Zeff
William wiped a bit of blood from his lip, his expression a mix of amusement and challenge as he stood his ground. "Well, Zeff," he said, his tone almost casual despite the tension crackling in the air, "it seems we're always meeting under such... intense circumstances."
Hearing my name from his lips made my blood boil. I lunged forward, adrenaline pumping through my veins, driven by a primal instinct to protect Liliam at all costs. I could see her standing there, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. My wolf, Gaius, roared inside me, urging me to tear William apart.
As I leaped toward him, William's body began to shift. Bones cracked and reshaped with sickening speed, fur sprouted across his skin, and his face elongated into a snarling snout. Within seconds, he was no longer a man but the massive brown wolf from Liliam's dream.
Damn it, he transformed! Gaius snarled in my mind, a ferocious growl rumbling in my chest. I felt my own body start to change, my bones shifting, my muscles contorting as I embraced my wolf form. The familiar surge of power coursed through me as I landed on all fours, my black fur bristling, my teeth bared.
We circled each other, sizing each other up. William's wolf eyes gleamed with a dangerous mix of amusement and challenge. I knew this game. He loved toying with his prey. But I wasn't just his prey—I was his equal, and he knew it.
We lunged at each other, teeth snapping, claws slashing through the air. The impact was like a thunderclap, the force of our bodies colliding sending shockwaves through the ground. His jaws snapped inches from my face, and I twisted away, narrowly avoiding his fangs. He was fast, but so was I.
"Stay away from her!" I growled, my voice a feral snarl. But my words weren't just a command—they were a promise. A promise that I would protect Liliam with everything I had.
William circled me, his wolf's eyes glinting with amusement. I knew that look—it was the same one he wore when we were kids, competing in every challenge our packs could devise. But this wasn't a game. This was Liliam.
"Really, Zeff?" William's voice echoed in my mind through our shared telepathic link, his tone mocking. "You think you can keep her from me? You, of all people?"
I didn't bother with a reply. Words were pointless now. I focused on his movements, watching for any sign of his next attack. He lunged again, but this time I was ready. I sidestepped, using my momentum to slam into his side, sending him stumbling back.
The fight was brutal and fast, our bodies moving in a blur of fur and fangs. The sounds of our growls and snarls filled the air, a terrifying symphony of violence. I could feel every muscle in my body straining, every nerve on edge as I fought to keep him away from Liliam.
"You've lost your mind, Zeff," he taunted, his voice a low growl in my head. "She's not yours to protect."
"She's mine," I snarled back, baring my teeth. "And you will not touch her."
William lunged again, his massive paws striking out with surprising speed. I dodged, but he was relentless, snapping his jaws just inches from my face. He wasn't playing around anymore. The playful smirk was gone, replaced by a deadly focus.
I swung around, using my tail to knock his legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard, but before I could capitalize, he was back on his feet, teeth bared in a vicious snarl. "You think you can beat me, Zeff?" he roared in my mind. "I'm the Alpha King!"
I ignored his words, focusing on his movements. He was fast, but I was faster. He lunged, and I sidestepped, delivering a powerful blow to his side that sent him sprawling.
We clashed again, teeth bared, claws slashing. The ground shook beneath our weight, the force of our blows sending dirt and leaves flying. I could feel the raw power of his wolf as we grappled, his strength nearly matching my own. But I had something he didn't—a burning fury fueled by my need to protect Liliam.
Then, suddenly, everything changed. The air around us thickened, charged with a raw, untamed energy that crackled and hummed. The ground beneath me trembled, vibrating in tune with a force I could feel coursing through my veins.
What the hell? I thought, glancing over at Liliam. She sat there, her eyes wide with fear and something else. The air around her seemed to shimmer, and I could feel it—an ancient, powerful magic awakening.
" Please… stop," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but it cut through the noise of the battle like a knife.
Before I could process what was happening, a brilliant light burst from her, flooding the entire area. It was blinding, overwhelming, and I felt myself being thrown back by the sheer force of it. My body slammed into the ground, the breath knocked out of me as the light consumed everything.
"What the fuck—" I muttered, trying to regain my footing, but the power radiating from Liliam was too intense. It was like standing in the center of a hurricane, the energy swirling around us, pushing me back.
William was thrown back as well, his wolf form crashing against a tree with a sickening thud. He shifted back to his human form, panting heavily, his eyes wide with shock.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the light dimmed, the wind died down, and the energy that had been pulsing around us ceased. I shifted back to my human form, barely able to catch my breath, my entire body trembling with exhaustion.
Liliam collapsed to the ground, uncouncious, her body trembling from the effort. She looked drained, as if the life had been sucked out of her. But the air around us still crackled with that strange, residual energy.
"What the hell just happened?" I demanded, my voice raw and ragged.
William, still catching his breath, pushed himself up to his feet, his eyes narrowing with a mix of shock and awe. "A fucking Fae," he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. His gaze shifted to Liliam, sprawled on the ground, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths.
I moved toward her, my only thought to reach her, to help her, but William stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Stop this, William!" I snarled, my voice filled with urgency. "She needs help!"
William's eyes were cold, calculating. "You're not the only one with a claim here, Zeff," he said, his tone firm and unyielding.
"She's not yours!" I shouted, taking a step closer, my fists clenched at my sides, every muscle in my body coiled tight with tension. My wolf, Gaius, was growling inside me, pushing to the surface, ready to fight again. I could feel the anger simmering beneath my skin, the primal need to protect my mate—our mate.
