Chapter 197

Jacob’s POV When I saw those bastards, wrapped like mummies, desecrating Brett’s resting place with shovels, something inside my head snapped. Rage engulfed me like molten lava, burning my vision black and filling my ears with a deafening roar. For Celena, for her broken heart, I swore to protect this last sanctuary of peace. But now… Yet I’d grown accustomed to erecting walls around myself, sealing off all emotion. So this violent rage that could transform me, apart from the Wolf in my mind that was also roaring wildly, no one in my tribe sensed it through the link. Tear them apart! my wolf screamed. Ethan held me back. His coolness was like a bucket of cold water, temporarily dousing my urge to charge out immediately. He was right. We had to be careful. We transformed into wolves, crouching low, moving through the woods like ghosts. My eyes locked onto the swaying figures, fixed on the shovels rising and falling in their hands. Rage made my fangs protrude uncontrollably. Brett… Celena… I’m sorry… It was this damn rage, nearly consuming my sanity, that made me overlook the subtle shift beneath my feet. Not until that faint click sounded, not until that damn net scooped me up like a fish and hoisted me into the air! Fuck! I thrashed wildly, my sharp claws and teeth tearing at the tough ropes, but whatever material the net was made of was incredibly strong, leaving only shallow white scratches. Humiliation and deeper rage nearly overwhelmed me. I couldn’t go it alone anymore! I smashed through the wall of self-imposed emotional confinement! Danger! Brett’s grave! Others are here! I’m trapped! I sent out the strongest alert and our location through the wolf pack link, like an exploding shockwave! Lily’s POV I was discussing with Maya whether to try the calming herbal tea she had just got for the night. After all, everyone was finishing a complicated ritual when suddenly a sharp, violent and extremely dangerous thought crashed into my brain through the link! It was Ethan! And Jacob! At Brett’s grave! “Ethan!” I screamed, the cup in my hand crashing to the floor in shards. No further explanation was needed. The urgency in the link sent the entire cabin into chaos! Everyone leaped to their feet. “Grab weapons!” “Brett’s hillside! Now!” Shouts echoed in rapid succession. Everyone reacted with lightning speed, rushing toward the door. They began transforming mid-run, fur covering their bodies as they shifted into sleek wolf forms. The witches swiftly found familiar wolf companions, deftly flipping onto their backs. I completed my transformation in an instant. A graceful white she-wolf growled low and charged forward first. My team members followed immediately. We had to reach them as fast as possible! Ethan was the first to spot the danger, his location was undoubtedly the most perilous now! Yet, barely out of the wolf hut’s vicinity, we were intercepted in a relatively open forest clearing by another pack of wolves! There were about a dozen of them, each with fierce eyes, matted fur, scars, and the stench of vicious beasts. Leading them was a massive male wolf with a gruesome scar across his jaw. A man with a sinister glint in his eyes glared at us menacingly: “Stay back! You’re not getting through!” “Get out of the way!” I roared, charging forward without hesitation! Instantly, the clearing erupted into chaotic combat! Wolf howls, angry snarls, and the clang of claws and teeth filled the air. My heart raced. Ethan was still waiting for me! But I had to lead my team through this blockade first! God, please keep them safe!