“You touched her,” I growled. “You violated her.”
I brought my clawed fist down and tore into his chest, blood spurted warm onto my face. His ribs cracked like twigs. I didn’t care. I wanted to dig into him, carve him open and rip the filth out.
His body convulsed, twitching like a rag doll.
I barely registered Lupercus yelling behind me until his hands grabbed my arm.
“Alpha!” he barked, yanking me back with all his might.
I spun, baring my fangs at him, but he didn’t flinch.
“Sargis! You said you wanted her to decide!”
That stopped me.
Narine’s face flickered behind my eyes.
Her decision.
Not mine.
I staggered back, panting like a wild animal, blood dripped from my claws, my hoodie was soaked and clinging to my skin. Joe lay there, twitching, barely breathing.
Unfortunately.
Lupercus watched me cautiously, as if expecting me to attack him next. Smart of him.
I didn’t say a word.
I just turned, my boots squelched through the pool of gore I’d created, and stalked out of the pit and made my way back to my private quarters.
They should have protected her. Three-eyed wolf or not. Mate or stranger. They should have protected her.
And instead, they shattered her. I paused at the door, with my fingers clenched around the handle as I took a shaky breath.
My hands trembled with the phantom memory of shattered bones and ripped flesh. I wanted to scream, rip the moon from the sky and hurl it at the gods for allowing such cruelty to touch someone like her.
But I couldn’t.
Instead, I swallowed the scream like a shard of glass, and quietly clicked the door open.
Darkness cradled the room in a hushed lull. I peeked in, my eyes immediately drawn to the small, curled form on the bed.
Narine.
A sigh escaped my lips, relief, guilt, and agony all tangled into one fractured exhale. She was asleep. Her chest rose and fell in a soft rhythm, and for a moment, I allowed myself to breathe again.
Tiptoeing inside, I closed the door behind me with the gentlest click and made my way to the bathroom. I didn’t want her to see me like this, soaked in blood.
The moment the bathroom door shut, I leaned my forehead against the tile wall and exhaled hard.
I peeled off my ruined clothes, caked with blood. I bagged them, tied the knot tight, and trashed them. Then, I stepped into the shower and turned the knob as far as it would go to the left.
Ice-cold water blasted my body, washing the blood down the drain, but it did nothing to ease the inferno burning in my chest.
Her screams. Her pain. The image of her flinching in the garden, her hollow voice when she begged, they looped in my head like a punishment I deserved.
God, Narine… that pure soul…
I didn’t even want to imagine the terror that must have gripped her in those moments, strapped down, brutalized, and violated while he sneered above her. While he told others she was a monster.
The only monster in that room had been him.
My fists clenched under the spray, and my claws bit into my palms.
“A three-eyed wolf…” I muttered.
If that was true, then my queen was something unique… sacred. I hope she will let me meet that side of her one day, I thought wistfully.
She was fragile now, shattered into pieces, yet still existing. How terrified must she be? Would she ever trust again? Could she?
And if she never did…
If she chose to be alone, if she chose to reject me, even though the very idea made my bones ache, I would understand.
Her happiness was more important than my own.
Even if it destroyed me.
Even if I went feral from the bond’s rejection, wandering these halls like a cursed beast… I’d bear it.
For her.
I shut the water off and stepped out, grabbing a towel to wipe away the rivulet of water. I dressed in a simple pair of shorts and a black singlet.
Whimpering.
The sound of her whimpering filtered into my ear.
My pulse spiked.
I flung the door open immediately, and there she was, tangled in the sheets, clawing at her own body, writhing in agony. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream.
“No, please! Stop!” she yelled.
“Narine!” I rushed to her side, heart slamming against my ribs as I knelt on the bed.
She was soaked in sweat, dragging her nails down her arms like she wanted to rip her own skin off. I caught her wrists just in time.
“Hey, hey, no, no, no, baby, wake up,” I begged, cradling her trembling hands in mine.
Her head tossed from side to side, and her eyes were tightly shut. Her whimpers turned into painful moans. I placed my hand over her heart, trying to ground her, but her body kept jerking violently.
“I’m so sorry,” I choked. “I should’ve been there. I’m here now, okay? You’re safe now. I swear it.”
I leaned in, pressing my forehead to hers, whispering over and over again.
“You’re safe. I promise you. I’ve got you. Nobody’s ever going to hurt you again.”
But she couldn’t hear me.
So I did the only thing I could.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply