Chapter 24

Everyone got alert at the very sound of this.

Niall lowered his upper body in a pouncing stance, while Valero mimicked his movement as he turned
to the opposite direction.

If Clarissa was correct about the number, this battle was four against fifteen. But the advantage is that
we are all high ranking wolves against mere rogues. Special rogues or not, they didn't stand a chance.

The shredding of clothes alerted me that Clarissa shifted too, but I stayed in human form, simply
because I never got to learn to fight in wolf form, and I was better with my weapons. I whipped my
silver bullet gun from my belt, already aiming it at the trees as we circled slowly.

~Stay behind me"~ Niall instructed sharply in my head. I didn't appreciate his tone, but I knew it was his
sole protective nature.

However, I didn't listen, since the minute wolves both shifted and in human form came pouncing from
every direction, I made my move.

I wasted no time in firing at them immediately, taking down three of them in the split of a second. I
contained a smirk, knowing this couldn't be too hard. The others were already knocking over the shifted
wolves, biting into their neck with no hesitation as their body went limp.

I drove my elbow backwards as I heard a rogue approaching me, hitting him square it the face as he
plummeted to the ground. I didn't hesitate to end him, immediately turning to strike my right foot to
another one who was running towards me, sending him flying. I didn't even know that I had that much
strength. Just like before, I delivered a shot to his chest the minute he fell to the ground.

But to my utmost surprise, I was taken off guard as a ball of rough fur plunged me by my side, sending
me smack against a tree. I winced as my hand immediately went to the back of my head, but I had no



time to focus on that, because the same wolf who shoved me was walking threateningly slow towards
me with her teeth bared and snarling.

I knew that look too well. I was sure that one of the men I killed was her lover. Else, she wouldn't have
been approaching me this slowly, threateningly and intentional. She would've just killed me the minute
she shoved me.

I searched for my gun, cursing lowly when I saw that it was a few feet away after I dropped it when she
pushed me. I tried to stand, but my feet failed me. Slightly panicking, I grabbed two daggers from my
belt and hurled them at her, landing them in both of her eyes.

I winced as she howled in pain, but that only seemed to enrage her more, as she darted towards me
blindly.

With wide eyes, I rolled out of her way before quickly jumping to wobbly feet. I whipped my silver rope
from my duty belt also, after which I swung it around her neck, pulling as hard as I could. But my
strength failed me, and she trashed from its hold and aimlessly dashed towards me.

I made a move to get away from her blind path again, but she was tackled to the ground by my mate's
large wolf. I sighed in relief as I watched her body go limp after he drove his teeth in her neck. I felt for
her, but I kept reminding myself that this is for my future baby. They had to go, or else he would never
be safe if they know I'm alive.

Niall's eyes quickly met mine, and a whimper rumbled from his chest when he saw that I was hurt, but I
quickly told him to focus on the few rogues left. About twenty rogues attacked us, at which only six
were still standing.

I scanned the area for my gun, but panic rose in me when I saw that it was no longer sitting in the place
I saw it earlier. I knew the shifted wolves could've never taken it, and Clarissa, Niall and Valero couldn't



have taken it with their paws either, which only told me that one out of the two wolves that were still in
human form had it.

I wasted no time in running in the direction of one of them who was creeping up behind Valero, but a
surge of panic in both my mate bond, and the bond I had with Clarissa took me by surprise.

~"Zoey look out!"~ Niall screamed in my head, just as the loud, deafening sound of a gunshot rippled
through the air and shook the trees.

It all seemed to have happened in slow motion as I spun on my heels, where I saw a body of large
brown gloom leaping in front of me. Before I knew it, I watched as she tumbled to the ground in writhing
pain--she saved my life.

My eyes burnt with tears as my vision blurred. I could see from the side of my eyes when Niall attacked
the rogue who had my gun. They all seemed to have stopped fighting as Clarissa shifted back to her
human form, with her eyes barely drooping.

I fell to my knees in front of her as a sob raked my body. I could feel the newly formed link between us
already being broken, and it hurt more than I expected.

"No!" I cried, as I tried to stop the blood seeping from her side. Her limb fingers stretched over my
hand, gaining my attention as I met her pale eyes.

"Go to England Zoey. Remember to go to..." Her voice trailed as it cracked and went small. My heart
broke as my tears continued to fall. "Your dad would be proud of the woman you've become" She
whispered with a strained smile as her body went completely limp in my hand.

My cries grew louder as I felt her bond completely disappear. I didn't know her for long, but as she said,
we are bound by blood and I felt the loss dearly. A sound of a wolf whimpering caught my attention as I
eyed the now ending battle.



Three wolves were now standing, and after predicting their demise, they started to back away as if
wanting to retreat. But the anger that rose in me forbade them from doing so. Because all I saw after
that was red.

Plain, raw red.

I jumped from my former kneeling position, shifting mid way in the air and I wasted no time in charging
towards them.

I pounced on the one closest while his friends tried to escape. But I didn't know how I moved so fast
and where I got the strength from, as I caught and tackled them both in one go. I didn't see what
happened or how I did it, but my eyes only began to clear as I stared at their lifeless bodies beneath my
feet.

Niall's wolf approached me, barely nudging me with his nose which brought me back to reality
completely.

I spun to look at Clarissa's lifeless body a few feet away. She took a silver bullet for me. She died for
me so that I could find out all I needed to know about myself.

She was around Victoria's age--she left too soon. She could've done so much more before her life was
taken from her. But I was grateful for her sacrifice, and I promised myself that it wouldn't be in vain.

Niall rubbed his nozzle to mine as an act of comfort for us wolves. Yet somehow, it only granted me so
little comfort as I ogled her in sorrow.

I threw my head back as my heart ached, and let out a long, sorrowful howl to the moon.

Your death won't be in vain Clarissa. I promise you.


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