Nathaniel lunged forward without warning, his movements too fast for Ava to track. Damon met
him head-on, the collision of their power sending shockwaves through the clearing. Ava
stumbled back, her heart racing as she watched the two alphas clash.
"You think you can protect her?" Nathaniel sneered, shoving Damon back with a feral growl.
"You can barely protect yourself."
Damon wiped a streak of blood from his mouth, his golden eyes blazing. "Try me."
Nathaniel laughed, the sound chilling. "Oh, I intend to."
Ava's instincts screamed at her to run, but her feet were frozen in place. She couldn't leave
Damon—not like this. Her fingers closed around the silver charm in her pocket, the weight of it
grounding her.
"Stay behind me," Damon barked, his tone sharp enough to snap her out of her daze.
Ava nodded, retreating a few steps but refusing to look away. Nathaniel's movements were
calculated, predatory, and for every strike Damon landed, Nathaniel returned it twice as hard.
"I tire of this game," Nathaniel said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Hand over the girl, Damon,
and I might let you crawl away with your life."
Damon's laugh was humorless. "You'll have to kill me first."
Nathaniel's eyes glinted. "Gladly."
---
The fight escalated, and Ava's heart pounded harder with every second. She could feel the
tension in the air, the raw energy of their clash. But something shifted when Nathaniel lunged
again. This time, Damon faltered, his steps slower than they'd been moments before.
"No," Ava whispered, her pulse spiking.
Nathaniel's grin widened, and Ava realized too late what was happening. A second figure
emerged from the shadows, striking Damon from behind.
"Damon!" Ava screamed, the sound tearing from her throat before she could stop it.
Damon crumpled to his knees, blood staining the ground beneath him. Nathaniel turned his
attention to Ava, his expression triumphant.
"Your protector is down," he said, his voice smooth and mocking. "Now, be a good girl and come
with me."
Ava clenched her fists, her fear giving way to a surge of defiance. "I'm not going anywhere with
you."
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh, I think you are."
---
Before Nathaniel could take another step, the air around them shifted. A low, guttural snarl
echoed through the clearing, and all eyes turned toward the treeline.
Lucas emerged, his expression unreadable but his presence commanding.
"This isn't your fight, Lucas," Nathaniel said, though his confident tone wavered slightly
Lucas tilted his head, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're right. But I don't
like bullies, and you're ruining my night."
Nathaniel growled, but Lucas ignored him, his attention shifting to Ava.
"You all right?" he asked, his voice oddly gentle.
Ava nodded, though she wasn't sure if it was true. "Damon—"
"He'll live," Lucas said, cutting her off. "But we need to get you out of here."
Nathaniel laughed, a harsh sound. "You think you can just take her? She's coming with me."
Lucas's smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, lethal expression. "You can try to stop me."
For a moment, the clearing was silent, the tension so thick Ava could barely breathe. Then,
without warning, Nathaniel lunged at Lucas.
---
The fight was brutal, the kind that left no room for hesitation. Lucas moved with a precision that
was almost terrifying, each strike deliberate and devastating. Nathaniel held his own, but it was
clear he hadn't anticipated Lucas's strength.
Ava watched in stunned silence, her heart pounding. She knew she should run, but something
kept her rooted to the spot.
Suddenly, Nathaniel stumbled back, his face contorted with pain. Lucas stood over him, his
chest heaving but his expression calm.
"Leave," Lucas said, his voice low and commanding. "Before I change my mind."
Nathaniel snarled but didn't argue. He motioned to his follower, and the two of them
disappeared into the shadows.
Lucas turned to Ava, his golden eyes piercing. "You're coming with me."
Ava blinked, confused. "What? Why?"
"You want to survive, don't you?" Lucas said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Nathaniel
won't stop until he gets what he wants. And right now, that's you."
Ava hesitated, glancing at Damon, who was still unconscious on the ground
"He'll be fine," Lucas said, as if reading her thoughts. "But you won't be if you stay here."
Reluctantly, Ava nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
As Lucas led her away, Ava glanced over her shoulder, her chest tightening at the sight of
Damon lying motionless. She didn't know where Lucas was taking her or what awaited her next, but one thing was certain—her world would never be the same