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Ambrose fought with the desperation of a cornered animal, slashing and biting with wild abandon. One lucky strike caught Orion across his muzzle, sending hot blood spattering across the floor. The pain focused him further.

Four centuries I've carried the weight of our people. Four centuries I've built peace and prosperity while you plotted in darkness.

Orion feinted right, drawing Ambrose into overcommitting. The black wolf stumbled, off-balance for just a fraction of a second—all the time Orion needed.

He struck with the collective force of four hundred years of responsibility, his massive jaws closing around Ambrose's throat. His teeth sank through fur and flesh, meeting no resistance until they closed on the vital pulse beneath.

Ambrose's struggles grew weaker, his eyes wide with the realization of final defeat.

For my Luna. For my pack. For the peace you would have destroyed.

With one powerful twist, Orion ended the threat that had haunted their kind for centuries. The body beneath him went limp, the light fading from those cold blue eyes. Justice, four hundred years delayed.

Across the room, Chance and the guards had finished their own battles. The silence that followed seemed deafening after the chaos of combat.

Orion stood over his fallen enemy, blood matting his gray fur, his chest heaving with exertion. The wolf inside him howled in victory, but he kept the sound contained. This was no moment for celebration—merely necessity.

From the corner where she'd pressed herself for safety, Seraphina watched with wide eyes, her hand at her bruised throat, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

Mine to protect. Mine to cherish. Mine to love.

Orion approached Seraphina cautiously, his wolf form padding silently across the blood-spattered floor. The scent of her fear stung his nostrils, but beneath it was something else—wonder and a spark of recognition. He kept his movements slow and deliberate. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her more than the carnage around them already had.

She's seen too much violence in one day. My Luna shouldn't have to witness such brutality.

Seraphina's breathing was rapid, her heart hammering like a frightened bird's. Yet as he drew closer, she didn't shrink away. Instead, she lifted a trembling hand toward him.

"Is it... is it really you in there, Orion?" she whispered.

He rumbled low in his chest, a gentle sound meant to reassure, and moved closer until her outstretched fingers connected with his fur. The first touch was hesitant, her fingertips barely grazing the silver-gray coat along his muzzle. Then her hand flattened, stroking along his head with growing confidence.

Orion closed his eyes, savoring her touch. No female had ever touched his wolf form with such gentle curiosity. Her fingers traced the path where Iverson's claws had marked him, carefularound the drying blood, and something possessive and primal stirred within him.

He felt her heartbeat slowing, her breathing evening out. The sharp tang of fear in her scent gradually mellowed into something sweeter. When he looked up, her face had transformed—reverence replacing terror.

Only then did he step back, focusing on the shift. His bones realigned, fur receded, and within seconds he stood before her in his human form, naked and unashamed. Blood from his injuries streaked across his muscular torso, but he paid it no mind as he reached for her.

"Come here," he commanded, his voice rough with emotion.

Seraphina launched herself into his arms with surprising force. He caught her effortlessly, crushing her against his chest, one hand tangling in her black hair while the other spanned her lower back.

"You came for me," she whispered against his skin.

Orion pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. "I would tear apart the entire world to find you. There was never any question."

She nodded, tears welling in those bright green eyes. "I want to go with you—back to the island. Your island. Our island."

Something fierce and territorial expanded in his chest at her words. "Say that again."

"Ourisland," she repeated, stronger this time.

Orion captured her mouth in a searing kiss, pouring immense longing into it. She responded with equal passion, her body molding against his as if she'd been made for him alone.

"As touching as this reunion is," Chance interrupted, clearing his throat dramatically, "maybe we should get moving before the senator's other goons figure out what happened here."

Orion reluctantly broke the kiss, though he kept one arm firmly around Seraphina's waist. "Always the mood killer, Chance."

His beta grinned despite the blood spattered across his face. "One of my many talents. That, and impeccable timing."