Always And Forever | ENG ✓

Chapter Thirty: The Last Stand

The figure stood before me, its form flickering with dark energy, its yellow eyes burning with a malicious intensity. The crackling energy that had once fueled the summoning circle now swirled around it, but it was no longer tethered to the creature-it was free. And it was furious.

"You think you've won?" the figure hissed, its voice low and filled with venom. "This is merely a setback. The ancient one will rise again, and when it does, all will fall."

The air between us was thick with tension, the weight of everything we had fought for pressing on me like a physical force. The pack had held its own, but now, the final battle had come down to this moment. It wasn't just about the pack's survival anymore. It was about ensuring this creature, this dark force, would never threaten us again.

I stood my ground, my white fur bristling as I locked eyes with the figure. "You're wrong," I said, my voice steady despite the chaos that had preceded this moment. "This ends now."

The figure's laughter was cold, echoing through the clearing as it raised one hand, a dark shadow swirling around its fingers. The air around us grew heavier, the energy pressing down like a storm about to break. It raised its other hand, and a blast of dark energy shot toward me.

I dodged to the side, the force of the attack ripping through the ground where I had just stood. The earth trembled beneath me, the shockwave knocking me back, but I kept my footing. I couldn't afford to lose focus. I couldn't afford to let up.

"You cannot defeat me, child," the figure taunted, its voice twisted with malice. "I am eternal. I am the shadow that haunts this world. You cannot destroy me."

I bared my teeth, the wolf inside me urging me forward. "Maybe you're eternal," I said, my voice fierce. "But I'm not alone. And we're stronger than you think."

With a roar, I launched myself forward, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye. The figure's eyes flashed with surprise as I lunged, my claws extended. But before I could strike, a barrier of dark energy flared to life around it, blocking my attack.

The impact sent a shock through my body, my muscles screaming in protest, but I recovered quickly, circling the figure as it prepared its next move. I had to find a way through its defenses.

The figure's voice rose, its tone filled with fury. "You think you can stop me with strength alone? You're weak. You're just like the others. All you can do is fight, and all that brings is destruction."

I smiled grimly, my teeth flashing in the dim light. "Destruction is sometimes necessary to protect what matters."

The figure's hand twitched, and another blast of dark energy shot toward me, this time faster and more concentrated. I couldn't dodge it in time. The blast struck me square in the chest, and the force of it threw me back, sending me crashing to the ground.

Pain radiated through me, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through it. I couldn't stop now-not when the fate of my pack, of everything we had fought for, was hanging in the balance.

"You're not getting away with this," I growled, forcing myself to stand. "You've already lost."

The figure's expression twisted with contempt. "I've lost? You've only delayed the inevitable." Its hand flicked, and dark tendrils of energy shot toward me. I had no choice but to move, and I leapt aside just as the energy barely missed me, searing the earth where I had been standing.

I couldn't keep dodging forever. The figure was relentless, its attacks fast and vicious. But I knew that the longer we fought, the more I understood its patterns. It had a weakness-it was relying too much on its dark energy. It was its source of power, but it made it predictable.

Then, I saw it. The faintest flicker of hesitation in the figure's movement, the briefest moment of concentration. It was focusing all its energy on controlling the attack, leaving itself vulnerable for just a second.

I moved quickly, my claws striking with precision. My paw collided with the figure's chest, and a shock of energy surged through the air as the barrier shattered under my attack. The figure let out a shriek, its form faltering as I pushed forward with everything I had.

"You're not invincible," I snarled, my voice low and filled with fury. "And you never will be."

The figure stumbled back, its glowing eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and rage. It raised its hands, desperate to summon more power, but the energy around it was flickering, unstable. I didn't wait.

I launched myself at it, my claws tearing through the air. I swiped again and again, each strike landing with the force of a storm, until I drove the figure to its knees. The dark energy that had surrounded it flickered and sputtered, its power waning.

"You've lost," I said, my voice firm, unyielding. "This is over."

With one final roar, I landed the final blow, my claws striking through the figure's chest. The darkness around it collapsed in on itself, the energy dissipating into the air like smoke, leaving only the hollow shell of the figure behind.

It crumbled to the ground, its form dissolving into nothingness, leaving only an eerie silence behind.

I stood there, panting, my chest heaving with exhaustion, the weight of the battle pressing down on me. The clearing was still, the only sound the distant crackling of fire and the last remnants of the battle fading into the night.

The pack was victorious. The figure had been destroyed.

But the cost had been high.

I turned back toward the pack, my gaze scanning the battlefield. We had won, but the victory came with its own scars-wounded wolves, tired and battered, some still standing, others being helped to their feet. The pack had fought with everything it had, and it had paid the price.

Dean was at my side in an instant, his hand gripping my shoulder. His face was grim, but there was a spark of something-pride, relief, something more-behind his eyes.

"You did it," he said, his voice quiet but filled with awe. "We did it."

I nodded, but I could feel the weight of the battle settling over me. "We're not done yet," I said, though my voice carried the weight of a leader who knew their job wasn't over until the last wolf had recovered.

The pack had survived. But we still had a long road ahead.