Page 200 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

Even wounded and semi-electrocuted, shifter strength was powerful. When his hand hit me, my lip split and my ears rang. I tumbled to the ground, slamming into the hard earth with a thud that sucked the breath from my body.

As I tried to pull in a breath, I heard Jace howling in fury.

Chapter 26

Jace

When Eren’s hand connected with Kirsten’s face, my wolf nearly lunged forward, trying to rip free of my human form. My vision went red, and a rage unlike anything I’d ever felt in my life screamed forward, causing my ears to ring with the magnitude of it all.

A howl erupted from my throat—a combination of my human voice and the inner wolf within. It was an alpha cry, a shout to the clouds and sky for any of my betas—anyone who could come and help me in my injured state.

Another howl burst through the forest, and I sighed with relief. Waylan.

Eren had collapsed, screaming in pain from whatever spell Kirsten had shocked him with. He was attempting to get up, but his leg was a smoking, charred ruin. The only thing keeping him from passing out in pain was his shifter healing and strength. Instead of standing, he clawed at the ground, trying to crawl away with his hands and elbows.

Falling to my knees beside Kirsten, I cradled her head on my lap. “Kirsten? Kirsten, are you okay?” I patted her cheek gently, trying to coax her around, all while keeping Eren in the periphery of my vision.

Kirsten’s eyes fluttered open, and I sagged in relief.

“I’m okay,” she said, her finger brushing my cheek. “I’m gonna have brain damage by the time all this is over if I’m not careful.”

I let out a laugh that was closer to a sob.

Kirsten grabbed my collar. “Eren? Where is he? He can’t get away.”

As if in answer, Waylan burst out of the forest, his fur matted with blood. He had several cuts along his flank and a patch of hair completely ripped out of the side of his neck. He spotted me and Kirsten, whined, and padded over. He pushed his head against Kirsten, then me—a wolfish greeting—and sniffed at us, checking both of our bodies for injuries. When he noticed my leg, he let out another whine, then turned his head and growled at Eren, lips peeled back from ivory teeth.

“Calm down, old friend,” I said, petting Waylan’s fur. “This one’s mine.” I looked into my beta’s wolf eyes, making sure he heard me. “Watch over Kirsten. I have work to do.”

Waylan, battered and bruised, nodded his big wolf head and stood above her, poised to guard, to defend. I managed to get up to my feet, pushing the pain that lanced through my leg to the back of my mind as I limped toward Eren.

“Fuck you, prick,” Eren spat, still trying to get to his feet, tears of pain and agony running down his cheeks. His leg looked awful. The pain had to be horrible. Good.

“Stupid fucker,” he panted. “When I get out of here and I’m healed, I’m going to come back. You’ll fucking beg me to kill you by the time I’m done. You hear me?” he screamed. “I’ll fuck your bitch raw and make you watch when I cut her throat. I’ll kill that piece of shit brother-in-law of yours, too. Maybe… ugh… maybe, I’ll make you watch as I take that pretty little sister of yours, too. Make you watch as I make a real woman out of her? How’d that be?”

Words. Nothing left of the man but words. It was all he ever had. He’d never held any true power. All along, his father had chosen the wrong son. Perhaps things would have gone differently, though probably not. If Flynn had been given Scottsdale, I had no doubt Eren wouldn’t have waited long to kill him just like he’d killed his father.

I shifted back to my wolf form—stalking my prey was more natural in this body than my human one. This was alpha to alpha, and something about that warranted it being done like this. And what I was about to do had to be done. Some people were beyond redemption. Beyond saving and mercy. Any man who would torture children, poison his own father, and take advantage of women should not be allowed to live. Like a rabid dog, the only cure was putting them down.

Eren clawed at the dirt, trying his best to escape. I stepped over him and put my paw into his back, pressing him into the mud.

“I hate you! I fucking hate you!” he screamed like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.

I wasn’t a coward like Eren. I didn’t want to end him with his back turned. I wanted to see his face and know that he understood what was coming. With my paw, I pushed and shoved until he rolled onto his back. His tears had cut tracks through the mud smeared across his face. He bared his teeth at me, doing his best to show me he wasn’t afraid, but his eyes betrayed him. He was terrified.

“You don’t have the guts,” Eren said through gritted teeth, rasping the words like a curse. “You don’t have the balls to do it, you fucking pussy. You’ll chicken out. I know you will.” It was more of a prayer than a statement.

Looking him in the eye, I pressed my paw on his neck, my claws resting on the same spot where he’d held the knife to Kirsten’s throat.

At the last possible second, the tough exterior crumbled away. Eren’s jaw went slack, horror and fear flooding his face. Instead of cursing me, he opened his mouth to scream.

“Help. Help me. Hel—”

His screams gave way to gagging rasps as I tore open his throat. Blood gushed from his neck and sputtered from his lips. I turned away, leaving him to die alone as his life’s blood pulsed out of his carotid artery. Seconds later, he was silent.

It was over. Finally over.

Waylan shifted and tried to lift Kirsten, but I changed to my human form and waved him away. “I’ve got her. I can do it.”

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