CHAPTER 11
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Keanu Deighton's
A low, guttural roar escaped my throat, vibrating through the ground beneath us. My vision turned red; every bit of self-control I had vanished in an instant. My bones cracked and shifted, and my clothes ripped apart as my massive grey wolf emerged, towering over them, fur bristling and teeth showing. Before anyone could react, I lunged for Darius, the Beta who had the nerve to speak about her death so arrogantly, the one who called her worthless as if it were a fact.
I slammed into him like a freight train, knocking him off his feet. I sank my teeth into his shoulder, tearing flesh and making him scream in pain. All I could see was red; all I could feel was the urge to kill, to tear apart every single one of them who had played a role in this.
"KEANU! STOP!"
A deep, thunderous snarl answered him. Alpha Henris had shifted too, his huge, jet-black wolf launching at me. His heavy paws struck my side, trying to pull me away from his Beta. He stood between us, fur raised, eyes glowing bright with anger and challenge, ready to fight me to the death to protect his pack and his mate.
The clash didn't stay confined to the kitchen. With a powerful sweep of his massive black paw, Alpha Henris shoved me backward, forcing me to retreat step by step. We burst through the wide double doors and into the open air. We tumbled onto the hard-packed earth, rolling apart before springing back to our feet, fur bristling and fangs bared.
This was the training ground, a large, open space behind the main house, intended for brawls and combat practice. It was wide enough for even the largest wolves to run, leap, and maneuver freely. The ground, worn smooth over years, bore faint lines and tracks from drills and sparring.
We circled each other, growling deep and threatening, echoes filling the clearing. Alpha Henris, dark as midnight and muscular like steel coiled springs, moved with heavy, powerful strides. He was bigger, broader, but I was faster, driven by a hotter burning rage. I lunged first, teeth close to his throat, but he twisted away, shoulder crashing into me and cracking ribs. Ignoring the pain, I snarled and bit into his thick fur and skin, tearing until he howled and spun to claw at me.
The fight was fierce and unending. We collided repeatedly, bodies thudding, claws raking flesh, leaving deep wounds on shoulders, legs, and faces. Dust swirled around us as we dodged, charged, tackled, and rolled. Each time he pinned me, I fought free, driven by memories of Evita's face and Darius's arrogant voice calling her useless. Every strike carried my grief, anger, and craving for justice.
Snapping, snarling, tearing at each other with wild ferocity, my eyes kept flicking to a distant sight. At the edge of the clearing, away from the main buildings, was what remained of Evita's small hut.
It was now nothing but charred debris and blackened wood. The walls had collapsed, the roof was gone, leaving only twisted, burnt beams and ash piles. The fire had destroyed everything, leaving no sign of anyone ever living there, only the stark remains of where she had been held, suffered, and died. Even from afar, I saw its emptiness, the destruction of my sister's only home in this pack.
The sight of the cold ashes fueled my rage further. I let out a piercing, high-pitched snarl and charged at Alpha Henris anew, striking him so hard he stumbled back, trembling. He roared back, equally furious, refusing to retreat, blinded by loyalty to the woman who had stolen everything and the lies he chose to believe.
We tore into each other again, blood covering our fur, neither willing to surrender, our battle's sounds blending with the wind sweeping across the empty training ground.
But through the chaos of snarls, collisions, and heavy impacts, another sound pierced the noise a high, shrill, and painfully grating scream. Elara stood at the doorway, her hands pressed to her chest, screaming repeatedly with a voice thick with fake terror and self-importance.
"Protect me! Silas, protect me! Don't let him come near me! Save me, please, someone save me!"
Her hysterical, loud, and exaggerated cries seemed to suggest she was the sole person in danger, the only victim. Each shriek and plea for help only fueled the fire blazing inside me. It irritated me immensely. She remained safe and untouched, the mastermind behind everything the one who allowed my sister to suffer and die yet she pretended to be the hunted. She was the source of all this pain, the leech who had bewitched him, now playing the fragile damsel while I fought to ensure Evita's justice would never be denied.
My anger intensified, blinding me. I pushed against Silas, my jaws snapping dangerously close to his throat, ready to tear him apart and then turn on the others. I didn't care anymore. I was prepared to kill.
"KEANU!"
That voice shattered the red haze clouding my vision like a sharp blade. It was clear, urgent, and filled with a love that could reach even me in my darkest moment. I froze, my massive grey wolf form rigid, teeth bared just inches from Silas's neck. I recognized that voice. I would recognize it anywhere.
I stepped back, panting heavily, blood dripping from cuts on my shoulders and flank, my chest heaving. Both of us were severely injured, our fur matted with blood, deep gashes across our bodies, bones bruised and aching, but none of the wounds were deadly, not yet.
I turned my head, and there she was my Luna. She had run all the way here, her face pale with worry, her eyes locked on mine.
She didn't run from the violence or the blood; she ran straight toward me, ignoring the danger, ignoring the massive black wolf still growling across from us. She fell to her knees beside me, wrapping her arms tightly around my thick neck, burying her face in my fur.
"It's okay, Keanu… I'm here… I'm here… calm down, please, just calm down," she whispered, her voice trembling but steady, her hands gently stroking my head, soothing the wild, frantic beat of my heart.
Her touch, her scent, her presence it was the only thing that could pull me back from the edge. Slowly, the rage that had consumed me began to fade, replaced by exhaustion and a deep, aching sorrow.
My body trembled, and then the shift started. Bones cracked and realigned, fur receded, and in moments, I was back in my human form, kneeling on the rough ground, naked and bleeding, my breathing ragged.
She didn't hesitate. She quickly grabbed the thick robe she had brought with her, wrapping it around my shoulders and pulling it closed to cover me, holding me up as my strength threatened to give out. She held me close, her arms supporting my weight, shielding me from everything else around us. Silas remained in his wolf form across the clearing, watching us, the stained and torn black coat, his eyes burning with defiance, but he made no move to attack again.
I leaned heavily against her, my shoulders shaking as the full weight of what I had just learned crashed over me. The anger dissolved into raw, burning grief, and a broken, agonized sound tore from my throat.
"She's gone," I choked out, my voice thick and trembling, tears finally spilling down my bloodstained cheeks. "I'll never see her again… They said they burned her. Did they burn her alive? Did they let her suffer like that?"
My words hung heavy in the air. I felt my mate stiffen against me, her whole body going rigid as if her very soul had been wrenched from her chest. She held me tighter, her own eyes glistening with horror and sorrow, but she said nothing, letting me speak my pain.
I pulled back slightly, wiping roughly at my face, my expression hardening once more though my eyes remained red and raw. I lifted my head, my voice rising, loud enough for Alpha Henris and everyone within earshot to hear clearly.
"I swear this," I declared, my tone cold and unyielding, carrying the weight of a vow. "I will not let this rest. I will not let them get away with it. I will gather every shred of proof, every witness, and bring this entire matter before the Supreme Conclave. Justice will be served, and all will know the truth of what happened to Evita."