The Warrior’s Broken Mate novel Chapter 114

The massive shadow beast loomed over us, its form a swirling mass of darkness that seemed almost liquid, yet heavier than any solid thing I had ever touched. Tendrils lashed out like vipers, writhing with a terrifying, unnatural intelligence. Each movement carried the hiss of tearing air, as though reality itself strained against its presence. Its eyes glowed a burning red, twin coals that pierced straight into my chest, igniting a chill that ran all the way to my spine. I could feel my heartbeat hammering in my ears, my breath shallow, my body screaming to flee even as my legs refused to move.

Elias growled, a deep, primal rumble that vibrated in his chest, and he planted himself between the beast and me. His stance was unyielding, muscles coiled like springs, the weight of his resolve pressing against the suffocating aura that threatened to drown us both. “We end this,” Elias said, voice fierce, each word cracking with the promise of finality. His teeth bared, eyes blazing with defiance, he looked like a figure carved from stone and fire- unyielding, unstoppable, and ready to clash with the nightmare itself.

I nodded, feeling a surge of wolf instincts wake fully within me. My claws lengthened, sharp and gleaming like forged steel. Fur bristled along my spine, every nerve on high alert, senses sharpening, expanding beyond human limits until I could taste the electric tang of the air and hear the grinding pulse of the beast’s essence. We didn’t fully shift–not yet–but just enough to let the monster know we weren’t defenseless prey.

The shadow beast struck, tendrils whipping with blinding speed. I twisted just in time, letting one lash brush past me while my claws tore through another, sparks of raw, crackling energy bursting from the impact. The shadows hissed and flailed, recoiling only to strike again, their movements like a storm given form. Elias moved like a whirlwind, his strength and precision tearing through clusters of tendrils, his growls echoing like thunder as he forced the monstrous entity back a step, proving we were not so easily consumed.

Then it spoke–a voice low and echoing, mocking and filled with a terrible, ancient malice. You cannot destroy me. I am the darkness that waits in every corner of your fear.”

My stomach dropped. This was no ordinary enemy. No mere beast of shadow. This was intelligent, patient, and tied to the man who had attacked me earlier. Somehow, it had been waiting… for me.

Elias snarled, snapping a tendril with a single, punishing swipe. “Whatever you are, you picked the wrong wolves to hunt.”

I leapt onto another tendril, claws piercing through its smoky, writhing form. A surge of energy shot through me–electric, raw, untamed, a force I had never felt before. The shadows shrieked and thrashed violently, a storm of darkness swirling around us like a living hurricane, pulling at my fur and dragging at my skin. My muscles burned, yet every strike made me stronger, sharper, more certain. And for a fleeting, shining moment, I felt alive, unstoppable, as if the wolf inside me had finally claimed its full power, no longer chained but roaring, triumphant and free.

Then, a shocking vision struck me like a bolt of lightning–the true source of the shadows revealed itself in a horrifying instant. I stumbled back, gasping for breath, my chest tightening with fear. Arthur… he had been nothing but a pawn, a mask hiding the real puppet master. The weight of betrayal pressed down on me, heavier than the darkness around us.

And then the face came–blindingly clear in my mind’s eye. Someone I had once trusted, someone from the Ash Queen’s court: a sorcerer whose ambitions were as boundless as they were ruthless. I could see him now, eyes gleaming with cold intent, weaving his dark schemes to manipulate me, to use me as the key to summon the shadows fully into our realm. My stomach churned, a mix of anger, fear, and disbelief. This wasn’t just a fight for survival anymore–it was a battle against someone who had known me, watched me, and planned my downfall all along.

The vision didn’t stop with his face. It unfolded like a cruel play: whispered conversations behind silk curtains, charcoal–smudged maps with routes traced in silver, and a ritual circle I recognized from forbidden tomes–one designed to pierce the veil between worlds. I saw my own name inked onto a list, circled in a hand that trembled only with anticipation, not remorse. Memories I’d trusted as true–bonds forged in fire and quiet counsel–fell apart, revealed as carefully staged moments to groom me for the final act.

Rage flared hot and immediate; grief followed, slow and hollow. Every shared laugh, every promise felt suddenly fragile, a glass bauble shattered by the revelation. I clenched my fists until my knuckles ached, because standing here, surrounded by writhing shadows, I knew the war had shifted. No more pawns. No more masks. This sorcerer had pulled the strings–and he would pay for underestimating the wolf that now woke inside me.

“They’ve been feeding off my power all along.” I whispered to Elias.

His eyes widened in understanding. “Then we end it here and now.”

“Yeah.” I said.

“Are you going to be alright?” Elias asked as I started breathing a little easier.

“Yeah. I’ll be alright. We beat the bastard. That’s what matters.” I said.

“For now.” He said, eyes scanning the dark horizon. “But this isn’t over. Whoever sent them… they’re still out there. And next time, they won’t just send shadows.”

I looked up at him, fear and determination burning inside me. “Then we’ll be ready.”

The wind howled through the empty wasteland, carrying the faint echo of the shadows‘ shriek… a warning of what was still to come.