Love And Betrayal | ✔️

60. The battle begins

NOTE: i highly recommend listening to the songs above every chapter while you read.

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Meet me on the battlefield
Even on the darkest night
I will be your sword & shield,
your camouflage
And you will be mine.

SVRCINA (Battlefield)

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HIT. BLOCK. HIT.

Movements and time blur as we leap onto them—some in the lupine form, others still human. We spare none. I relish the shock on their faces, the savagery in their eyes morph into fright, right before I plunge the dagger into their necks.

Born for this moment, this war, this brutal bloodbath.

Hit. Block. Hit. Repeat.

A bullet whizzes past my shoulder and I swerve out of the way in the nick of time.

"Look out!" Ashton bellows from my right.

My head whirls in the direction but it's not me he's yelling at. His eyes are on Ariana as she takes down a filthy rogue. In the heat of the fight, she's unaware as another creeps up from behind.

"I got this, GO!" Ashton's eyes never stray as he brings two wolves down with a single manoeuver.

Caught between a dead rogue and a live one, a gasp rips from her lungs when the latter still in his human form tackles her to the ground. Jaw stretched wide and teeth flashing, he flashes her a feral grin before he swoops down.

"Say goodbye, little poppet." He leers, running a filthy finger down her cheek.

I see red.

Don't wait.

Don't stop.

I hurtle my dagger at his heart.

The blade slices through the air and rams into right in his chest. Blood sprays across her face as he topples backward.

Ariana rises to her feet and walks over to him. Her eyes bore into his cold, dead ones as pulls the bloodstained dagger out of him with a vicious yank. "Goodbye."

She turns briefly towards me, specks of blood still smeared across her face. "I got this. Tell Ashton I can handle my own just fine."

She throws the dagger back in my direction. I dive to catch it mid-air before tucking it back in my boot. Watch as she proceeds to take on another. As she swings her leg up and does a full roundhouse kick. Her furry opponent lets out a yelp as he's flung a whole yard away.

Reinforcements are on their way. The Wolverines and the Dark Wolf warriors will be joining us in a moment, but until then—

I whirl when I feel a presence behind my back. A gigantic rogue stands, his paws and snout smeared in blood. Someone yells my name.

Right as I step back, he takes a step forward.

A bullet speeds through the pierces his skull. And he collapses.

Aden stands behind him, eyes glazed, his gun still pointed to where the corpse now lay—white smoke billowing from the muzzle. He shifts his focus to me just enough to ask, "Did he hurt you?"

I only shake my head. A part of me is relieved his lessons with Luna Tessa are finally paying off.

As if reading my mind, he relaxes. "Be careful." He murmurs so low, I barely hear him over the clashing weapons and cries.