Warrior Wolf (Complete)

35 Balcony

Darkness was enveloping her mind.

But then, something inside her shifted-a memory, a feeling. The night at the lake, when she had stood face to face with Chris, when she had felt something more than anger, more than pain. She had felt...hope.

"You don't need them," Drake's voice was more insistent now, almost desperate. "With me, you can be free of all the pain, all the suffering. Make the pledge, Rose. Bind yourself to me."

Her sword slipped from her hand, clattering to the stone floor of the balcony. She looked at Drake, then at Chris, who was now barely holding his ground against the onslaught of Drake's forces. Her heart pounded, each beat echoing in her ears like a drum, drowning out everything else.

And then, she made her decision.

With a roar that tore from deep within her, Rose shifted. The change was instant, the power of the moon goddess flowing through her, purging the last of Drake's influence. Her body contorted, bones realigning as she transformed into her wolf form-a transformation she hadn't undergone in months. The last time had been at the lake, with Chris, when she had barely recognized the alpha presence within her. But now, that presence was ten times stronger, a force of nature unto itself.

As her paws hit the stone, everyone fell silent. The wolves, the vampires, even Drake, stared in shock. The air crackled with energy as Rose's transformation completed. She was no longer the omega they had known-she was something far more powerful.

Chris, still catching his breath from the fight, looked at her with wide eyes. "Rose..."

Drake took a step back, genuine fear flickering across his face for the first time. "This isn't possible," he muttered, disbelief dripping from his words. "You can't be..."

Rose's wolf form was majestic, radiating a power that none had ever seen in her before. The aura of the moon goddess enveloped her, shielding her mind from Drake's influence, burning away the last remnants of his control.

As Rose lunged at Drake, the vampire's eyes narrowed with a mix of anger and disbelief. "You ungrateful wretch!" he spat, sidestepping her attack with supernatural speed. "I offered you power, a place by my side, and this is how you repay me?"

Rose's only response was a guttural snarl as she whirled around to strike again, her claws slashing through the air. Drake retaliated, his sharp nails aiming for her throat, but Rose was faster. She ducked beneath his swing, her muscles coiled like a spring, ready to strike.

"Rose, watch out!" Chris yelled from behind her, locked in a vicious struggle with two vampires who had come to Drake's aid. He could barely hold them off as more of Drake's wolves, still under his control, surged forward to defend their master. Below, the crowd shouted in panic and confusion, their voices rising in a chaotic chorus.

"Kill the traitor!" one of Drake's vampires hissed, lunging at Rose with deadly intent. But Chris intercepted, driving his crystal sword through the vampire's chest. "Stay focused, Rose!" he yelled, his voice strained as he fought to keep the enemies at bay.

Drake sneered, his red eyes glinting with malevolence. "You think you can defeat me, little wolf? You're nothing but a pawn-"

Rose roared, cutting him off as she leaped at him with renewed fury. Drake slashed at her again, his claws raking across her side, but Rose powered through the pain. She had one goal, and nothing would stop her.

From below, voices rang out in a mix of fear and desperation. "Save the Wolf King!" someone cried, while another shouted, "Protect Rose! Don't let her fall!"

Rose's heart pounded in her chest as she closed the distance between them again. This time, there would be no retreat.

Drake hissed, his fangs bared in a twisted smile as he feinted to the left, attempting to slash at her with his claws. "You will regret this, Rose," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "Submit now, and I may yet spare your miserable life!"

'Never', Rose thought. She growled, her eyes blazing with determination. She sidestepped his attack, her fur bristling as she felt his claws graze her side, the pain sharp but ignorable. She pushed through it, using the momentum to whirl around and strike. Her claws connected with his chest, tearing through his flesh with a savage ferocity that made Drake stagger back in shock.

"You'll pay for this!" he howled, his voice echoing across the ruins as he tried to regain his balance. His eyes were wide with disbelief, blood seeping from the deep gashes across his chest.

'Not today, Drake,' Rose voiced in her mind. She snarled and lunged at him again, her powerful muscles driving her forward. Drake tried to fend her off, his claws swiping desperately at her, but she was relentless. Her claws dug deeper, ripping through muscle and bone with each strike.

Below, the crowd erupted in a mix of shouts and cries. Some called for Rose to finish him, while others pleaded for the Vampire King's life to be spared. Amid the chaos, the Wolf King's soldiers, who aren't under Drake's control, charged up the ruins, engaging in fierce combat with the remaining vampires and wolves still loyal to Drake.

"Hold the line!" one of the soldiers bellowed as he fought off a vampire that had lunged at him. "Protect the King!"

Chris, still battling by Rose's side, glanced at her, his voice urgent. "Rose, end this now! He's weakening!"

Drake, bloodied and furious, made one last desperate attempt to regain control. His eyes locked onto Rose's, and he tried to reach into her mind, to twist her thoughts as he had done before. "You can't do this, Rose. You need me-without me, you're nothing. You'll fall without my power."

Rose felt the dark tendrils of his influence trying to snake their way into her mind, but this time, she was stronger. Shifting to wolf form had cleared her thoughts, and she knew what she had to do. With a fierce snarl, she surged forward, her claws cutting through the final layers of Drake's defenses.

Her final strike plunged deep into Drake's chest, tearing through his heart. He gasped, his body going rigid as his strength left him.

"No... this can't be," Drake rasped, disbelief and pain twisting his features as he crumpled to the ground, his life draining away. His red eyes dimmed as he stared up at Rose, his final words barely a whisper. "I... was supposed to... win."

The moment Drake fell from the balcony onto the ground, the chaos in the ruins began to subside. The remaining vampires and wolves hesitated, confusion rippling through their ranks as they realized their leader had fallen. The Wolf King's soldiers seized the moment, driving back the last of Drake's forces.

Below, the crowd watched in stunned silence, the reality of what had just happened sinking in. The Wolf King, still bound and battered, slowly rose to his feet, his eyes meeting Rose's. There was no anger in his gaze, only a solemn recognition of the choice she had made.

Rose jumped down and stood over Drake's lifeless body, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. The battle was over, but the weight of what she had done pressed down on her.