Page 32 of Reclaiming His Lost Mate (Secret Legacy #3)
Amid the tumult, Selina’s brown wolf darted gracefully through the fray, moving with a ferocity that matched my own. I caught glimpses of her fierce determination, fueling my own resolve. Pride shot through my wolf. We were here to fight alongside our fierce mate—to reclaim what was ours.
The first Black Moon wolf lunged at me; I dodged its attack, slamming my body into it.
I felt the gratifying crunch of muscle giving beneath my weight, the rush of victory surging.
Then, another wolf pounced from the shadows; claws raked against my flank, but I twisted, retaliating with powerful jaws.
I felt the satisfying rip of flesh, the surge of adrenaline pushing me through the pain.
But just as we gained ground, I felt the presence of dark magic, and sure enough, another figure, a male shifter but in human form, stepped out of the shadows—the Black Moons’ secret weapon.
I let out a growl, warning my packmates to stay armed and vigilant; his dark magic thrummed through my bones like the blood magic Marissa had used on me previously.
The man looked strikingly similar to Torin, with the same tall, muscular build and dark shoulder-length hair.
The only difference was that he had tattoos around his arms, like tendrils of ink.
He held a medallion studded with ores, from which oily coils of ink crept through the air.
One wrapped itself around a yellow wolf, pulling him to the ground.
Out of the corner of my vision, I spotted a green light shimmering. As I turned to look, I saw Seraphina had left the woods behind the clearing, determination and light lining her figure as she ran across the battlefield.
The battle was a visceral swirl of chaos, blood and sweat filling the air.
Just as we seemed to have the upper hand, Torin rallied, leading more black wolves from out of the woods, their numbers overwhelming.
Seraphina’s gusts of green magic offered temporary reprieves, bolstering our ranks against the relentless wave of Black Moons.
“Rhys!” I barked, rallying the wolves around me. “Stay in formation!” I growled. “Push forward!”
Frustration clawed at me as the tide of battle grew chaotic, shadows closing in.
And though we fought with a tenacity, it became increasingly evident that we risked being overrun.
I strained to keep an eye on Selina, my gaze darting across the tumultuous scene as I searched for her every chance I got between bringing a Black Moon down.
Suddenly, the trees ahead rustled violently, and a ripple of energy pulsed through me. Before I could even process it, a flash of red and gray surged through the foliage—Alpha Roman and Alpha Kyle hurtled toward us, leading their warriors into the fight.
The tide shifted as their presence unleashed a fresh wave of energy, catching the Black Moons off guard. My heart soared, but I kept my eyes trained on Selina, battling fiercely against her sister.
Marissa lunged for Selina with ferocity, and the world around me narrowed as my heart froze, the instinct to protect shooting through me.
My wolf roared, wild to clear the path to our mate.
Attackers swarmed me like vultures as I fought them off with fierce determination, instinct guiding my every move.
My heart battered my chest as I noticed Selina’s strength beginning to wane, her movements slowing against Marissa’s relentless assault. With a burst of adrenaline, I surged toward her, shoving aside every wolf that dared come between us.
Just as I neared, Selina sprang upward, launching herself at Marissa with breath-taking agility, her jaws pinning down her sister’s throat with lethal precision.
But in that very moment, I glimpsed a shadow emerging—a living nightmare—Torin charged toward Selina, relentless in his attack.
My wolf roared, a primal, protective instinct igniting every fiber of my being as I propelled forward, determined to intercept him.
My paws pounded the earth until the rift between us vanished.
My body collided with Torin's just in time, knocking him off balance, but his claws found purchase in my side, and suddenly, I’d landed on the ground, my legs swaying beneath me, the pain in my flank feeling like fire.
“Alexis!” Selina cried, her voice fraying at the edges of my resolve. I instinctively shifted back into human form, every scrap of my wolf urging me to tell her to return to her wolf form, to shield herself from harm.
Lyvia burst through the chaos, her urgency palpable. “I have her location—come on, Selina!” Her voice was a light amidst the storm .
“Go get Mia!” I ordered Selina, knowing she wouldn’t leave my side if she thought I was too injured. I released my wolf form again, shifting back just in time for Torin to regain his footing.
Torin lunged again, but I was ready—I wouldn’t yield. The battle raged, the air thick with tension and the acrid smell of blood. I fought through every ache and wave of agony echoing in my flank.
With every ounce of strength and fury, I rushed to confront Torin again and again. In that moment, the world around me distorted. With a fierce growl, I lunged at him, delivering a blow that sent him sprawling back, displacing air with a muting thud.
He jumped to his feet again, but I was ready. I launched forward, teeth sinking into his shoulder, driving through flesh until I hit bone. My instinct screamed to cull the threat, to remove him from existence, and I relished each drop of blood that seeped into the earth.
Torin's struggle began to weaken as I landed a killing blow to his throat. His weight suddenly surrendered to the earth, and he slumped to his belly. I didn’t let go of my hold on his shoulder until the final rush of his vitality ebbed away.
I stood, panting, muscles throbbing, as the last flicker of life drained from the Black Moon Alpha and with it, the fight of the Black Moon Pack around us.
Triumphant roars erupted around me, but my victory was fleeting.
Before I could allow relief to settle in my bones, the Silver Moon and Moonlight Packs barreled forward, pushing the remnants of the Black Moons away with renewed vigor.
While my wolf wanted to charge after them, to finish this fight once and for all, I stumbled, drained, and barely able to stand against the pain of the wound throbbing in my side.
But with all the energy I had left, I drove it into shifting out of my wolf’s form.
On two legs, I turned to see Selina emerge triumphantly from the woods alongside Lyvia—Mia walking between them.
My gaze settled dazedly on our daughter, and I thought as I had when I’d first seen her how uncanny her resemblance was to myself as a child.
A goofy smile spread across my face as contentment settled deep within my chest.
My girl is safe.
Mia looked at me, her expression one of confusion and fear as she drank in the carnage around her.
I saw a glimmer of her mother in those eyes, and my heart ached with a mixture of joy and sorrow.
She shouldn't have to see this. She shouldn't have to know this world. But she was safe. That’s what mattered. I relished that I’d gotten to meet her, to know her, and only regretted that she’d grow up not knowing how she and her mother meant the world to me.
I tried to focus on her, but my gaze blurred, and the sudden sharp pain in my side had my breath catching.
I faltered, my knees buckling, and the world spun as I dropped to the ground, the earth rushing up to meet me.