Chapter 34
The temple continued to crumble around us as Ryder and I faced off. The air crackled with energy, a mixture of my newly balanced light and shadow powers and Ryder’s dark force. I could sense the power surging within me, but it was chaotic and unruly. Managing it felt like attempting to steer a furious river using only my hands.
“You believe you’ve gained something, right?” Ryder scoffed, his red eyes shining with a spiteful delight. “You have no clue how to harness that power. You’re just a kid messing with things you can’t grasp.”
I clenched my jaw, attempting to concentrate. “I might not entirely understand it yet, but I know enough to halt you.”
With that, I launched myself at him, channeling my energy into a blast of combined moonlight and shadow. Ryder met it with a wave of darkness, and the two powers crashed together in a dazzling blast that made the temple floor shake.
For a second, I felt like I was winning. But then Ryder’s laughter filled the room, making me feel really cold and scared.
“Oh, Aurora,” he said, looking a bit sad. “You don’t know, I’ve been holding back all this time. Trying not to damage the goods. But I see now that you need a proper lesson.”
Before I could react, Ryder’s form seemed to blur and expand. A heavy darkness flowed from him, like waves, and it made the last bit of light in the temple disappear. I felt the strong force of his power pushing on me, making it difficult to breathe.
I attempted to use my powers to fight back, but it felt like trying to stop a huge wave with just a small bucket. Ryder’s strong attack hit me with full force, throwing me across the room. I crashed into a column, and the hit took my breath away. Little flashes of light appeared in my sight as I fell to the floor.
“You see?” Ryder’s voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. “This is true power. This is what you could have if you’d only embrace your destiny.”
I struggled to my feet, spitting blood. “I have embraced my destiny,” I growled. “Just not the twisted version you’re selling.”
I reached out with my mind, trying to connect with Xander and the pack. If I could just let them know where I was… But there was nothing. The bond that usually hummed in the back of my mind was silent, blocked by Ryder’s dark energy.
“They can’t help you now,” Ryder said, moving closer to me while parts of the ceiling fell around us. “It’s just you and me, like it was supposed to be.”
I stepped back, trying to find some time and gather my strength. “Why me, Ryder? Of all the werewolves in the world, why am I so important to your plans?”
Ryder’s smile was all teeth. “Because you’re special, Aurora. With you beside me, we could transform the world. No longer hiding in the shadows, no longer obeying human rules. Werewolves would take their rightful place as the dominant species.”
“And how many would die to make that happen?” I shot back. “How many innocents would suffer?”
“We have to make sacrifices for the better outcome,” Ryder said casually. “You’ll get it eventually.”
While he was talking, I saw a big piece of the ceiling ready to crash down right on him. I grabbed the chance, used all the strength I had, and aimed it at the falling rocks. The force I sent hit the stones just as they started to drop, covering Ryder with a pile of broken pieces.
For a moment, hope surged through me. Had I actually managed to-
A roar of fury cut through the dust and debris. Ryder emerged from it, his eyes filled with fury. Before I could react, he was already on me, his sharp nails scratching my side. I cried out in pain and fell back.
“Enough games,” Ryder snarled, advancing on me. I attempted to defend myself, but my efforts appeared to have no effect on him. He pushed me away as if I were just an annoying bug.
I hit the ground hard, my eyesight becoming hazy. This was it, I realized with a sinking feeling. I had failed. Ryder stood above me, his eyes shining with triumph.
“Now I will get what is rightfully mine,” he murmured.
Suddenly, we heard a loud noise. A huge brown wolf smashed through the wall. Rocks flew everywhere. As I watched the wolf battle Ryder, there was something familiar about its movements, its scent. But in my battered state, I couldn’t place it.
“Run, Aurora!” a voice echoed in my mind. It took me a moment to realize it was coming from the mysterious wolf. “Get out while you can!”
I managed to stand up, feeling the ache in my side. “I won’t leave you to deal with him by yourself,” I replied loudly.
The brown wolf dodged one of Ryder’s attacks, its jaws snapping dangerously close to the Rogue King’s throat. “This isn’t your fight anymore. Go!”
But I stood my ground, summoning what little energy I had left. As Ryder focused on the new threat, I managed to hit him with a blast of lunar energy, throwing him off balance.
Ryder snarled in frustration, now having to contend with both of us. “You think this changes anything?” he roared. “I’ll destroy you both!”
We were in the middle of a fierce battle inside the crumbling temple, the mysterious wolf and I are facing off against Ryder. Despite feeling tired, I had some hope because we were managing to keep up with him.
All of a sudden, Ryder moved quickly and hit me with all his strength. It made me fly across the room and I heard a loud thud as my body met the floor., and my head started spinning.
Through blurred vision, I saw Ryder turn his full attention to the brown wolf. They clashed in a fury of teeth and claws, moving almost too fast for my eyes to follow. Even though I was pretty out of it, I could tell that Ryder was starting to win the fight.
“No,” I said weakly, trying to sit up. But my body wouldn’t respond, too battered and drained to obey my commands.
I watched in horror as Ryder finally overpowered the mysterious wolf. He roared in victory as he pushed the brown wolf to the ground. His teeth were tight on the wolf’s neck.
Ryder talked, but he didn’t really sound like he cared. “You did well,” he said, not meaning it. “But ultimately futile. Still, you might prove useful.”
With a strength that seemed impossible, Ryder lifted the struggling wolf as if it weighed nothing. “Consider this a lesson, Aurora,” he called to me. “This is the price of defiance.”
When I tried to stop him, darkness was starting to fill my eyes. The last thing I saw was Ryder going through a hole in the wall with the wolf still in his hands.
When I woke up, it was quiet. Everything from the fight and the falling stones was gone. It took a while, but I was finally able to stand up.
The place was a mess. The moon was shining through the big holes in the ceiling, lighting up all the broken pieces of the temple Of Ryder and the mysterious wolf, there was no sign.
Stumbling, I made my way towards the exit. Questions raced through my mind. Who was that wolf? Why did they seem so familiar? And what would Ryder do to them?
As I emerged from the ruined temple, a wave of relief washed over me. In the distance, I could see Xander and members of our pack. They were alive! I started towards them, my heart soaring despite my injuries.
But after a few steps, I slammed into an invisible barrier. No matter how I pushed or clawed, I couldn’t get through. Some kind of magical forcefield separated me from my pack.
“Xander!” I shouted, pounding on the barrier. “I’m here! Help!”
But they gave no indication of hearing me. I watched in growing desperation as they moved about, clearly searching for something-or someone. Me, I realized.
I was so close, yet impossibly far. Trapped on one side of a magical divide, battered and alone, with Ryder and his captive long gone. Feeling the burden of failure weighed me down, trying to squash my spirit.
Yet, as I looked at my pack, something strong grew inside me. It started in my stomach and felt like a solid promise. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Somehow, I would find a way back to my pack. I would discover the identity of the mysterious wolf who had saved me. And I would stop Ryder, no matter the cost.