Page 190 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)

AUDREY

I pushed harder with my dark magic, straining to reach the grimalkins, but the power vanished again and Sterling roared with laughter.

Pathetic, he chuckled. Just give up and die.

“No,” I spat at him.

I’d never just give up. I hadn’t through all the years he and his father had tortured me, and I wouldn’t do it now. It didn’t matter if all my power was from the dark magic, I’d?—

My thoughts stuttered. If the dark magic had given me alpha powers, maybe it could awaken my wolf — if only for the fight.

With a new determination roaring through me, I twisted the dark magic inside me, wrapping it up with my wildness. Pain burned through my stomach and across my chest, and smoke poured from my mouth.

Sterling lunged at me, and I scrambled out of the way, my stomach heaving, threatening to expel what little was in it at the sudden movement.

Die, Sterling roared, swiping again. Just die and give me my power.

I dove to the side as something snapped inside me. Agonizing pain ripped through every muscle in my body, and I screamed, collapsing to my hands and knees.

Except instead of landing on my hands and knees, I landed on white paws.

Paws.

I had paws.

Wildness coursed through my veins, singing a ferocious song of primal power, as if my soul really was fully connected, my wolf half no longer blocked by a curse cast generations ago.

But I knew it wasn’t going to last. I only had my wolf because of the dark magic and as soon as Whil could figure out how to get rid of it, I’d lose my wolf — because she’d either get rid of the magic, or I’d make her lock me away before I turned into a monster like Sterling.

And none of that mattered. Sterling had to be stopped.

I wrenched my attention away from my paws to Sterling, whose eyes were blazing with fury.

Submit! Sterling roared, and a wave of power crashed toward me, aimed at crushing my will and forcing me to obey.

But my wildness flared stronger and my wolf pressed against my senses.

She’d never submit.

Never again.

She released her own wave of alpha power, shattering Sterling’s wave before it could even reach me, and Sterling’s eyes widened in surprise.

Yeah, my alpha power is stronger than yours, asshole. Barely, and I had no idea if I’d win the next contest of wills. Which meant I needed to end this.

Because I could. I had it in me… and if I couldn’t, everyone I loved would die.

I lunged at him, snapping at his throat, but he leaped out of the way just in time. With a growl, he slashed at me with his claws. I twisted to the side, determined to dodge and attack at the same time.

But I wasn’t fast enough. Sterling’s claws skimmed my side, leaving behind a burning line of pain even as I managed to sink my teeth into his hind leg.

He roared, wrenching his head to snap at me, but I scrambled back before he could bite me.

We fought, him swiping and biting, his body more powerful than mine, and me dodging and nicking him, with my faster, more agile wolf.

I panted hard, and my pulse pounded as I dodged his claws again.

God damn it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t quite reach his throat or underbelly. There was no way I could strike a killing blow, and without a doubt, I was going to get tired before he did.

Sterling’s strikes grew harder, more vicious, swatting me this way and that, drawing more stinging lines through my skin. He roared, his movement growing jerky, and I could practically feel frustration radiating from him.

He thought I’d be easy to kill, and I’d proven him wrong.

Well, go me.

With a roar, he shifted back into his monstrous form, towering over me. His claws flew toward me, faster than the swipes he’d been taking in his wolflike form.

Oh, fuck.

I heaved myself to the left, but as I moved, a sharp yank inside my head made me stumble. Inside me, the dark magic twisted tight, no longer within my control.

Icy fear exploded in my veins, and the magic roared stronger, threatening to completely seize my muscles and render me helpless against Sterling’s next strike.

He was taking my dark magic and using it against me.

No. I wrenched at my magic, desperate to regain control, while the edge of Sterling’s claws tore through my side and sent me flying back.

I hit the ground with a heavy thump that knocked the breath from my lungs, agony screaming through me.

Sharp pain snapped through my head and I fought to stand.

Get up. Just get up.

I had to fight him, but he was in my head. His alpha power hadn’t worked on me, so he was using the tether binding us together to manipulate me… just like he’d manipulated me in my dreams to hurt myself.

I gritted my teeth, desperate to keep him out and hold onto my magic, but his power ripped into every cell, and suddenly my paws were hands.

I screamed, my body trembling, getting weaker and weaker, melting back into the nothing I was before I’d met my guys. The rage that had been burning through me flickered, melting into a pinprick of anger, and my soul wept and my wolf howled.

“That’s it. Despair. Know that when you’re dead, I’m going to tear your alphas limb from limb.”

“I won’t let you,” I gasped back.

“You can’t stop me. You’re nothing without my power,” he sneered, his enormous frame towering over me while I panted, naked on my hands and knees. “You’ll always be nothing. You’re only good for a sacrifice. Now finish your fate and die.”

He lunged at me, his claws already dripping with my blood, and I threw myself back, narrowly escaping his attack.

I crashed onto the flagstones, my arms flung wide but they did little to soften the fall. The impact rattled up my butt and back until my head slammed against the ground. Sparks of black and brilliant light flashed across my vision and my breath burst from my lungs with a whoosh.

I gasped, fighting to breathe as Sterling swiped again.

My pulse roared, my mind screaming at me to move, get up, do something!

I heaved to the side, the world lurching out of focus, and my hand hit my spear.

My ferocious wildness surged, and I thrust my spear up, shoving the tip with all my strength, determination and desperation into Sterling’s heart.

The force of his forward movement to reach me pushed the spear deeper into his body, and his eyes widened in shock.

Mine widened in shock as well.

I’d killed him.

A shifter couldn’t heal a massive hole in his heart fast enough to save him.

I shoved him to the side so he didn’t collapse on top of me and wrenched out the spear. His blood poured onto the flagstones, pooling around my bare feet, but I couldn’t stop staring at him.

The monster who’d tormented me from the moment I’d been forced to move into his home with him and his father, who’d tricked me into thinking I’d found my fated mate and had tried to sacrifice me to a monster that was going to eat me alive, was dead.

He couldn’t control me anymore, couldn’t manipulate me through my dreams, and would never hurt anyone else.

I was finally free.