He released, letting the body drop, and turned just in time to catch Ryder barreling into a massive shifter twice his size. Ryder’s wolf was pure brute force, slamming into the larger attacker with enough momentum to knock them both to the ground. The other wolf snarled and snapped, but Ryder pinned him with massive paws, his jaws closing around the shifter’s throat in a show of dominance. The fight was short-lived as Ryder’s fangs ripped through muscle and tendon, leaving the wolf lifeless.
Grayson growled low in his throat, warning another shifter who dared to approach. He crouched, ready to spring, but the man didn’t have a chance to attack. A vine, thick and undulating like a serpent, shot out of the ground, wrapping around his stomach and yanking him down. Another vine followed, curling around his legs and pulling him off balance. He hit the ground hard, and Grayson looked past him to seeCora standing near the tree line, her hands glowing with golden energy.
Her presence sent a cocktail of pride and fear rushing through him. She wasn’t just standing her ground; she was dominating it. The vines around the man tightened until he stopped struggling, and Cora turned her attention to another group of shifters. With a jerk of her arm, she sent a shockwave of magic rippling outward. The energy struck two shifters mid-lunge, throwing them back into the trees.
Grayson moved to her side, and his wolf growled in approval as he stood protectively close. Cora didn’t acknowledge him; her focus was on the next threat. She raised her hands, and a shimmering barrier formed just in time to block an incoming blast of dark magic.
Another witch, one who sported a familiar dark braid down to the small of her back, stepped into view. Anya, he had learned from Zane. The witch who had placed the binding spell at the auction. The one who had helped Theodore enslave countless victims.
“Well, look who pushed past her bindings,” Anya sneered. “I’ll admit, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Cora didn’t flinch. “I’ve grown strong enough to end this.”
Anya laughed, a sound devoid of humor. “Oh, darling, you have no idea what you’re up against. Do you think a little glow and confidence can save you? You don’t know power.”
“Why don’t you show me, then?” Cora shot back, her eyes narrowing.
Grayson stalked forward, but Cora held up a hand to stop him. “I’ve got this.”
He didn’t like it. Every instinct screamed at him to protect her, to tear Anya apart before she could hurt her. But he trusted Cora. She was no longer the woman who had been bound and powerless. She was a force to be reckoned with.
Anya’s smile widened as she caught the exchange. “How touching. Your mate believes in you. Too bad belief won’t save him—or you.”
“You’re wasting your time,” Cora responded, swirling magic between her hands. “Why are you even helping Theodore? What does someone like you get out of this? Out of turning against your own kind?”
“What do I get out of this?” she echoed. “Theodore promised me revenge—something you wouldn’t understand, little witch. You’ve never had everything ripped away from you.”
Cora’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Revenge for what?”
“For the life I was supposed to have,” Anya spat. Her magic coiled in the air around her like smoke, crackling with suppressed fury. “The coven I trusted turned on me. They cast me out and left me for dead because I dared to question their precious traditions. Theodore saw my potential when no one else did. He gave me power, a chance to take back what I was owed.”
“That’s your justification for enslaving people like me?” Cora demanded. “You’re no better than the ones who hurt you. You’re worse.”
Anya’s magic came alive in a pulse of dark energy that sent the surrounding shifters from both sides scrambling to get out of her way. “Don’t you dare lecture me! You have no idea what it’s like to be cast aside, to be told you’re worthless.”
“I know exactly what that’s like,” Cora countered, stepping closer. “But I didn’t turn it into an excuse to hurt others.”
Anya’s face twisted with rage, and she thrust her hands forward, sending tendrils of dark energy streaking toward Cora. The fight began in earnest, and the air between them erupted with magic, light and dark colliding with deafening force.
Grayson circled the fight, pacing as he watched Cora hold her own against the dark magic. Anya’s attacks came one right after the other, each one more vicious than the last. Dark bolts tore through the air, leaving scorch marks in their wake, but Cora deflected them with skill and precision. Her movements were so fluid that it was as if her magic was a glowing extension of her will.
Anya’s lips curled into a snarl as she summoned a massive wave of dark energy, hurling it toward Cora with enough force to split the earth. Cora didn’t back down. She thrust her hands forward, releasing a beam of golden light that collided with the wave. The impact sent both witches stumbling back, but Cora recovered first.
She raised her hands again, and the ground beneath Anya erupted. Vines, roots, and jagged rocks shot upward, forcing the dark witch to retreat. Anya countered with a blast that shattered the ground around her, but Cora wasn’t done.
With a final burst of energy, Cora released an orb of white light, sending it hurtling toward Anya. The dark witch raised her hands to block it, but the force was too great. The orb struck her chest, and Anya screamed as the light engulfed her. The sound was piercing, filled with rage and fear, and then it was gone.
As the glow from Anya’s defeat faded, Cora’s chest heaved, and her arms trembled from the strain of the battle. Thefield around them was eerily quiet, save for the faint groans of the injured. Grayson shifted back into his human form, stepping to her side. His body bore the marks of the fight—deep scratches and bruises—but his focus was entirely on her.
“You okay?” His voice was low, rough from exertion.
Cora nodded, though her legs felt ready to give out. “I’m fine. But it’s not over.”
Grayson’s gaze flitted past her. She followed his line of sight and froze. From the tree line, a massive figure emerged, and she somehow knew immediately who this wolf was. Theodore had arrived, and he wasn’t waiting for pleasantries. His wolf was enormous, larger than any shifter Cora had ever seen, with a silver-streaked coat and eyes that glowed.
Grayson stepped forward, placing himself between Cora and Theodore. “Stay back,” he ordered.
“No.” Cora planted her feet. “We do this together.”
