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I could handle it—could fight against it. Castro, however, responded immediately. He lifted his head, cocking it to one side as his eyes glazed over like a teenager in heat.
Liza had unleashed her pheromones to distract Castro, and it worked.
He was sidetracked, staring at Liza as if she were a fresh piece of meat. Now was my chance to end his life, but as I gripped his neck, I decided against it. I would give him grace, even though he was undeserving of it.
Castro would face his crimes and would be punished accordingly.
Summoning what little energy I had left, I slammed Castro’s head onto the hard ground. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body going limp. He wasn’t dead, but I had rendered him unconscious.
He transformed back into his human state. Castro was lifeless, naked, and completely vulnerable. From my vantage point, he suddenly didn’t seem like the fucking monster he truly was. But looks could be deceiving, and I shuddered at what he would’ve done to my precious Liza if he had succeeded in getting his hands on her.
I glanced down at the gash in my side as I collapsed, breathless. My injury was serious, so I howled, hoping the other pack members would hear and respond. Within seconds, a return howl reached my ears, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Using what little energy I had left, I shifted back into human form and covered the wound with my hands, pressing tightly and hoping I could slow the blood loss.
My head was spinning, my vision fading in and out. Fighting the urge to pass out, I kept my eyes on Castro. Even though I knew he’d be out for a while, there was no way I’d allow myself to faint and leave Liza alone with that fucking psycho.
Liza fell to the ground and held my head in her lap.
“That was a dangerous move, Liza.” I paused to catch my breath. “You should’ve let me handle it. What if he’d turned on you? I was in no position to protect you with his fucking claw in my side.”
She ran her fingers through my hair. “I wasn’t going to stand by and watch that maniac take someone else from me.” A sob escaped her throat as she whispered, “He killed my parents.”
Her words shattered my heart. Reaching up, I cupped her face and pulled her forehead to mine. “I’m so sorry. Castro will pay for his crimes.”
I drifted in and out of consciousness for at least forty-five minutes, but the sound of stomping in the distance brought me back to full alert. Sighing deeply, relief washed over me at the familiar feeling of my pack moving into the area.
The pack elders descended upon us, quickly assessing the scene and moving into action. They’d come prepared with medical supplies and didn’t waste any time covering me with a blanket and attending to my wound.
My body was ready to give up. I couldn’t fight against the darkness that was filling my peripheral vision. Before I passed out, I pointed to Castro. “Tie this man up and put him in a cell.”
My last thoughts were of Liza and her safety, putting my trust in the pack to keep Castro far from her. Before I could give any more orders or explanations, the darkness consumed me.
I found myself running through the forest, my heart pounding in my chest as I chased after Liza. She was just ahead of me, always just out of reach, and every time I thought I was close enough to catch her, she slipped away.
She laughed at first, her voice ringing out through the trees. But then, suddenly, she started to cry, her tears streaking down her face as she cried out for her family.
I pushed myself harder, my legs pumping as I tried to catch up to her. But every time I got close, she slipped away again, her form twisting and turning as if she were made of smoke.
The forest around us was dark and eerie, the branches reaching out to grab at us as we ran past. Wind howled through the branches, carrying with it the sound of Liza’s sobs.
As I ran, a growing sense of panic filled my chest. I didn’t know what was happening to her, but I had to catch her before it was too late.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I caught up to her. She was standing in the clearing, her back to me, her naked body shaking with sobs.
I reached out to touch her, to comfort her, but she slipped away again, vanishing into the darkness, and as she disappeared, my eyes fluttered open.
I clutched my chest, trying to slow my heartbeat. Glancing around the room, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was at the estate. An IV bag hung above my head, so I concluded that I was in the medical wing. To my left, Mother hovered, her face twisted with worry.
A soft squeeze of my hand pulled my eyes to the opposite side of the bed where Liza sat, holding my hand, and smiling weakly.
Dad cleared his throat. He stood at the end of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at me with concern.
They all let out a sigh of relief.
I narrowed my eyes on Dad. He looked as if he’d aged another ten years during the night.
“You can never scare me like that again, son.” Dad patted my leg and swallowed hard, trying not to get emotional.
