Breaking
\[Maverick’s POV\]
I stare at the woman in front of me, my gaze never leaving her. She’s smiling and by her expression, you would think that she has already won.
I won’t let that happen. I mutter inwardly. I won’t let her get away with everything she has done to Serenity and her family. Even if it fucking kills me, I’m going to make her pay.
“What?” Ellie asks, breaking the silence that has fallen around us. “Wolf got your tongue?”
I bare my teeth because she knows damn well what is happening, but it seems she can’t resist the urge to taunt me.
Come on. I hiss at my body that isn’t doing what I want. Break free of this hold and help Serenity!
I look in the direction of the woman in question and I see her fighting for dominance against William and to my shock, it seems like she may be winning.
‘Serenity,’ I call again. ‘You can’t let them win.’
‘Maverick,’ she whimpers, her desperation radiating through me. ‘I can’t…’
‘You can!’ I counter. ‘You can’t…’
I don’t finish my words as what feels like electricity rips through me, causing dark spots to dance in front of my eyes, and my ears to ring.
“Whoops,” Ellie giggles as I focus on her again. “Didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Sure you didn’t. I counter silently. If anything, you meant to make Serenity feel even more out of control because she has to watch two people she cares about fight to survive.
That’s it. I think. This was what Ellie was aiming for all along. She wanted this to happen so that Serenity’s hold on her mind and body were weakened, but we couldn’t let her get what she wanted.
Instead, this meant that I needed to fight even more. Push even harder. And make sure that I fulfilled my duties as Serenity’s guard and as her future husband.
‘I’ll save you.’ I tell her, drawing on all my power. ‘I’ll save you one way or another.’
As I speak, I begin to feel the tendrils of Ellie’s magic like they are a physical thing and as I feel them, I realize that if I just fight a bit harder, push a bit more, I was certain that I could break them.
I hold onto this realization as I draw on even more power and when I feel the tendrils starting to crack, I let it burst from me, slamming into those around me and sending them flying.
I feel a wave of satisfaction move through me as the enemy parts like the red sea, but to my dissatisfaction, Ellie remains rooted.
“Oh,” she smiles, taking me in as I break away from her magic. “It seems that you’re much stronger than I expected, but you aren’t strong enough to resist.”
Let’s see whether or not you’re right. I think, watching as Ellie’s magic erupts from her hands and I can’t help but wonder why I can suddenly see it.
Does that matter? I ask myself, shaking off my confusion. The fact that you can see it works out in your favor, so just take advantage. And I do.
I surge forward, avoiding her attack and then pouncing, but before my mouth can connect with any part of her body, I feel myself being thrown back.
A hiss escapes me as I collide with a wall and when I do, William’s gaze snaps toward me.
NO! I scream internally as Serenity moves, her mouth open, and when her teeth dig into William’s shoulder, I’m scrambling up.
I move toward the two as a whimper of pain escapes William, but before I can reach them, I feel that damned wall of Ellie’s return.
“Don’t focus on them.” She warns as I whirl around and watch her conjure more power. “I thought that you wanted to fight me.”
I dodge as she sends the energy toward me once more and then I move, rushing toward her ready to rip her to shreds. However, before I can reach, two goons appear with guns aimed straight at me.
You can try. I think, focusing on the two and Ellie at the same time. But I’ll be damned if I let you get me.
I continue to move, the area around me blurring, and when I hear shots fired, I jump as high as I can avoiding the bullets aimed at me and finally landing a blow to Ellie.
“Ah!” She screams as we crash to the ground. “Get off me!”
As she speaks, I feel her power press into me once more, doing it’s best to get me off of her, but I won’t let her be rid of me.
Instead, I fight harder, taking the blows she deals one after the other, and when she seems to be wearing herself down, I run a paw along her cheek.
“AH!” She screams as the scent of blood starts to fill my nose. “HOW DARE YOU, YOU BEAST!”
If I could laugh, I would because the irony was not lost on me.
I dare and I’ll dare again. I think silently, going for another blow, but stopping as something solid slams into me.
Gasping, I feel myself crashing to the side and when I manage to get my wits about me again, I find that Serenity is hovering above me.
Her eyes are glowing a dangerous gold. They’re nowhere near the eyes of the woman I know, but despite that, I can almost see her beneath the control that Ellie has on her.
‘Serenity,’ I call as she bares her teeth at me. ‘You’ve got to fight it.’
As I speak, I note the blood on her jowls and when I turn my gaze in the direction she was still supposed to be, I see William lying on the ground unmoving.
‘Serenity!’ I hiss again, turning my gaze back to her as she bites down on me. ‘Please, you’ve got to fight it.’
‘Kill me,’ she begs. ‘Please…’ She trails off, but I can feel her pain through our bond.
The pain of hurting everyone around her. The guilt that she is feeling over being the one responsible for all of this, and the fear she feels over what she did to William and what she might do to me.
It damn near kills me to feel all this pain she is suffering and when I look to Ellie who watches on in amusement, I silently promise to kill her.
‘Just hang in there.’ I tell Serenity. ‘The others are fighting their way here as we speak.’
‘No,’ Serenity gasps, her panic slamming into me. ‘They can’t! If they come she’ll hurt them.’
‘She won’t,’ I assure her. ‘She won’t because they’re much stronger than her.’
‘But you see what she is capable of.’
As Serenity speaks, I can feel her breaking. I can almost see the pieces of her heart and soul shattering, and I know that if this continues much longer, there was a good chance that she would disappear and all that would be left was this obedient puppet.