Chapter 24: Alpha’s Protection (Ariana’s POV)
“Scott?” My voice was barely a whisper, each syllable a struggle as if summoning him from the shadows took all the strength I had left.
Scott was there, holding me in his arms, his presence was a stark contrast to the man I once knew. “It’s me. It’s me, Ariana. I’m so sorry. I’m late,” he repeated, his voice thick with regret.
He looked nothing like the Tristen I remembered. The once pristine and meticulous man now stood before me, disheveled and unkempt. His face was gaunt, a wild beard covering what was once smooth skin. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were bloodshot, filled with a mixture of despair and something else- something feral.
Winona had said he was losing his mind, and now I saw it. The madness had taken
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Chapter 24: Alpha’s Protection (Ariana’s POV)
root deep within him.
He tried to touch my bloodied face and limping body, his hand trembling as he hesitated, afraid of causing me more pain. Instead, he gently stroked my hair, his touch tender but trembling. It was the first time I’d seen him like this–so raw, so
vulnerable.
Was it a pity in his eyes? Guilt? Or was it something darker, something primal? I couldn’t tell. All I knew was that I was so very tired. My body screamed for rest.
“Ariana, please don‘ t sleep. Just wait until the doctor comes, okay?” Tristen’s voice. was soft, filled with an affection I’d never heard before. It wasn‘ t a command or a plea. It was a desperate wish.
“Okay,” I whispered, nodding weakly. My vision swam as I looked around. His men had subdued Wesley and the two thugs she’d brought with her. The air was thick with tension, the scent of blood mingling with the metallic tang of fear.
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Chapter 24: Alpha’s Protection (Ariana’s POV)
“Rest now. I’ll take care of everything,” Scott promised, helping me into a chair and wrapping his suit jacket around me like a protective cocoon. But as he turned to face Winona, the warmth in his eyes turned to ice. The man I’d just seen moments ago disappeared, replaced by someone cold, someone lethal.
“Scott, you finally found me! I knew you still cared about me!” Winona‘ s voice was
filled with twisted joy, oblivious to the storm brewing within him.
He approached her with slow, deliberate steps, his voice as cold as the night air. “Why did you hurt Ariana?”
“Because of you, of course! Why did you have to break up with me for her?” Winona pouted; her tone flirtatious as if trying to rekindle whatever spark they once had.
In the past, Scott would have given in to her charms, perhaps even smiled at her petulance. But now, there was no warmth in his gaze, only a seething anger barely
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Chapter 24: Alpha’s Protection (Ariana’s POV)
contained beneath the surface.
“Aren’t you afraid of my revenge?”
Scott‘ s voice was a low growl, the words
laced with a threat she seemed too blind to
see.
Winona’s confidence didn‘ t waver. She broke free from her captors, taking Scott’s hand as if that gesture alone could bind him to her. “You love me, Scott. You wouldn’t dare hurt me!”
“I won’t hurt you,” Scott said as he transformed swiftly, his body rippling with muscle as his werewolf form emerged. His fur bristled with anger, his eyes glowing with a fierce light. “But I will kill
you,.
For a moment, Winona’s smirk deepened, her confidence growing. But then, the atmosphere shifted. Scott’s expression twisted with rage, his teeth bared in a snarl that was both terrifying and resolute.
Winona lunged at Scott with a feral roar, her claws slashing through the air. Scott
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Chapter 24: Alpha’s Protection (Ariana’s POV)
met her attack head–on, their powerful bodies crashing together with a force that shook the room. They fought with primal. intensity, their movements a blur of fur and muscle. Each strike and counter was a testament to their strength and skill, their growls and snarls echoing in the room.
Despite Winona‘ s fierce attacks, Scott was relentless. He dodged her claws with agility, his own attacks landing with precision. He tackled her to the ground, pinning her beneath him. With a final, decisive motion, Scott reached into hist jacket and drew out a silver dagger–a weapon crafted specifically to penetrate the werewolf‘ s defenses.
Winona‘ s eyes widened in shock as she saw the gleaming silver. She tried to struggle free, but Scott‘ s grip was. unyielding. With a swift, brutal motion, he drove the dagger into her chest. The blade pierced through her heart, the silver burning with a fierce, purifying fire. Blood oozed from the wound, and Winona‘ s
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Chapter 24: Alpha’s Protection (Ariana’s POV)
roar of pain was cut short as she collapsed to the ground.
Winona’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth, a dark stain on her pale lips. Yet, even as the life drained from her, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from Scott.
“W–why?” Winona’s voice was a ragged whisper, choked by the blood filling her lungs. Her eyes, once so full of confidence. and cruelty, now held only shock and a fleeting sense of betrayal.
Scott stood over her, his expression cold and unyielding. There was no trace of the man who had once cared for her, no hint of the affection that had once bound them together. “You shouldn’t have hurt.
Ariana,” he replied, his voice as hard as the silver blade in his hand. “That’s where I
draw the line.”
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