Page 88 of The Fate of Eternity

“Your footsteps were never worth walking in. Your legacy was nothing worth chasing.” The barbed words part my lips, freeing me more and more with every one.

He can taunt me all he likes, but he’s never truly seen the pent up anger and rage he’s infused in me.

“My legacy isn’t over. I’m yet to rein, and I’m going to make sure you’re obliterated in the afterlife, forced to watch down on me as I claim everything that was yours.”

“That sounds like you’re trying to takemylegacy, old man, and there’s no chance in hell,” I roar back, watching as rage consumes his body. He launches at me in the next breath, shifting midair into the wolf I’ve always feared, but I’m done being scared now.

I have something to fight for, someone who offers a possibility of tomorrow, and a legacy I want for my own.

Every part of me wants to run to her, claim her lips one last time, but that would only draw the attention back to her, putting her at risk, and she’s already the highlight of this shitshow. Instead, I hit the ground running, leaping through the air as my father’s paws hit the dirt. The breeze dances over my body as I shift, my wolf consuming me as I land with a thud, turning to stare him down with murderous intent.

Declining a challenge in honor of Addi is out of the question now, but I’ll fight to the death for her.

He charges at me once again, the thunder of his paws hitting the ground echoing in my ears as I snap my teeth and barrel toward him. He doesn’t falter, never fearful of my presence, which only serves to outline me as the underdog.

Perfect.

I’ve spent my whole life with him underestimating me, which will only make taking him down that much sweeter.

He pushes off the ground a second before I can consider it, giving him the advantage, but instead of leaping into the air as I intended, I drop low, right to the ground as he flies over my head. The moment his back legs pass me, I’m up, spinning toward him with bared teeth.

As he hits the ground, I push toward him faster, sinking my canines into his back leg, earning a howl of pain. My triumph is short lived when he kicks at me. My hold relents and I skid across the forest floor, grinding to a halt in front of a row of wolves.

I anticipate one of them stepping in, pinning me in place for my father to devour me, but to my surprise, they take a step back, giving me space to gather myself before he pounces.

Scrambling to my feet, I don’t even get my head up before I’m knocked to the ground again, the deep brown fur of my father’s coat flashing before my eyes as I hit my head. A small yelp parts my lips, but I refuse to give in. Clawing and kicking, I blindly make contact with his side, pushing him off me enough to catch my footing and rise to my feet once again.

He doesn’t waste a second turning back to me, standing with his head held high so he can look down his nose at me, even in his wolf form. Just as I expect him to charge toward me, he tilts his head, looking off to the side, and despite my efforts, I can’t help but turn to see what has his attention. I snarl with rage when I see it’s Addi.

She’s standing shoulder to shoulder, wedged between Kryll and Raiden while Brody holds the spot right behind her protectively. Janie is mixed among the fray too, but she’s in her wolf form, standing even more protective than my brothers.

A swell of love blossoms, but it quickly disappears as my father slams into me, knocking the wind out of me and taking me to the dirt once again. He tries to narrow in on my throat as he pins me to the earth, snapping and snarling as saliva drips from his feral teeth.

I push back, but he still manages to worm his way closer, inch by inch, until I extend my claws the best I can and stab them into his side. I blindly aim for the weak spot, right beneath his front legs, and he howls into the night.

Instead of weakening him as I hoped, I make him more crazed. A sight I didn’t think could be possible. His teeth graze just beneath my jaw, threatening to pierce my throat and bleed me out, but the sight of Addi over his shoulder fuels me with a strength I can only harness from her.

With every ounce of force I can muster, I push at him, adrenaline coursing through my veins as my pulse thunders in my ears, and he’s helpless to resist the strength behind my hit, slamming into the closest tree with a thud.

Shaking my head, I try to rid myself of the feeling of his teeth at my throat before I take off toward him. He’s injured, a slight whimper on his lips, and I know I have the opportunity I need to take him down once and for all, but just as I leap through the air, ready to take what is mine, another wolf charges at me.

Knocked off course, I hit the dirt hard, and it takes me a whole second to realize who has come to my father’s aid. The familiar black and white fur can only belong to one person.

Dalton.

Motherfucker.

He has me pinned, my body aching from the impact, but I still fight. Pushing, kicking, clawing. Whatever it takes, it can’t end like this. As if sensing my internal pleas Dalton snaps my neck to the side, rendering me helpless before sinking his teeth into my throat.

A howl burns from my lungs as the world spins, but I refuse to succumb to the darkness that beckons me as the piercing sound of Addi calling out my name cuts through the air.

I have to get back to her. I have to be strong enough. Not just for her, not just for the kingdom, but for the little boy inside of me who deserves to know what life is truly like without an overbearing father weighing down on him.

My howl turns into a cry of rage as I use every ounce of strength I have left to send him flying through the air. I don’t hear him land, I don’t feel the ground shake, and I don’t bother to look for him. He broke the treaty, the rules of a duel.

No one should interfere.

Yet here we are.

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