William's eyes flashed with a dangerous intensity. "She's my mate!" he shouted back, his voice rough with possessiveness and frustration. The confession took me off guard, a surge of rage and disbelief coursing through me. He pressed his finger against my chest, his gaze locked onto mine. "Ever since I stepped here, I could feel it in my bones. The pull and the bond. To find that you also have a claim at her... how fucking ironic."
His hand slipped down with a mocking laugh, his eyes never leaving mine. "And not just a human but a Fae, Zeff. You know what that means? This is the gateway to our world. She needs to knows. She is the reason Cerberus is marching state by state, looking for this of power." His words hung in the air like a curse, heavy and foreboding. The mention of Cerberus, the royal vampire known for his relentless pursuit of power and control, sent a chill down my spine. If he was looking for Liliam, it wasn't just a personal vendetta; it was something much darker.
My heart pounded in my chest, the implications of William's words settling over me like a storm cloud ready to unleash hell. "She's not ready," I growled, my voice steady with conviction, though I could feel my wolf, Gaius, bristling just beneath the surface. "She's still processing—"
"Come on, Zeff," William interrupted, his voice dripping with irritation. "She's meant for this world. Stop playing the noble good guy, waiting for her to figure it out!"
"She's a human—" I began, but William scoffed, cutting me off.
"She's a mate!" he snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Every werewolf is allowed to bring their mate into the fold. You, as Alpha, should know that."
William's lips curled into a smirk, his eyes narrowing as if he was taunting me. "You just don't want to be the asshole that pulls her in, do you? Always playing Mr. Right."
He started to pace, his movements deliberate, almost predatory, circling me like a wolf sizing up its prey. "You think you can protect her from everything? From everyone? You're not the only one who wants her, Zeff. And you're certainly not the only one who can claim her."
The way he said it, with such certainty and arrogance, made my blood boil. My wolf growled fiercely inside me, pushing against the edges of my control, urging me to strike, to rip him apart for daring to challenge our bond, our claim. But I forced myself to hold back, to think clearly, even as the rage built inside me like a fire waiting to explode.
"She's not a prize, William," I spat, my voice low and dangerous. "She's not a possession. She's a person—"
"That's where you're wrong, Zeff." William's voice was cold and precise, his eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction. "Her kind is a prize in our world. She's a Fae, for fuck's sake! You think she can just live in ignorance? If she knew what was best for her, she wouldn't choose you. Not when you can't protect her from what's coming."
The snarl building in my throat escaped, and I felt my control slipping. My fists clenched at my sides as I fought to keep Gaius from taking over, from tearing William apart where he stood. "You think you can protect her better than I can?" I growled, my voice shaking with barely restrained fury. "You think you know what's best for her? You don't know a damn thing about Liliam!"
William's expression didn't waver, his calm demeanor only fueling my rage. "I know enough," he said coolly, his eyes hard. "I know that she's in danger, that Cerberus won't stop until he has her. And I know that if she stays with you, she's as good as dead."
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but it wasn't just the threat of Cerberus that set my blood on fire—it was the implication that I couldn't protect her. That I wasn't enough. My vision blurred with anger, my body trembling as I fought to hold back the shift that was threatening to tear me apart from the inside.
William's smirk faded, replaced by a look of icy resolve. "Let me tell you this as a friend, Zeff," he said, his tone softening but still deadly. "Stop being righteous. She deserves the truth."
"She needs time," I snapped back, my voice rough with emotion.
"If you don't tell her," William said, stepping closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper, "I will. And believe me, Zeff, it won't be pretty."
"You have no idea what you're talking about," I snarled, my eyes locked onto his, fury pulsing through me like a living thing. "I would die for her. I would kill for her. I won't let anyone, not even you, take her away from me."
For a moment, neither of us moved, the tension crackling between us like a live wire. William's eyes darkened, his expression hardening as the air grew thicker with the weight of everything unsaid.
"Then we're at an impasse, aren't we?" William said, his voice low and final, his gaze unflinching. "Because I'm not going anywhere, Zeff. And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she's safe. Even if that means taking her away from you."
The words hung between us, sharp and cutting, and I felt Gaius howl in rage, clawing at me to rip William apart. But I couldn't lose control, not now, not when everything was so fragile.
I stepped closer to William, my voice dropping to a low growl. "Try it, William. And I swear, you'll regret it."
William's eyes flashed with challenge, his lips curling into a smirk. "We'll see."
The tension between us crackled like electricity, the air thick with the promise of violence. I could feel Gaius pushing against my skin, desperate to break free, to end this once and for all. But I held him back, knowing that another fight here would only make things worse.
William chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You really think you can scare me, Zeff? You've forgotten who you're dealing with."
"No, I haven't," I replied, my eyes never leaving his. "But maybe you've forgotten who you're dealing with. I'm not some rogue wolf, William. I'm the Alpha of this pack. And you're trespassing."
For a moment, we stood there, locked in a silent standoff, each of us daring the other to make the first move. But then, slowly, William stepped back, his gaze never wavering from mine.
"This isn't over, Zeff," he said quietly.
I watched as he turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows. My heart was still pounding, my mind racing with the implications of everything he had said. Cerberus was coming. Liliam was in danger. And William… William wasn't going to back down.
I looked down at Liliam, still unconscious, her face pale but peaceful. No matter what it took, no matter who I had to face, I would protect her. She was mine. And I was hers. And I wasn't going to let anyone—not William, not Cerberus—take her away from me.