🌙 Episode 41: The Siege
Lila's POV
The cabin shook as the wolves surrounded us, their growls rattling the wooden walls. I gripped the iron poker so hard my knuckles turned white.
Ethan stepped in front of me, his chest bare, claws gleaming, every muscle coiled to strike. The golden fire in his eyes wasn't just anger—it was the wolf pushing, desperate to take control.
"Stay behind me," he growled.
"Not this time," I whispered.
The door slammed open, splinters flying. Wolves poured in, eyes blazing with Marcus's curse. The stench of blood and rage filled the air.
I swung the poker as one lunged for me, the iron connecting with a sickening crack. It yelped and crumpled. My heart raced, but I didn't stop.
"Good," Ethan snarled without looking back. "Don't hesitate."
Ethan's POV
She was fire. Fragile, human—and yet braver than most wolves I'd fought beside. Every strike she made sent a surge through our bond, steadying me against the pull of the beast inside.
But Marcus was waiting.
He stepped through the doorway, slow and confident, while his wolves circled us like vultures. His eyes gleamed with cruel delight.
"Look at you," Marcus drawled. "The great Alpha reduced to hiding in a shack with a human mate. Pathetic."
I lunged, but two wolves blocked my path. Claws met fur and blood sprayed. The wolf inside me howled, begging for release, but I couldn't—wouldn't—lose control with Lila so close.
"You want her safe?" Marcus sneered. "Prove you can protect her. Alone."
Lila's POV
The words were a trap, but I felt Ethan falter. His control was slipping—I could feel it burn through the bond.
I shoved forward, slamming the poker into another wolf's side. It went down, howling. "Ethan, focus on me!" I shouted, my voice raw.
His head whipped toward me, his golden eyes locking on mine. For a heartbeat, I saw him—the man, not the beast.
Then Marcus struck.
He moved faster than I'd ever seen, claws flashing as he lunged for me. I raised the poker, but it wasn't enough.
Ethan roared, slamming into Marcus mid-strike. The force shook the walls, both of them crashing into the table, splintering it to pieces.
Ethan's POV
My claws tore for Marcus's throat, but he was ready. He slammed his knee into my ribs, knocking the air from me, then whispered close to my ear.
"She'll die like the last one. And you'll be the one who kills her."
Red haze clouded my vision. My wolf surged, snapping chains of control.
"Ethan!" Lila's voice cut through the rage like a blade.
I saw her in the corner of my vision, bruised but standing tall, poker raised again. The bond burned—hot, demanding, anchoring.
I shoved Marcus off, chest heaving, blood roaring in my ears.
"You won't touch her," I snarled, my voice half-wolf.
Marcus only smiled. "We'll see."
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✨ End of Episode 41