Chapter 12
938words
Her inner disgust and fear turned toward Leo, but she couldn't ignore Jason's suffering.
"I'll save him," Ella's voice was cold, "not for you, but for him."
Ignoring Leo's urging, she knelt beside Jason, pressing her hands on his wound. A pale golden light surged forth, purifying the Silver Venom, and Jason's violent trembling subsided. Ella then healed the other two.
When all three were out of danger, Ella stood up and walked toward the cave entrance.
"Where are you going?" Leo frowned, "We have more injured brothers who need your healing!"
"No." Ella turned around, her eyes showing complete severance, "I will no longer be anyone's 'weapon.' Leo, you are no different from the monsters you speak of."
"Do you think you still have a choice?!" Leo Wilde was completely enraged by Ella's refusal. He stepped forward violently, his iron-like fingers tightly gripping her wrist.
"Ella! Don't push me!" he growled, the gentleness once in his green eyes now replaced by an obsessive fervor, "You belong to the Red Moon Pack! Your power belongs to us!"
"I don't belong to anyone!" Ella tried to shake him off, but her strength was no match for a Beta who had been fighting for years.
Just as Leo Wilde lost his patience and attempted to forcibly drag her back to the tent—
A suffocating, devastating pressure, like a tsunami, suddenly crashed into the entire camp.
"BOOM—!"
The camouflage barrier made of vines and rocks that covered the cave entrance was directly shattered by a brutal force from the outside!
Rock fragments scattered everywhere.
Torrential rain and fierce wind poured in.
All the Rogues in the camp felt their legs weaken under this pure Alpha pressure; several even fell to their knees on the spot.
A tall, soaking wet black figure was standing at the entrance of the cave, backlit.
He was no longer the high and mighty Alpha wolf king in ceremonial robes.
Karen Wolcoff looked... like a demon crawling out of hell.
He was covered in mud and blood—Ella couldn't tell if it was his own or his enemies'. His black short hair was dripping wet, clinging to his forehead, hiding his golden eyes. He just stood there, his chest heaving violently, as if enduring extreme pain.
He didn't bring an army.
He came alone.
"...Karen." Ella instinctively whispered his name.
He heard it.
He slowly raised his head.
When Ella clearly saw his face, she sharply drew in a breath.
That handsome face no longer showed its usual coldness and pride, but only a near-collapsing paleness. His lips were cracked, and heavy dark circles shadowed beneath his eyes. Those golden eyes were no longer sharp, but bloodshot, filled with despair, pain, and a kind of... vulnerability, almost pleading, that Ella had never seen before.
He was suffering the full backlash of the "Bond" due to her rejection and departure.
He looked... as if he were dying.
"Ella..." he spoke, his voice as hoarse as two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.
"Volkov!"
After his initial shock, Leo reacted by yanking Ella behind him. The Rogues in the camp all stood up, drawing their silver-infused daggers, nervously surrounding Karen.
"You dare to come here alone!" Leo shouted with false bravado, "You madman! Kill him! Finish him with silver!"
Several Rogues roared as they pounced forward.
Karen seemed neither to hear nor see the silver weapons aimed at his throat.
His gaze pierced through everyone, past Leo, and locked firmly and greedily on Ella's face. As if she was the only thing in this world that could keep him standing.
He moved.
Fast like a bolt of black lightning.
The two Rogues who had lunged at him didn't even see his movement before he gripped their throats and violently broke their necks.
"...Ella." He called out again, ignoring the attacks from the others, and stepped directly toward her.
He didn't care about the Rogues, didn't care about the Silver Venom. He only wanted his mate back.
Leo's expression became extremely grim. He knew Karen's weakness.
He suddenly grabbed Ella's hair, yanked her violently in front of him, while drawing out a silver-coated dagger and holding it against Ella's neck.
"Stop right there, Volkov!" Leo snarled, "Or I'll kill her! I want to see how long you can last without the 'antidote'!"
Karen's footsteps... stopped.
His tall body suddenly froze, as if struck by a petrification spell.
His golden eyes snapped toward Leo, the overwhelming killing intent almost materializing.
But when his gaze fell upon the cold gleaming silver dagger in Leo's hand—just one millimeter from Ella's skin—
All the killing intent, pride, and anger in his eyes... collapsed in an instant.
"No."
Karen growled, his voice filled with something Ella had never heard from him before... fear.
"...Don't touch her."
He slowly raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
The Rogues present were stunned.
Ella was stunned too.
The Alpha Wolf King of Shadow Fortress. Conqueror of the North.
For an Omega.
He gave up resistance.
"Put your weapon down." Karen's voice was hoarse and painful as he looked at Ella, as if saying to her, "...silver... will hurt her."
Leo froze, then burst into wild, jubilant laughter.
"Hahaha! Look at you! Karen Wolcoff!" Leo smugly tapped Ella's face with his dagger, "You're finished! You've actually fallen in love with her! You've fallen in love with your 'trophy'!"
Karen didn't refute.
He just stared at Ella desperately with those bloodshot, shattered golden eyes.
"Ella..." he pleaded softly, "...come to me."
