He’s still in human form, standing at the edge of the fighting like a general watching his troops. Our eyes meet across the chaos, and something passes between us. A recognition of what this moment means for both of us.
I force my body back to human form and push through the crowd of fighting wolves until I’m standing ten feet from the man who took my mate.
“Just us now. No more games. Let’s finish this.”
Rafe strips off his jacket and tosses it aside. “I’ve been waiting ten years for this.”
We circle each other and look for openings. He’s younger than me and probably faster, but I’ve got experience and training he can’t match. The Black Ops didn’t just teach me how to kill. They taught me how to survive against opponents who should have beaten me.
Rafe strikes first. His combination is lightning-fast, and I barely manage to deflect it. His fist grazes my jaw, and starsexplode across my vision. I counter with a knee to his ribs, and he grunts but doesn’t fall back.
“You know what I was thinking while my wolves had your mate locked in that cell?” He circles again, heaving. “I was thinking about all the things I could do to her. All the ways I could make her scream.”
I don’t take the bait. He wants me angry and sloppy. That’s how you beat a stronger opponent. You get inside their head.
I match his movements step for step as I reply, “She didn’t scream. She told me you threw a tantrum when I didn’t come fast enough. Apparently, you’re not as scary as you think.”
His next attack is wilder. I dodge the first punch and catch the second. I use his momentum to spin him off balance. My elbow connects with his temple. He staggers.
“Your father would be ashamed of you.” I press the advantage. “Matthias was a monster, but at least he knew how to fight.”
Rafe snarls and calls on his wolf. The change takes him mid-lunge. Suddenly, I’m facing a massive black wolf with yellow eyes and corruption crawling beneath his fur. He’s faster in this form. Stronger. The first swipe of his claws opens a gash across my chest that burns like fire.
I call on my own wolf and meet him head-on.
We crash together in a tangle of fur and teeth and claws. He’s stronger than I expected. The corruption gives him an edge that makes every hit land harder. His teeth tear through my shoulder. His claws rake across my flank.
But I’ve fought corrupted wolves before. I know their weaknesses.
They rely too much on brute force. They forget that fighting is about patience. About waiting for the right moment and striking when your opponent overextends.
Rafe lunges for my throat. I twist at the last second. His teeth close on empty air, and I drive him to the ground with my full weight and clamp my jaws around the back of his neck before he can recover.
All it would take is one bite, and it’d be over.
But something makes me pause.
Across the field, I see Skylar.
She’s kneeling beside a fallen pack member. Her hands are pressed against a wound I can’t see from this distance. Blood stains her clothes. Blood stains her face. She’s not running. She’s not hiding. She’s doing exactly what she promised. Staying behind the lines. Helping the wounded.
She’s fierce. She’s brave. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
If I tear Rafe’s throat out like the animal he thinks I am, I’ll prove him right. I’ll become exactly the monster he accused me of being.
I don’t want that anymore. Not when I have someone worth being better for.
I force myself back to human form while keeping Rafe pinned beneath me. He struggles, but the position gives me too much leverage. My arm wraps around his throat. I squeeze until he goes limp, until his body forces him back to human form, too.
“Yield.” I tighten my grip. “Your wolves are losing. Your plan failed. Yield, and maybe you’ll live to see another sunrise.”
He laughs. The sound is wet and broken. “You think I want to live?” Blood flecks his lips when he coughs. “Just do it. Kill me like you killed my brother.”
“I spent ten years being what you described. A killer with a cause.” I release his throat and stand, keeping one foot planted on his chest. “I’m not that person anymore.”
Rafe stares up at me. Confusion wars against hatred in his eyes. Then his hand moves faster than I can track. I see the glint of metal. A knife he must have hidden somewhere on his body. Silver-edged and aimed at my heart.
I react on instinct. My hand closes around his wrist and twists. I drive the blade away from my chest and into his own. The silver sinks between his ribs.
