Page 80 of Wolf's Redemption

I felt as if my heart was being cut out, and I fell to my knees. "It's not possible, my father is cruel, but he wouldn't do that."

He sighed with eyes full of tears and resentment. "It wasn't your father. It was Lissandra," he continued with poison in his voice. "After you left, your father became severely ill and was in a coma overnight."

"That's not possible. He was fine," I said.

"You are the one to blame for Morgan's murder, and Lissandra told us that she found aconite in your room. The same poison was used against the Alpha," he said.

I began to tremble and got the feeling that Taylor hadn't actually summoned me to talk.

"I didn't do it. I would never hurt my father, even though he made my life a living hell," I replied. "It's always been Lissandra. She's the real enemy of the pack..."

"Don't you dare say another word," Taylor roared with fire in his eyes. "You always pretended to be good, but in reality, you were a treacherous snake, and because of your selfishness, I lost the only person I have ever loved."

"It's not me you have to blame. It's Lissandra. She was the one who killed her," I cried through tears. "She was my friend too, my only friend in the world."

"And yet you sent her to the gallows!" he said in a delirious tone.

I heard footsteps and the rustling of dry branches.

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked. "I thought you wanted to talk."

"The time for talking is over. Now you must pay for what you have done," he replied, and out of the trees came three huge gray wolves with sharp teeth ready to attack. "You can run if you want, but you won't escape from us."

Taylor shifted into a gray wolf in front of me.

"You don't have to do this," I said, but he glared at me with murderous eyes and howled.

The other wolves started running in my direction, and I knew that in the woods, I would have no escape.

Cathy, together we are stronger. Let me help you. I heard my wolf's voice again.

I didn't know what to do, so I let myself go and allowed my wolf to take control. I felt my muscles tighten, my bones grow stronger, and my senses sharpen. My body was changing, and for the first time, I felt the power of my wolf in all its splendor.

I dodged the attack of the first wolf, bit one in the back of the neck, tore its flesh, and threw it into the air against a tree. I tasted his blood and felt thirsty. They outnumbered me, but my strength was superior. The Alpha's blood and the bond with Eric gave me strength they didn't have.

I heard another howl, and I recognized it; Eric was warning his pack that it was time to fight.

Taylor tried to attack me from behind, but Eric jumped out of the trees and stopped him in mid-air, flipping to the ground and biting Taylor's throat. In an instant, we were surrounded by more wolves from the Night Pack, all of them with sharp claws, waiting for Eric's orders.

Did they hurt you? Eric asked.

No, I was able to defend myself, I answered.

The circle of wolves opened, and a black wolf the same size as Eric's with a scar on his forehead entered and, with his roar, made the attackers return to their human form.

You just broke the truce, Patric'svoice echoed in everyone's head. And tried to kill one of us. I won’t let this go unnoticed. I’ll allow one of you to leave alive to serve as a warning that if you ever set foot inside my territory again, I will take it as a declaration of war, and we’ll have no mercy.

"The war has already begun," Taylor shouted with difficulty spitting blood. "Our new Alpha Alston and Luna Linda are already preparing to attack. The days of The Night Pack are numbered."

“Then there's nothing to say,” Patric roared.

Eric pulled me away, and we both returned to our human form. Being in his arms and looking into his eyes, I felt, for the first time, our connection, how his body and mine synchronized, and I could feel his emotions, concern, and fears. It was as if our being had connected through an invisible bond.

Hello Cathy, at last, we meet. Eric's wolf voice echoed in my head, and I could feel how my wolf reacted to his voice as if all the suffering she endured being locked inside me had disappeared.

"Eric, I can feel you. I can finally recognize our bond," I said, "We are destined mates. I can see it now."

Eric kissed me and carried me in his arms into the house to keep me safe.