Chapter 26
CHARLOTTE’S POV
Another one burst out of the bush and landed beside the first.
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They rammed into the car with their heavy bodies, claws scraping metal and glass, When the car didn’t move, they lowered their heads and started yanking at the doors with raw force, the teeth snapping, claws digging in.
Astra exploded in my head with a fierce growl, pushing, begging to get out and fight.
More of them poured out of the bush. They came in packs and they were too many to number. They surrounded the car from every side, closing us in until there was nowhere to go.
I had never seen creatures like this before. They had the bodies of werewolves, strong and tall, but their faces were long and sharp like wild hyenas, stretched into cruel shapes, with glowing red eyes. Everything about them screamed wolf, except for
their faces.
The driver pressed the car call button and dialed Ace’s number. phone started ringing inside the car. He left his phone here. This is not a good time to forget your phone, I yelled in my head.
“Ma’am, please stay in the car,” the driver advised, reaching for the door handle.
“Don’t,” I snapped, he was getting on my nerves. “We don’t know what they are. We can’t fight them on our own.
We need something to distract them from the outside before we attack.”
“We don’t have time, doctor,” the driver replied, panic creeping into his voice. “The way they’re pulling this car, they’ll tear it apart in no time and we’ll all die.”
My hands tightened protectively around Liam. I wasn’t thinking about myself. I could fight but Liam couldn’t. I couldn’t risk going out there with him. I opened my mouth to stop him from leaving the car, but it was too late. The driver flung the door open and rushed out. The smell of blood and fur rushed in as they pounced on him.
Their huge bodies slammed into him. He screamed loudly before they dragged him away from the car. The sound cut off too fast. Four of them forced their way inside, claws tearing seats their red eyes locking on us.
Liam screamed. I didn’t think anymore. I shoved the door open and jumped out, dragging Liam with me. His small hand crushed mine as he clung tight, his body shaking against my leg.
I turned, putting myself in front of him.
Astra surged forward inside me.
“Mummy, are they going to kill us?” he whispered, his small fingers tightening around mine.
I bent slightly, bringing my face close to his. “Hold on to me and never let go,” I said quietly. I’ll make sure no harm comes to you, I promise.” And I meant every word.
The car shook violently as one of them burst through the open door, the metal screeching under its weight as it rushed straight for us. I didn’t retreat, my claws slid out, my fangs dropping as instinct took over. I caught it mid–charge and twisted hard. Its neck snapped in my grip.
Blood splashed across my clothes, as the body hit the ground. The others stopped moving for a minute. Their red eyes fixed on me before they began to move again. Their low growls filled the air. I searched for the driver, my heart sinking when I couldn’t find him anywhere.
One of them stepped forward, it was larger than the rest, standing just ahead of the pack. It lunged at me.
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Chapter 26
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But before I could strike, Ace crashed into it with brutal force. The creature’s bone cracked under the power of Ace’s attack. The leader didn’t stand a chance. Ace ripped it apart and flung the remains aside, blood dripping from his hands as he positioned himself between us and them.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes moving over me with worry!
“It’s not my blood.” His lips lifted slightly, relief flashing across his face.
“Stay behind me. I won’t let them hurt you.” He reached for me, ying to pull me back, but I stopped him.
“No. L
me fight with you. They’re not that strong. They can only win because they hunt in packs.”
Before he could argue, I ran straight at them. Ace reacted instany, lifting Liam and securing him against his shoulder, his body turning just enough to shield him before he lunged into the fight with me.
The first creature came at me. I ducked, driving my claws into its chest, tearing it upward. It didn’t even get the chance to howl before it dropped. Another leaped from the side. I caught it midair, slammed it into the ground, and crushed its skull.
Ace moved like death beside me, he was fast and brutal. Bones snapped under his grip, bodies were ripped apart and flung aside like they weighed nothing. We fought back to back, blood soaking the ground beneath our feet as the red eyes began to disappear one by one.
They tried to circle us again, but fear had crept into their movements now. I tore through two more, ripping flesh and snapping necks without hesitation. Ace finished the rest, his growl echoing through the clearing as the last one fell lifeless at his feet.
After we took down the last one, Ace carried Liam back to the car and settled him inside before turning to me. He had fought and killed those things with my son strapped to his chest. I still didn’t understand how he managed to do it.
