Chapter 183 Damian's POV
Xavier's gun was still pointed at my chest. His finger on the trigger, his eyes searching mine for any hint of deception.
"Answer me, brother. Are you a traitor?"
"No. I came here to be saved, to break the curse. Everything else is coincidence or enemy action."
"Then look me in the eye and swear it. Swear on our father's grave that you're loyal to Erebus. That you will fight beside me against the Blue Moon Pack."
I met his gaze directly. "I swear on our father's grave that I am exactly where I need to be. Doing exactly what I was meant to do."
It wasn't a lie, not technically, I was where I needed to be. Doing what I was meant to do. Just not in the way Xavier thought.
He stared at me for a long moment, the courtyard was silent. Every warrior watching. Waiting to see if their Alpha would execute his own brother.
Finally, Xavier lowered the gun.
"I believe you, you are my brother, blood of my blood. I won't kill you based on suspicion alone."
Relief flooded through me. "Thank you."
"But know this, Damian I will be watching you. Closely. If I see any sign of betrayal, any hint that you are working against us, I won't hesitate, brother or not."
"Understood."
Xavier turned to address the assembled warriors. "False alarm! My brother is loyal! The traitors must have been Blue Moon spies! We march as planned!"
Cheers erupted, the tension broke, warriors returned to their preparations.
Xavier clapped me on the shoulder. "Come. We leave in ten minutes, you will ride in my vehicle, where I can keep an eye on you."
"Of course."
But before we could move, something happened.
A wave of energy swept through the compound. Visible, tangible, dark magic rippling through the air.
Every Erebus follower stumbled, gasped,grabbed their chests.
The branded warriors, the ones who had been converted through torture and dark rituals, began screaming. Their brands glowing,burning.
"What's happening?" Xavier demanded.
"I don't know, sir!" one of his lieutenants gasped.
"Something is wrong! The connection to Erebus…it is breaking!"
"That is impossible, Erebus is eternal, unbreakable."
But even as he said it, I could see the doubt in his eyes, the fear.
Then the dark magic strengthening the compound began to fail. Barriers flickered. Enchantments faded, the power that had enhanced Xavier's warriors started draining away.
Warriors who had been standing strong moments ago collapsed to their knees. Weakened. Suddenly just normal fighters without magical enhancement.
"No," Xavier whispered.
"No, this can't be happening."
I knew what this meant, there was only one explanation.
Erebus was dead.
Kaden and Elara had done it, somehow, impossibly, they had killed the ancient evil that had terrorized wolf packs for centuries.
Horror spread through the Dark Moon warriors as they realized the same thing.
"Erebus is gone," Someone whispered. "He is dead,he has to be dead."
"Silence!" Xavier roared. "Erebus cannot die! He is immortal! This is just a temporary disruption!"
But I could hear the desperation in his voice. The certainty crumbled, then came the sounds from the perimeter, shouting, fighting.
And Kira appeared, leading dozens of freed prisoners from the cave. All armed, all fighting their way into the compound.
They had escaped, successfully freed themselves during the chaos of the explosions. And now they were attacking from within.
"Damian!" Kira shouted across the courtyard. "Erebus is dead! The war is over!"
Xavier turned to me, understanding dawning in his eyes. "You, you helped them, you and her. You freed the prisoners, sabotaged the attack and betrayed me."
"Yes," I said simply, no point denying it now.
"I did and Xavier, you had lost.”
“Erebus is dead, your enhanced warriors are weakened. Your prisoners have rebelled. Blue Moon Pack survived, it is over surrender now, end this peacefully."
"Surrender?" Xavier laughed, but there was madness in it.
"I have given everything to Erebus's cause! Everything! Years of my life! My soul! My humanity! You think I will just surrender because of a setback?"
"This isn't a setback, this is defeat, complete and total defeat."
"Then I will die fighting! And I will take you with me, brother!"
Xavier shifted, not to his normal wolf form to something else. Something corrupted by dark magic, larger, twisted. His fur was black as midnight, his eyes glowed red.
The dark magic might be fading, but what he had already absorbed remained, making him stronger, faster and more dangerous.
"All warriors!" Xavier commanded.
"Kill the prisoners! Kill the traitors! Show no mercy!"
The battle erupted.
Dark Moon warriors clashed with the freed prisoners. Kira leading one group, other former captives leading others fighting desperately for their freedom.
And Xavier came straight for me.
I shifted to my wolf form normal, unenhanced. Just my own natural strength.
We collided in the center of the courtyard. Teeth and claws, savage and brutal.
Xavier was stronger, his dark magic enhancement giving him an edge. But I was faster, more agile fighting with the clarity of someone who knew he was on the right side.
We circled each other, lunging, biting, tearing.
I got my jaws around his leg. He howled and kicked me off. Send me tumbling across the ground.
Before I could recover, he was on top of me. His jaws aimed for my throat.