Here's the next update!! This is the last chapter. The next will be the epilogue. It's crazy to think that this story is coming to a close. It's kind of sad actually. Anywho, enjoy the drama :)
Don't forget to vote and comment. I hope you enjoy the chapter!!
Nia’s POV
I’m not sure what exactly pushed me to run. I mean, I was beaten and bruised. I wasn’t healing at the regular pace for a shifter. I could probably run as fast as a human as I was now. So it wasn’t smart to just break into a sprint to try to get to my pack. To my family. To Dominic. But I saw the opportunity and I just couldn’t let it pass.
Michael hadn’t been watching me and neither was the others. He had been fuming; his anger for once not directed at me but at his own son who I still couldn’t believe was standing amongst my pack. I never thought that would happen.
When Dominic had called for his fellow hunters to join him against his dad, I didn’t think anyone would move but to my utter surprise, some did. There were still many on this side but now it seemed like the pack outnumbered them now. It was another factor I didn’t consider when I decided to run. Sure, my pack had more numbers now but the hunters behind me still had weapons. If they were faster, then they could kill me before I could even reach the halfway mark in the meadow.
It didn’t matter now. I had dealt my cards and I had to play with what I had. The meadow was bigger than I previously thought but that could be because I wasn’t used to running without my shifter strength. The terrain was uneven and I felt like I looked like a clumsy idiot as I ran. Every few feet, I would stumble and have to try to keep myself standing.
The pain was the worst. My muscles protested the fast movement I was requiring them to commit. My heart pounded in my chest and I was having trouble breathing as my lungs constricted as I ran. My wolf was doing everything possible to help me but there was little she could do. We were fighting an uphill battle against the drugs. They were slowly leaving my system but it wasn’t fast enough.
I didn’t have to look back to know what was going on. Once I took off running, it was only a matter of seconds before my dad ordered the pack to charge. It meant that Michael and the hunters still behind him were following me. I could practically feel Michael on my heels. I could hear his breathing as he drew in closer. I tried to pull at the ropes around my wrists. It was still digging into my skin and making it harder to run.
Seeing the pack and hunters charging toward me was quite a sight. My dad and brother had shifted mid-stride and were at the front of the pack. Dominic, along with the other hunters that had switched sides, was able to keep up if only barely. It was weird to see humans and shifters running together.
Dominic had his sword drawn and was solely focused on me and his father. His eyes never strayed. His face was full of emotion. Anger. Determination. Worry. All of it was in effort to get to me, to help me like he promised. I just hope it was enough.
The wolves pulled out in front of the hunters racing towards me. The sound of them clashing with my pursuers was almost deafening. The meadow erupted in growls and screams. The sound of swords swishing in the air made me cringe when I heard it make contact with flesh. I was almost to Dominic. It was a few more yards and I would be okay.
The rope on my wrists snapped and I looked down as it fell away. Distracted by the freedom of my wrists, I wasn’t paying attention. In one second, all of my hopes seemed to stop. My foot caught of something sticking out of the ground. I was sent sprawling onto the ground with a sickening thud that knocked the breath out of me. I looked to see Dominic say something. He was closing in but he was no longer looking at me. His eyes were focused on something behind me.
I quickly flipped over onto my back to see Michael standing almost over me. His eyes were dark and cold with anger. There was no mercy to be shown. I began to scramble backwards but Michael pointed his sword at me. The tip was barely a few inches away from my chest.
“You’ve taken everything from me. You turned my own son against me. For that, I am going to kill you and make sure your screams are heard by everyone,” Michael said his voice low and menacing. I had no doubt he would do as he said. He pulled his sword high over his head, prepared to bring it down to strike me. I couldn’t look anywhere but at him. Even though Dominic was so close and my family was here, I couldn’t bring myself to call out for them. I was frozen in fear.
Michael smirked at me as he placed both hands on the sword, pulling the sword down fast and hard. I wouldn’t be able to move in time. For the second time, I prepared myself for death. I threw my hands up in front of my face even though that wouldn’t help. Right before his sword made contact, another one stopped it. Michael and my head snapped to see who had interfered.
“I don’t think so,” Dominic said pushing against his dad’s sword, causing Michael to take a few steps back. Michael looked surprised at first but he quickly regained his composure, glaring at his son.
“Dominic,” I said with relief. Dominic kept his eyes on his father but helped me up and placed me safely behind him. I glanced around at the others fighting. Shifters fighting hunters. Hunters fighting other hunters. I could see the hesitation in the faces of the hunters as they fought their friends.
Laughing caught my attention and I turned my head back to see Michael was the culprit. This wasn’t a laughing matter and the fact that he was laughing caused me to tense. I touched the back of Dominic’s shirt as he raised his sword readying for anything his father might throw at us.
“What are you laughing at?” Dominic said through clenched teeth. He was obviously getting annoyed with his father’s antics. Michael, while still staring between the two of us, started to walk around us. Dominic kept me behind him as he turned, following his father’s steps. As he walked, Michael swished his sword back and forth almost like he was mocking us.
“Son, I have to say, I didn’t expect this from you. Besides the utter betrayal, I thought you’d be too afraid to go through with any of your threats. But here you are, standing in-between me and a shifter. You do know that once you do this, you can’t go back?” Michael asked stopping and facing us head on. Dominic didn’t say a word. He remained ready for his father move.
