Kael’s Redemption
Before the blade could strike, a feral growl shattered the courtyard’s tense silence. From the shadows, Kael burst forth, his broad frame a blur of fury. His claws tore through Seraphine’s warriors with savage efficiency, their cries of pain echoing through the courtyard.
“Kael?” Isla gasped, her hair matted with dirt as she struggled against her captors.
Kael didn’t respond, his focus entirely on Seraphine. His snarls were guttural, his eyes blazing as he ripped through the remaining wolves. Blood splattered across the stones, the metallic scent thick in the air.
“You’ve taken enough from them,” Kael growled, his voice trembling with rage. “It ends here.”
Seraphine stepped back, her smirk faltering for the first time. “Still pining for scraps, Kael?” she taunted, though her voice carried an edge of uncertainty. “How pathetic.”
Kael lunged at her, their clash raw and unrelenting. Seraphine moved with the agility of a snake, her dagger flashing as she parried his attacks. But Kael fought with reckless desperation, his claws finding purchase on her shoulder. Seraphine cried out, her façade cracking under the pressure.
“Still not enough,” she spat, striking back with a feral snarl.
The battle shifted as one of Seraphine’s warriors, unnoticed in the chaos, lunged from behind. The blade sank deep into Kael’s side, a wet, sickening sound.
“No!” Isla screamed, her voice tearing through the air.
Kael staggered, his legs buckling as blood poured from the wound. He fell to his knees, his breaths labored. Seraphine stepped back, her expression cold and calculating.
Kael collapsed in front of Isla, his body trembling. “Why?” Isla whispered, tears streaming down her face. “Why would you do this?”
Kael’s eyes met hers, a flicker of regret softening his pain. “Because I was wrong,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. “About you. About Draven. Protect each other… always.”
His final breath left his body, and Isla’s scream pierced the battlefield, raw and anguished. The younger wolves faltered, their morale shattered as they watched their commander fall to her knees beside Kael’s lifeless body.
