Page 27 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Writer

Then a twig snapped.

Sterling whirled, shoving me behind him just as Rafe stepped from the shadows.He wasn’t alone this time.A menacing group of men followed him.Wolf shifters, I realized, as their eyes glowed unnaturally.

Rafe’s sneer was all teeth.“Running away, brother?How unlike you.”

I clutched Sterling’s arm, my pulse hammering in my ears.Rafe looked worse than I remembered.His eyes were bloodshot and he moved with a twitchiness that put me on high alert.This was a wolf pushed too far.

Sterling’s voice was steel.“Last chance.Walk away.”

Rafe barked a laugh.“Or what?You’ll write me out of your little fairy tale?”His predatory gaze slid to me.“Though I do like your damsel.Maybe I’ll keep your bitch.After I break her.”

Something hot and fierce surged through me.I stepped forward, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my chest.“You’re pathetic.”

Rafe’s smile vanished.His eyes narrowed dangerously.“What did you say to me, human?”he snarled.

“All growling and snapping because you’re jealous,” I continued, my voice rising.“Sterling built something an empire.You?You’ll always be your mommy’s little pet, too scared to think for yourself.”

Rafe’s roar was filled with inhuman rage.His shift was instantaneous as he lunged.So was Sterling’s.Before my eyes, he shifted into a massive black wolf with molten amber eyes.He collided into Rafe with a crash.Claws swiped faster than I could follow.Sterling’s powerful jaws locked around Rafe’s throat, but the other wolf twisted free, leaving behind only tufts of torn fur and the blood that dripped from Sterling’s snout.Rafe’s answering strike caught Sterling across the ribs, claws carving deep furrows that had him snarling in pain and fury.

They circled each other now, hackles raised, lips peeled back to reveal razor-sharp canines.When they clashed again, it was with the devastating force of two freight trains, all snapping teeth and slashing claws, each determined to tear the other apart.

I didn’t hesitate, knowing I had to help Sterling in any way I could.I grabbed a sturdy fallen branch and recalled the self-defense training.As one of the wolf shifters broke around Sterling and lunged at me, I swung the branch with all my might.It connected with a sickening crack, sending the wolf sprawling.

Another shifter, this one still in human form but with eyes glowing yellow, charged at me.I ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as his fist missed my face by inches.I drove the end of the branch into his stomach, using the momentum to knock him off balance.He stumbled, giving me enough time to land a solid kick to his knee.

Sterling fought like a force of nature, his massive wolf form was a blur of fangs and fury.He took down one shifter after another, but they kept coming.I kept my back to a large tree trunk, using it as a makeshift shield while I fought off the remaining pack members.

As Sterling dispatched the last of the Nightfang pack members, Rafe made his move.I dashed forward, the branch still in hand, and swung at Rafe’s hindquarters just as he was about to make contact with Sterling.The branch knocked him off balance and gave Sterling the opening he needed.

Sterling pounced, his massive form colliding with Rafe’s in a brutal clash.The two wolves rolled and tumbled, their snarls echoing off the cliffs.I stumbled back, my heart pounding as I watched the ferocious battle unfold.

In a final, crushing move, Sterling surged forward, his powerful jaws clamping down on Rafe’s shoulder.With a mighty heave, Sterling threw Rafe off the edge of the cliff.Rafe’s howl of pain and rage echoed through the mountain air, fading into silence as he plummeted to his death at the bottom of the cliff.

The forest fell silent, but it roared louder than a scream.Only the distant rustle of leaves and Sterling’s heavy breathing, as he shifted back to his human form, could be heard.He stood at the cliff’s edge, his expression unreadable.

I approached cautiously.“Sterling.”

He didn’t turn, his gaze fixed on the abyss below.“I didn’t want it to come to this.”

“You didn’t have a choice.He would’ve killed us both.”

Sterling’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides.“I know, but he was still my brother.”

As the frenzy of the battle subsided, I felt a mix of exhaustion and relief.The adrenaline that had coursed through my veins began to fade, leaving me shaky.

Back in our suite, Sterling cleaned up while I sat by the fire, the leather-bound notebook untouched still.The words still wouldn’t come, my mind replaying the events of the day.But as Sterling emerged from the bathroom, his hair damp and a fresh shirt clinging to his frame, I felt a sense of calm settle over me.He crossed the room and sat beside me.

“You okay?”he asked, his voice soft.

I nodded.“Just processing.”

His gaze softened, and he brushed a strand of hair from my face.“You stood up to him, Ariel.You didn’t back down.”

I managed a small smile.“I had to.I couldn’t let him win.”

Sterling’s thumb brushed over my knuckles.“My fierce mate.You’re incredible, you know that?”

Heat crept into my cheeks, but I didn’t look away.“So are you.”

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