Chapter 63: Apollo Fainted

APOLLO'S POV

All of a sudden, a blinding light struck me from across the field. It came from Reika, her small frame trembling, her hands clutching her stomach, and then it hit me hard, coursing through every vein, every nerve, every bone in my body. I staggered for a brief moment, overwhelmed by the surge. It wasn’t pain. It was power. Something unexplainable, something ancient and divine.

I had fought countless battles in my life, had faced Alphas, rogues, traitors, but never, never had I felt strength like this. It was as if the Moon Goddess herself had poured her blessing into me through Reika and our unborn child.

"Thank you!" I muttered.

Ragnar roared, crimson eyes blazing, his black fur now alive with streaks of light. I could feel Jupiter’s wolf falter as my presence towered over him, heavier, sharper, more commanding than ever. My claws dug into the soil, and I lunged.

I struck Jupiter across the muzzle with brutal force, sending him skidding back into the dirt. He coughed blood, his silver fur now stained with dust and crimson. Before he could rise, I pounced, my weight crushing him into the ground. My claws raked across his flank, tearing through flesh, and my fangs snapped just an inch from his throat.

He struggled, claws slashing wildly, but I caught his paw mid-swipe and twisted, forcing him down again. The ground beneath us shook from the impact. Dust rose in thick clouds, swirling around us as the crowd gasped and roared.

“You will eat the dust you crave,” I snarled through the mind link,

slamming him once more, his head striking the earth with a sickening thud. He coughed, whined, but still tried to rise. Persistent. Stubborn. But doomed.

I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, lifted his massive body with strength, and hurled him several feet away. His body crashed into the soil, leaving a crater where he landed. The pack howled in awe and fear, their voices echoing through the night.

I stalked forward, ready to end it. One strike, one bite, and Jupiter would be gone forever. My jaws opened, hovering over his throat as his chest heaved in shallow, desperate breaths. I could end his ambition here, erase this threat to my pack once and for all.

But then, from the corner of my eye, I saw her, his mate, her eyes wide with terror. And their son. The boy clutched his mother’s leg, tears streaming down his cheeks, too young to understand, yet aware that his father’s life hung by a thread.

I froze. My fangs grazed Jupiter’s neck, but I pulled back. Through the mind link, I growled into his head: Get out of my territory.

His eyes widened. “Kill me,” he spat back. “Do it, Apollo. End me!”

I pressed harder against his chest, pinning him down. No. Think about your mate. Think about your son. I forced him to look. His gaze shifted, landing on them. His mate trembling, the boy crying. His breathing hitched.

Walk away now, Jupiter, I commanded. Or they may never see you again.

Who would take care of your son if you die here? My voice was a snarl edged with finality. Move far from this land, or I will end not only your life but theirs as well.

His body stiffened beneath me, torn between pride and survival. Finally, his head dropped in defeat. Slowly, painfully, he walked back to his mate and son. The woman hurried to his side, wrapping a trembling arm around him, and their boy cried into his chest.

Jupiter lifted his son into his arms and never looked back at me. He said nothing more. His mate shifted as well, carrying the weight of their loss in silence. Together, they left, retreating into the night, carrying with them the bitter sting of failure.

The pack erupted in a roar of triumph, their voices carrying through the night like thunder itself. Wolves howled in unison, their sound vibrating against the trees and echoing deep into the mountains.

They clapped and shouted my name, chanting it like a battle song. Warriors beat their fists against their chests, and the younger wolves danced in wild circles. It was chaos, but this time it was a celebration, a release of fear that had hung over them since Jupiter dared to challenge me. They had seen me defend what was ours, and in their eyes, my victory had been absolute.

I stood there in wolf form, chest heaving, my golden fur matted with dirt and blood from the fight. The taste of iron still clung to my tongue, the remnants of battle lingering in my lungs. My people saw me as untouchable, as if I had descended from the Moon Goddess herself. Their joy should have fueled me, but all I felt was a strange heaviness pressing against my bones.

Through the crowd, Reika rushed forward, her hair flying behind her as she ran. Orion was at her side, his expression solemn yet proud. When I shifted back into my human form, the chill of the night air rushed over me, biting against my skin. Orion, ever prepared, drifted a heavy coat across my shoulders, and I wrapped it around myself without a word.

“Apollo, you made it. I knew you would,” Reika said, her voice trembling with relief as her hands brushed over my chest, as though reassuring herself I was still there, still alive. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and for a brief moment, her warmth steadied me.

“I never doubted you, Alpha,” Orion added firmly. His tone was filled with conviction, like a soldier affirming his loyalty after a hard-won war.

I gave him a single nod in response. My lips parted to speak, but no sound came out. My throat felt parched, as if dust had clogged my voice, and my mind was far too tangled to form words.

Confusion churned within me. Why had I been so weak against Jupiter? I had fought Alpha Nyx before, and though Nyx had been formidable, his strength hadn’t come close to mine. Yet with Jupiter, I had been pushed to the edge. My muscles had strained as if dragging chains, my vision blurred at times, and the fight had nearly turned in his favor. If not for the sudden surge, the light from Reika, and the power flowing through me from our pup, I might have lost.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stand tall, but the truth gnawed at me. Even now, the strength that had saved me was fading, slipping from my veins like water through cupped hands. I felt it, the weakness creeping back in, deeper and heavier.

Reika’s lips moved, and Orion’s hand touched my shoulder, but their voices were nothing more than distant echoes. My world began to tilt, colors spinning into one another until the faces of my pack blurred.

The cheering turned into a muffled noise, like I was underwater. My knees wavered, the coat slipping from my shoulders, and then, darkness came.