Chapter 159: Only one can live

Chapter 159: Only one can live
Christopher
Night had fallen. In the distance, the city lights flickered like tiny stars, but here, on the battlefield, the world was ablaze with fire and the bursts of gunfire. Cries of pain and fury from the wolves merged with the screams of humans and the metallic clash of weapons. The ground trembled under the weight of fallen bodies. There was nothing but suffering, claws, and fangs.
I ran through the ruins of what had once been a small outpost, dodging a pair of human hunters intercepted by my warriors. My only concern was finding him. Joaquin was somewhere nearby, reveling in the spectacle of his own massacre. He had my sister and my friend, and I knew he would use them to break me. I wouldn’t let him.
A guttural growl alerted me to danger. I turned just in time to take the full impact of a crazed rogue. His skin was rough with old scars, his bulging eyes alight with madness. We rolled across the ground as he snapped at my throat, but I managed to wedge my arm between his jaws and my neck. A sharp pain shot through me as his teeth sank into my flesh. Snarling in fury, I drove my fist into his jaw, again and again, until I felt his grip loosen. Seizing the opening, I sank my claws into his chest and tore out his heart in one swift motion.
I rose to my feet, panting. Warm blood dripped from my hands, but I had no time to dwell on it. Trent never gave anyone a break.
Another rogue came straight for me, his mouth foaming, claws poised to rip me apart. This time, I sidestepped him and, with a swift twist, snapped his neck. He collapsed like a rag doll. I had seen it happen so many times, watching my friends fight and prevail. But this needed to end. Now.
The third one was smarter. He ambushed me from the left, knocking me off balance and bringing me to the ground. We wrestled on the blood-soaked earth, his claws tearing a deep gash in my side. With a grunt, I overpowered him, slamming him against the ground, pinning him. I shifted into human form, needing to speak.
"Where is Joaquin?" I growled, pressing my hand against his throat. The rogue chuckled darkly, his rancid breath hitting my face.
“Cedric is dead,” he spat. “And Cassandra… she’s ours now. She was promised to us. We’ll have our fun with her before we take the Southern Wolves' pack. She’s such a pretty little wolf. Nice ass... strong but we will break her” he laughed. The world stopped. My vision turned red. No, I refused to believe it. With a roar, I lifted him and snapped his spine with my bare hands. The crack echoed like thunder in the night. His lifeless body dropped at my feet.
“Watch out! Another rogue attack!” someone shouted, and more of those rabid beasts emerged. It was incredible how, in such a short time, my brother had recruited so many of these vile creatures to his idiotic cause. My pulse pounded in my ears, and then I heard the whirring of drones closing in.
“Get down!”
Wolfsbane-laced bullets rained from the sky, striking hunters and rogues alike. I watched as Alpha Samuel and Peggy, surrounded, found an opening thanks to the drones and escaped the crossfire. I was certain this was my mate’s doing. Even from afar, she was helping us, and warmth spread through my chest. She was watching. She was with us. We couldn’t let her down.
When I turned back, something in the chaos made me freeze. A familiar face: Franco. That bastard! He had escaped back at the pack house. Amidst the silver and chaos, I had lost him—but this would be the last time that scum drew breath. I took off after him without hesitation, dodging debris and fallen bodies. But then, I saw him. And I saw red.
“They tell me you’ve been looking for me, brother. So eager to die?” Joaquin’s voice was poison, seeping into my bones. The moon illuminated his ruined body. His skin was marred by severe burns, scars twisted his face into something grotesque, but his eyes… his eyes were still those of a demon. Despite his injuries, I could feel his power. This wouldn’t be an easy fight. He would do everything to defeat me.
“He’ll fight dirty. That’s for sure,” Trent murmured.
“Tell me where my sister is,” I demanded.
“Always demanding. Who do you think took her?” he sneered. “Are you deaf, half-breed? You remember, don’t you? Your mutt of a mother spread her legs for some random wolf and popped you out. You’re lucky you even got a wolf.” I clenched my fists, fury roaring in my chest.
“And Cassandra… she turned out just like your mother,” he continued, his grin widening. “A pathetic bitch. Though I hear she’s quite used to many men now. Having two mates has made her… generous; opening her legs is so easy for her. By now, my rogues must be taking turns fucking her... everywhere. Some are probably already tired of her. Poor thing, she cried so much when she watched her pathetic Alpha die. After making him suffer, of course. He died watching so many wolves fucking her. Ohhh, their cries...” I didn’t even process his words before my body moved on its own. I launched at him.
We collided like wild beasts, our blows echoing through the night. He struck me in the ribs, forcing me back, but I retaliated with a punch that sent him crashing into a tree. Wood cracked, and the trunk tilted dangerously. But Joaquin didn’t stop.
He lunged at me with terrifying speed, his hand locking around my throat. He slammed me into the ground with such force that stars exploded behind my eyes. I rolled before he could stomp my skull, bringing him down with me. Our fists landed against flesh and bone, our fangs inches from each other’s throats.
It was brutal, two Alphas, two brothers. Two enemies who could only end this one way—one of us had to die. Then, I saw it, the gleaming edge of a dagger. Before I could react, Joaquin drove it into my side. The wolfsbane burned like fire, and I roared in agony. The toxin seared my insides.
“You think you’re winning? You think this city is yours?” Joaquin whispered in my ear. “I took your sister, and I’ll take this pathetic city too. Right now, my sick wolves are slipping through a small gate into town. They’re going to infect everyone. They’ll wipe out those stupid humans you love so much. And most of all, they’re coming for your precious mate.” His laughter pierced my soul. “This time, I won’t hesitate. I’ll kill her right in front of you.” A furious scream ripped from my throat. Joaquin pressed the dagger to my neck. But before he could act, an ear-splitting sound shook the battlefield. A high-pitched, vibrating noise that made me clench my teeth and clutch my ears.
Joaquin collapsed to his knees, the dagger slipping from his grasp. The wolves, the rogues—everyone around us dropped.