Chapter 16: A Wolf Unchained
763 Words
Pain lingered in my limbs, a slow-burning reminder of the King’s power.
He had pushed me to my limits, testing the strength in my bones, the defiance in my blood. But I had survived. I had withstood him. And now, as the golden-eyed King watched me with dark amusement, I knew—
I had his attention.
And that was both a blessing and a curse.
The True Alpha was still at my side, his silver eyes locked onto the King like he was ready to tear out his throat.
He wouldn’t win.
Neither would I.
Not yet.
The King tilted his head slightly, as if waiting for something. When I said nothing, he exhaled through his nose. “Defiant to the end. How tedious.”
My lip curled, but I didn’t waste my breath on a response.
He was trying to get under my skin. To shake me.
But I wasn’t that weak little omega anymore.
The King turned to the True Alpha. “You want to protect her?” His voice was smooth, laced with a quiet, deadly amusement. “Then prove she’s worth it.”
A beat of silence.
Then—
“What?” I snapped.
The King smiled—slow, cruel. “Fight for her.”
The True Alpha stiffened beside me, but his voice was even. “You don’t dictate who I fight for.”
The King’s golden gaze gleamed. “Don’t I?”
And then—he moved.
It wasn’t a step. It wasn’t a blur of speed. It was a force, an unseen power crushing down on the True Alpha, forcing him to react.
And react he did.
With a snarl, the True Alpha lunged.
The sound of bone and fury cracked through the night as they clashed.
I staggered back, my heart hammering as power exploded between them. The King was all calculated destruction, a predator who never had to rush. The True Alpha was raw, furious strength, a wolf who had spent his whole life fighting for control.
For a moment, they were a blur of claws and fire, silver and gold crashing against each other. Trees splintered beneath their weight. The ground shook.
And yet—
The King was playing.
I could see it in the way he moved, dodging at the last second, striking when it would hurt but not maim. He was enjoying this.
The True Alpha, however—
He was fighting to kill.
A low growl rumbled from my throat before I could stop it.
The King’s gaze flicked toward me mid-fight, as if he had felt my reaction. As if he had expected it.
That second of distraction cost him.
The True Alpha struck hard, his claws tearing through flesh, his fangs aiming for the King’s throat.
But—
Faster than I could blink—
The King vanished.
The True Alpha’s attack landed on empty air, his momentum carrying him forward—
And then the King reappeared behind him.
Before I could even scream a warning, the King’s hand slammed into the True Alpha’s back, sending him crashing into the ground with a force that made the earth crack.
The fight was over.
The True Alpha lay still, chest heaving. Not unconscious. Not dead.
But defeated.
I bared my teeth, stepping forward, rage boiling in my blood. “Enough!”
The King met my gaze. Unmoved.
“Enough?” he repeated, voice dangerously soft. “I decide when it’s enough.”
A slow, unbearable silence stretched between us.
Then—
He smiled.
“That was fun,” he murmured, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. His golden eyes flicked toward me, assessing, knowing. “I’ll be watching you, little Luna.”
And then—
He was gone.
The weight of his presence vanished, the night swallowing him whole.
The second he disappeared, I moved.
I dropped to my knees beside the True Alpha, my hands hovering over him, checking for wounds. He groaned, shifting slightly, and my heart lurched in my chest.
He was hurt.
But alive.
I let out a slow, shaky breath. “You stupid, stubborn ass—”
His eyes cracked open—silver meeting mine, sharp despite the pain. “You care.”
It wasn’t a question.
It was an accusation.
I scowled, pressing a hand against one of his wounds, letting my healing energy flow. “Shut up.”
His lips twitched.
And even in the aftermath of battle, in the ruins of power and blood, I couldn’t deny—
Something between us was changing.
And I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.
- Writer
