.