Hay Creek

chapter 34.

A girl with fiery red hair lunged at me, and I hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of my lungs. I wanted to get up, but that would be foolish. Instead, I pushed my feet up into her stomach. She yelped and stumbled back. "Bitch!" she spat.

I scrambled to my feet and stepped back, only to jump when someone grabbed my arm.

"It's me." My heart rate slowed as I recognized Kai, his eyes glowing a fierce silver. He tightened his grip around my arm. "Stay close to me. I'll get you out of here." His voice was dead serious.

I nodded, feeling a flicker of reassurance.

"Kai, behind you!"

In an instant, Kai spun me around and shoved Lorna aside. She smirked, her eyes glinting with malice.

"What's wrong, little alpha? Fight me!"

"Gladly!" Kai replied coldly.

She came at him with ferocity, throwing kicks and punches that danced through the air. I'd seen Kai fight before, but never for long in his human form. He matched her effortlessly, blocking her attacks just when she thought she had him cornered.

But I wasn't naive—I couldn't just hide behind Kai. If I wanted to survive this battle, I had to fight. I needed to make my father proud. I wanted to prove myself to Kai, a strong alpha, and become his strong Luna.

All around us, chaos erupted. Niklaus was still battling Roman, while Raiden merely watched, smirking as he observed the chaos unfolding. Suddenly, I found myself running toward him, driven by an impulse I couldn't resist.

"Come at me, show me what you've got!" he taunted, laughter dripping from his words.

"Avery! Avery!" It was Kai, shouting my name, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

She was awake. She was ready to fight.

"I'll tear you to pieces!" Raiden threatened.

I laughed, the fury that twisted his features only fueling my resolve.

He growled and charged, his hands gripping my shoulders with vice-like strength. I refused to cry out as he tried to shove me down, pressing hard against me. With a rough breath, I twisted my body and slammed my back into him. He stumbled back, but the movement only infuriated him further.

He came at me again, fists swinging, landing a hard punch to my stomach. The force of it made me cough. Seizing the moment, he kicked me again, and I flew backward. Pain radiated through my ribs as I struggled to breathe. I inhaled sharply, exhaled, and managed to push myself up onto my hands and knees. Just then, my vision blurred, and I felt my bones snap into place. Fire coursed through my body as my wolf surged forth. I had no time to process; I was already charging at him.

I tackled him to the ground, pinning him down as he growled in protest. I scratched and clawed, feeling the wildness take over. "Bitch!" he barked.

Raiden let out a roar that reverberated through the room. His presence weakened me, and I jumped off him to regain my strength. As he rose, he shrieked with laughter.

"Time to show you...me," he said, eyes burning with a hellish red fire.

I felt a surge of determination. 'I am not afraid of you. You will pay for what you did to my father.'

"Enzo? Oh, Enzo. He was a fool. His hiding only made things worse. But don't worry; I'll put you out of your misery."

"Don't make me beat you to it."

Just as I was about to make my move, a sharp pain erupted in my side. My head snapped to the side, and I felt my fangs elongate. I lost control as the guy crumpled to the ground, clutching his neck. My paw was drenched in blood, dripping from my fangs.