Chapter 77

Chapter 77
Amelia POV

The first wolf sprang from the snow with a snarl reminiscent of tearing metal. Its fur was tangled, with ribs protruding sharply through its hide, and its teeth gleamed yellow and wet. It was driven by hunger—pure, unthinking hunger.

Kira confronted it directly, her blades a whirlwind of silver in the dim dawn light. Steel met fur, flesh, and bone. The wolf fell mid-snap, a strangled whimper escaping its throat before silence enveloped it.

Elian bellowed, his voice resonating with authority like a whip-crack. "Hold the line! Do not allow them to encircle us!" His blade swept wide, striking another beast across the muzzle, splitting its jaw and sending blood spraying.

Corrin had already descended into a crouch, shield raised, sword swinging with ruthless efficiency. He moved like an impenetrable wall—every strike deliberate, controlled, and merciless.

Demian transformed in an instant.

The sound continued to astonish me regardless of how often I had experienced it—the tearing of bone, the cracking of muscle reforming, the roar emanating from a place deeper than mere lungs. In one heartbeat, he was a man; in the next, he had become something far greater—a colossal wolf, as dark as the midnight sky, with eyes glowing like molten fire. He sprang forth, his jaws clamping around a feral's throat, ripping it from the air before it could even reach the ground.

I pressed myself against the rock, feeling helpless and paralyzed, as the storm outside clashed with the tempest within.

Let them perish, the whisper seduced, smooth as velvet. Allow the wolves to feast. You will feel lighter without them weighing you down.

"No." My voice was hoarse, yet the word belonged to me.

The whisper purred, self-satisfied. You cannot resist me indefinitely. When the blood spills, when the screams arise, you will understand. You will plead for my assistance to liberate you.

The sound of steel clashing with teeth resonated sharply around me. My body trembled, not solely from fear but also from the connection—Demian’s rage coursing through me like an additional heartbeat. It was overwhelming, all of it, far too much.

A growl erupted nearby—far too near. I lifted my head just in time to witness a wolf breach the line. Its gaze fixed on me, wild and famished, foam flecking its jaws.

I didn’t even have a moment to scream.

It lunged.

Then Demian collided with it, a mass of black fur and flames. They rolled across the ice, his jaws clamped around its throat. Blood splattered hot against the snow, steam rising as it made contact.

He ended its life.

He rescued me. Once more.

More wolves appeared. Dozens of them. Their howls reverberated, saturating the air with chaos. We were encircled, trapped on the ridge, the remnants of the storm swirling around us.

Kira battled like a tempest herself, whirling, striking, her blades creating silver arcs that stained the snow red. Elian remained steadfast, each slash of his sword driven by icy precision. Corrin advanced with brutal steadiness, filling every gap, his shield ringing with each collision of teeth and claw.

Demian was everywhere. His wolf form was fury incarnate, tearing through anything that came close. Blood slicked his muzzle, his growl reverberated through the ice itself, his body a wall between me and the ferals.

Just curled in the hollow, hands pressed to my stomach, shaking with every scream, every clash, every gush of blood that painted the snow.

Look at them, the whisper crooned, sweet and cruel. Look at what you’re costing them. If you let me in, it ends. You’ll save them. Save him. Save the spark inside you.

“No,” I whispered, but the word cracked, fragile as frost underfoot.

The whisper only laughed.

\---

One of the ferals broke through again. This one was huge—mangy fur hanging in clumps, eyes glowing sickly yellow. It barreled past Corrin, teeth snapping.

Straight at me.

I screamed.

And this time, no one was close enough.

The wolf leapt, shadow swallowing me whole—

Then silver cut through the air.

She slid between us, blades flashing in both hands. One sliced across the wolf’s chest, the other plunged deep into its ribs. The beast howled, collapsing inches from me, blood splattering across my legs, hot and reeking.

Kira yanked her blade free, face twisting with fury,not at the wolf. At me.

“Get up,” she spat, voice sharp as steel. “You’re not a child. You don’t get to cower while we bleed.”

My mouth opened, but nothing came. No protest, no excuse. Just a shudder.

Her gaze cut through me, brutal, merciless. “Demian can’t keep saving you. He’ll die for you if you let him. Is that what you want?”

The whisper purred in agreement. Yes. Let him die. Then you’ll be free.

“No!” The word ripped from me, fierce, desperate.

Kira’s eyes widened,not at my scream, but at what followed.

It wasn’t just in my head anymore. It was in the air, thick, electric. The flames of the fire guttered, the shadows lengthened, the snow hissed like it was burning.

Every wolf froze mid-lunge. Even Demian staggered, his wolf form skidding across the ice as if the world itself tilted.

Yes. Feel it. That’s you, Amelia. That’s what you are when you stop fighting. Beautiful, isn’t it?

I collapsed to my knees, clutching my head, shaking. My body felt split in two—half mine, half something else.

“No,” I choked, voice breaking. “Not beautiful. Not me.”

Demian shifted back mid-stride, bloodied and panting, his human form raw with fury. He stumbled toward me, naked, bloody, burning. “Amelia—fight it! Don’t let it take you!”

Because at that moment,when the whisper surged and the world bent around me,I didn’t feel weak anymore.

\---

The wolves surged once more, as if the scent of power had driven them into a frenzy. Elian shouted commands, Corrin lifted his shield, Kira cut through fur and bone, yet the onslaught was overwhelming.

They were losing ground.

Demian reached me, gripping my face with his bloodied hands. His eyes blazed with intensity, his voice raw. "Stay with me. Do not give it what it desires."

Tears streamed down my cheeks. "I cannot—Demian, I cannot—"

"You can!" His forehead collided with mine, his blood warm against my skin. "You belong to me, Amelia. Not to it. To me. Say it!"

The whisper hissed, venomous. You belong to me.

My chest convulsed. Two voices tore at me, splitting me in two.

"Say it!" Demian bellowed, shaking me.

The bond between us ignited, white-hot and searing. His desperation burned into me, raw and relentless.

And gods help me—I clung to it.

"I am yours," I gasped, sobbing and trembling. "Not to it. Yours."

The whisper shrieked, fury tearing through my mind, then recoiled, retreating back into the darkness from whence it came.

The world crashed back into focus. Wolves snarled, steel clashed, and the snow was soaked red.

Demian unleashed a roar that was neither purely human nor solely wolf; it was a blend of both. He shifted again in an instant, launching himself into the battle with blood and fire.

And this time, I did not cower.

I pushed myself upright. My knees trembled, my body screamed in protest, but I stood firm.

I was not strong. Not like Kira, not like Elian, not like Demian.

\---

The battle devolved into chaos. Wolves fell one by one beneath steel and fang, their howls echoing across the ridge until silence finally seeped into the snow.

The ground was stained with blood. The air was thick with the stench of iron and death.

Elian stood, panting, his blade dripping. Corrin leaned against his shield, chest heaving, his face pale. Kira methodically wiped her blades clean, her jaw set tight.

Demian stood in his wolf form, his chest rising and falling, his muzzle soaked in red. His eyes blazed, fixed on me.

And what of me?

I was trembling, covered in blood, utterly fatigued. Yet, I remained upright.

The whisper lingered, coiled in the shadows, waiting patiently.

However, Demian was also present.

As his wolf approached me, nudging his bloodied snout against my quaking hand, I allowed my fingers to sink into his fur.