Chapter 177
Chapter 177:
Dallas’s gaze locked onto that drop of blood. The agony in his eyes was raw and visceral, a physical thing that hit me harder than any blow. He was a King. A Lycan. He bowed to no one.
But for me, he didn’t hesitate.
Slowly, with a terrifying and controlled grace, Dallas Marshall lowered his massive frame. His knees met the sharp gravel with a heavy thud. He didn’t look at the ground — he kept his eyes fixed on mine, burning with a promise of violence and protection in equal measure.
“Now you, pretty boy,” Jared spat at Braydon, waving the gun in his other hand.
𝖳𝘩𝘦 𝗺𝗼𝗌𝘵 р𝗼𝗽𝘶𝘭𝘢𝗋 𝘯оv𝖾l𝗌 𝘰n
Braydon looked at Dallas, then at the gun, and finally at me. His arrogance crumbled to dust. Trembling, he sank to his knees beside Dallas — not out of sacrifice, but out of pure, pathetic fear.
Jared laughed, a high, jagged sound. He pulled out his phone with his gun hand and began recording the sight of two powerful leaders brought low by a rogue. “History in the making p>
“You’ve had your fun,” Dallas said, his voice dangerously calm. “End this p>
“Oh, I will,” Jared grinned. “But I have two bullets and three of us. Decisions, decisions.” He pointed the gun at Dallas. “Do I kill the King?” He shifted the aim to me. “Or the Queen p>
“Me,” Dallas said instantly. “Take me p>
“Too noble. Boring.” Jared tutted, swinging the gun toward Braydon. “Let’s start with the spare p>
Braydon whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut.
Jared was distracted, reveling in Braydon’s terror. But I was watching Dallas.
His hands rested on his thighs in apparent surrender, but his right index finger was tapping against his leg.
Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.
My breath hitched. It was a rhythm — a specific, steady beat.
One, two-three, one.
It was the rhythm he used when he needed me to trust him, to wait for his signal before I acted. Steady. Wait for it. Now.
He wasn’t surrendering. He was counting down.
Our eyes met. There was no Mind-Link, no words — just a sudden, fierce surge of connection that slammed into my chest. I didn’t need a wolf to feel it. I just knew.
Jared leaned forward and pistol-whipped Braydon across the cheek, laughing as the other Alpha cried out. His weight shifted. He was off-balance.
Now.
I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe. I summoned every ounce of strength in my body and slammed the heel of my heavy riding boot down onto the arch of Jared’s foot. The sound of crushing bone was louder than a gunshot.
Dallas
The sickening crunch of bone was the sweetest sound I had ever heard.
Adella had done it. She had shattered the stalemate along with Jared Solder’s foot. For a fraction of a second, the silver blade at her throat wavered as Jared howled, his body jerking instinctively from the agony shooting up his leg.
That fraction was all I needed.