Page 50 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

With one final twist, I brought him into death’s embrace. His mighty form collapsed against the unforgiving ground, lifeless.

As his body fell, the night rippled with triumph. Thrilling energy coursed through the ranks of Silver Moons and our allies. The Black Moon Alpha lay defeated, though scattered remnants of his pack still fought, their desperation giving rise to chaotic snarls and violent clashes. I staggered back, panting heavily, pain reverberating through my body, yet satisfaction seeded deep within me.

In the distance, a surge of light radiated. I turned back to Seraphina, surrounded by a halo of power as she held her ground against Elvira’s fury, luminous and unwavering.

The remaining Black Moons still fought, but they were now scattered and disjointed, the loss of their leader sending shockwaves through their ranks. Nearby, I caught sight of Tara and Logan intercepting a pair of Black Moon warriors, their fierce growls cutting through the din. I felt a renewed surge of hope; our allies could hold their ground against these weakening wolves and give Seraphina the time she needed to finish Elvira.

The glorious illumination of green lit the night, as ethereal as the Aurora Borealis that often graced our Alaskan skies. Yet, for me, the world around me had begun to swirl and fade in and out, dulled by a haze that cloaked my senses, while each heartbeat thudded in my ears like a drum.

Seraphina’s magic surged through the air, pulsing against the heavy weight of Elvira’s darkness. I felt its energy brush against me as if trying to call me back from the void my strength was slowly slipping into.

A blast of verdant energy struck Elvira, making her stumble and then crash to her knees.

Elation ignited the wolves’ howls around her, a cacophony of fury and triumph filling the air as we surged forth. Mixed hues of red, silver, gray, and yellow closed in on the witch, eager to capitalize on the lull in her defenses, the descending fangs and claws proving her just as mortal and vulnerable as the rest of us.

Our victory was sung through the night in a chorus of howls and the last echoes of our enemies crashing to the ground. My heart swelled with joy—a euphoric liberation—but a painful weight buried itself within me, a sense of impending loss sinking ever deeper.

As the dark witch fell, exhaustion washed over me, overwhelming the remnants of adrenaline I had seized. I shifted into my human form, stumbling toward Seraphina, the green light she still radiated guiding me as I weaved my way over the battlefield’s chaos.

But my knees buckled, and the deep, persistent pain I had managed to suppress finally broke free, flooding my chest and consuming me.

“Tyler!” I heard Seraphina’s voice pierce through the chaos, panic threading through it. Her warmth enveloped me, her trembling arms cradling me as I collapsed.

“Seraphina,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips as my body succumbed to the weight of my wounds. The pain was overwhelming, but beneath it lay a deep, abiding warmth—the feeling of her presence—the person I had fought so hard to protect.

The biting pain in my lungs told me I didn’t have long. I forced myself to make the most of whatever fleeting moments the Moon goddess allowed me.

There was so much I wanted to tell her. I longed to confess the foolishness of my mistakes—both the ones I’d made over the past few weeks and those from years ago. I longed to tell her that I should have cherished every second with her, both recently and in the past. But the truth was painfully clear: I was out of precious moments. There was only this one.

I thought of her voice, soft and pained, echoing in the supply closet of the infirmary when she had feared my being with her the other night had only been because of Linda’s passion potion.The thought that she could still doubt my love for her was what pressed on me now.

“It was all real,” I struggled to articulate again, my voice straining under the weight of my love, trying to condense everything I felt into these desperate breaths. “Every moment—being with you, kissing you, arguing with you… baking with you,” I added, a smile tugging at my lips as I remembered the years of laughter and warmth she’d gifted me with. “It was all real. Through every heartbeat, I’ve loved you… All I’ve ever wanted… is for you to find the same happiness you’ve given me.”

I paused, the gravity of my choices pressing heavily on my chest. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, each word laced with the urgency of my fading strength. “I’m sorry for the times I pushed you away… I should have fought harder… for you—for us. I let pride stand in the way… I can never take those mistakes back… but… I’m sorry, Seraphina.”

Keeping my gaze locked onto hers became a challenge. Her eyes, vibrant jade orbs, shone with a desperate intensity as if she could bring me back to life through sheer will alone.

Yet even those eyes began to dull, color fading as sound dwindled to a whisper, a numbing calm enveloping me. Love alone anchored me here, a flickering flame in the gathering darkness, as I savored the sensation of Seraphina’s touch. Memories of our laughter, our arguments, and tender moments of quiet understanding washed over me, each buoying me up, keeping me from the abyss. I clung to them, never wanting to let them go. Never wanting to lethergo.

But Seraphina’s voice, a soft plea, “Tyler…” was suddenly snatched away. I longed to follow it, but it faded to nothing more than a whisper in the wind.

A cold wind snaked its way inside me, its howl suffocating my lungs, stripping away rational thought and all those cherished memories. The chilling grasp of ice that had settled into my bones began to melt away, leaving only silence in its wake—a silence that echoed with the weight of all I would leave behind.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Seraphina

I kneeled beside Tyler, cradling him in my arms like the most precious treasure. Grief and despair pressed down on my chest, threatening to crush me under its unbearable weight. Distantly, I recognized that a crowd had joined us. I sensed Selina at my side and Tara on my other. But none of that mattered.

Neither did the battlefield on which we’d been victorious. Dawn’s rosy fingers tinged the sky, but even that light felt bitter in the absence of Tyler’s heartbeat.

My shifter senses kept trying to pick it up, but I’d heard it come to a close. My wolf started a mournful, haunting howl within as if… Tyler was gone.

The realization struck like an avalanche. I shook my head, even as my wolf told me the truth. But he couldn’t be. Tyler was always beside me, protecting me, laughing with me… loving me.

My throat tightened as I leaned down, my forehead resting against Tyler’s. The tears that had been threatening spilled down my cheeks, mingling with the dust and Tyler’s blood.

Someone squeezed my shoulder, then stooped down to meet my tear-filled gaze: Logan. His brown stare was earnest and compassionate.

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