He reached into the car, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.
“Roman, I need you and Damien here now! I was attacked while leaving the pack this morning. Scan the forest and find out what those things were.”
He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket.
Then he faced me. “Why did you leave the car? I told you to stay inside. This vehicle is reinforced with alpha–grade steel and wolf proof glass. They wouldn’t have been able to get to you if the door wasn’t opened.”
“It was your driver,” I replied, suddenly annoyed at what that man did. He put us in more danger than we already were. “He insisted on stepping out to fight those things, even after I told him not to because Liam was with us.”
The thought of it made my chest ache. One wrong move and my son would have been in their hands. I shook my slowly, anger and fear twisting together. No one was allowed to put my child in danger.
head
Ace snarled loudly. “Where’s Dominic?” His eyes burned as he looked around for his driver. “He’ll answer to me for this.”
After he stepped out of the car and those animals dragged him away, I never saw him again. Whether he was alive or dead, I couldn’t tell. “I don’t know.”
The car had deep scratches and dents from the attack, but the engine still responded when he turned it on. Ace opened the passenger door for me, he guided me in, and secured the seatbelt over me before moving to the driver’s side.
He glanced at Liam in the back seat. The boy sat quietly, too calm for someone who had just lived through chaos. “Are you okay, Liam?”
Liam nodded. The usual spark and excitement in his eyes were gone, replaced with sadness and slight fear. “You and mummy kept me safe.” Then he looked at me. “Mummy, he carried me while he was fighting, so those things couldn’t hurt me.”
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“I know. baby” I closed my eyes, drawing in slow breaths. “I’m sorry you had to see all that. It’s not something I ever wanted for you.”
“I don’t want you to feel sad or guilty. You promised to keep me fe, and you did. You’re amazing” His gaze moved between Ace and me. “I guess I won’t just be a doctor and a warrior anymore, I’m going to be a badass fighter who beats bad people and ugly animals that want to hurt innocent people”
Ace started the engine and we drove off. He kept Liam talking, asking small questions, laughing softly when Liam answered, all while stealing quick glances at me like he was checking I was ill there.
At some point, Liam fell asleep.
By the time we reached my mansion, the sky had shifted, I reached for my seatbelt, but Ace’s hand closed over mine, stopping me. He leaned in, unstrapped mine first, then his.
He leaned closer, his eyes moving over me while his hands followed, checking like he needed to be sure I was not hurt anywhere. “What are you doing?” I murmured curiously, alarmed by his closeness.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled me into his arms, holding me tight, but carefully, like he was afraid of hurting me. When he pulled back, his gaze stayed on my face. His hand came up, cupping my cheek. Before I could make sense of it, his lips brushed mine in a soft feathery kiss. It was fast and he pulled away, pressing his forehead against mine, and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I sucked in a sharp breath, my whole body tingling shamelessly. My wolf didn’t want to fight him. I let my face stay in his hand, relishing how good it felt being in his arms.
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that because of me,” he whispered. “I never imagined this would happen. If they had gotten to you or Liam…” His voice dipped. “I don’t know what I would have done.”
His eyes were honest, alm
glassy.
“It’s not your fault we were attacked,” I coaxed softly. “Don’t put that on yourself.”
His jaw tightened. “I’ll find out what those things are. And why they came for us.” He paused. “They knew where we were going.”
My mind jumped back to the moment we were driving out of his penthouse, I saw those red eyes.
“This might mean nothing, but when we were leaving your house this morning, I saw a pair of red eyes watching us. I didn’t really see what it was. It vanished almost immediately. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”
He sucked in a sharp breath. “They’ve be watching me.”
His hand closed around mine again. He pressed a soft kiss into my palm, then another to the back of my hand. It had become a habit with him, like he always needed an excuse to hold my hand and kiss it.
Then his expression shifted into something warmer. “I had no idea you were such a fierce fighter. How are you the best doctor and still fight like that?” His eyes held mine, dancing in pure adoration. “What else don’t I know about you?” He teased.
“A lot.”
world. my The image of him fighting with my son strapped to his chest flashed through my mind again. He took Liam to his room. I went out to get some extra towels. Then I heard something that shattered
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