“I’ll take you silence as confirmation. But you see, what I still don’t understand is why. Why risk your life for the lovely Nia? I guess I could see the appeal. She is very pretty,” Michael said with a smirk, running his eyes over me. Flashes of what he did to me came to mind and I shut my eyes to keep them at bay.
“Shut up,” Dominic said, his patience running thin. If he wasn’t careful, Michael was going to make him snap. It could be a trap but if he got mad enough, I didn’t know what would be able to stop him.
“It’s okay son. I was once tricked by one of them years ago. They lured me in and then cut my legs out from under me. What do you think will happen once this is done? That they’d accept you into the pack like a hero? You are no hero. Just a hunter that they’ll kill as soon as your back is turned,” Michael said, taking up his walking in a circle again.
“You don’t know anything about our situation. I…I love her,” Dominic confessed. I barely contained the gasp that threatened to escape. It took Michael by surprise as well as he came to a halt a few feet away. Dominic loved me? My wolf howled at the acceptance of his feelings, my mate. It was one thing to think he had strong enough feelings for me but to hear him say it was a different experience. My heart warmed at the emotions coursing through me. He loved me. And I loved him.
Michael’s smile was no longer on his face. It had turned into a sneer. His face turned a little redder and his hand gripped his sword handle tightly. “Typical Dominic falling for a pathetic shifter. Did you know that they have mates? Yeah I bet you didn’t. So even if you love Nia, she’ll eventually leave you for another. You are set up to fail,” Michael said. I stared at him and then turned my eyes to Dominic. His hand not holding the sword was in a fist and he was breathing heavy. I hadn’t told him yet that we were mates so he wouldn’t know how I felt.
Before I could say anything, Dominic made his move. “Enough,” he yelled as he lunged at Michael, his sword drawn over his head. The collide of their swords rung in the air. Their movements were quick and sharp. Michael moved as swiftly as Dominic which meant the fight between them wouldn’t be an easy one.
“What’s wrong son? Did I push a button?” Michael said as he swung his sword at Dominic’s legs. Dominic thought fast and rolled out of the way before jumping back to his feet. All I could do was watch as they took turns slicing at each other and dodging the other’s advances. My nerves were eating at me. I wasn’t sure how well trained Dominic was in sword fighting but he seemed to be holding his own.
A yell went up across the meadow. When I turned my head to see what was going on, I saw some of the other hunters break away from who they were fighting to make a break for the woods. All around me, death was evident. Hunters and shifters lay bleeding on the ground. Some were dead and others were barely clinging to life.
Michael must have seen his backup fleeing the meadow and it only succeeded in angering him further. Dominic brought his sword up to block his father’s swing from the top but it left his midsection vulnerable. Michael took advantage and landed a kick to the stomach, sending Dominic flying backwards. He landed a few feet away, his sword falling from his hand. I stared in horror.
Michael walked slowly toward him. Dominic tried to move backwards to grab his sword but his father was quicker, stepping on his ankle to keep him from moving. “You shouldn’t have gone against me,” Michael said raising his sword. Dominic’s eyes met mine for a brief second and I knew what I had to do.
A surge of power from my wolf coursed through my body, not enough to shift but enough to get me moving. Without a moment of hesitation, I went barreling into Michael’s side. For a split second, I knew he had seen me and was able to make a move. His sword sliced down over the top of my left thigh as we fell. He rolled one way and I rolled another as a scream of pain erupted from my throat. The sword had been silver and the cut burned like I was on fire.
By the time I was able to clear my vision enough to see anything, I saw Dominic standing over his father, his sword now placed over Michael’s heart. The hunters on his side were long gone just leaving the pack and hunters on our side that had survived. Everyone circled around us. My dad’s wolf was at my side and sniffing around me. I grabbed at my leg. Managing to look down, I could see blood pouring from the wound.
“Nia, what happened?” Jaxson said coming to my side back in human form and in a pair of shorts. I grinded my teeth together as he checked the wound. The edges looked charred which is what silver does to a shifter’s skin. It keeps the wound from closing with our fast-healing abilities. It was a bad wound, but thankfully I would live. Michael’s voice caught my attention.
“Dominic…I’m your father. You would kill me?” Michael said a worried tone in his voice. He was trapped and he knew it. He had to stoop to begging now. Dominic’s back was to me but I could see his shoulders tense.
“No, I’m not going to kill you,” he said and Michael let out a sigh, a small smile appearing on his face. But Dominic wasn’t done. “But that doesn’t mean that Alpha Ward won’t,” he said looking back at my dad’s wolf who snapped his head up. Michael turned pale as he looked between the two. My dad looked back at Jaxson, communicating something with him before he walked over to where Michael lay.
Jaxson scooped me up into his arms and started walking away from the group surrounding the fallen leader of the hunters. A few of the younger wolves that didn’t want to stay to see Michael’s death followed.
“May I?” Dominic said catching up to Jaxson. My brother looked a little hesitant to give me to him but he relented and I was placed in Dominic’s arms. I relaxed into them as we continued walking. My dad had probably told him to take me back to the pack houses to get my wound healed.
A bloodcurdling scream filled the evening sky and I cringed closer to Dominic who held me tightly to him. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now,” he whispered to me as we pushed forward into the trees, never once looking back.