And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie) novel Chapter 246

James.

When Damian was killed, I felt like a piece of me had been ripped away. I wasn't sure how it had been possible, but my brother had been taken from me, and I let out a howl of despair into the air.

Ivy's scream shook all of us and not just the wolves of her pack but those of our enemies as well. I never heard anything like it before, but watching her drop to her knees next to Damian, crying, nearly killed me.

'They will all die for this.' Talon said through our link.

'Kill them all.' Hale replied with a snarl.

War had come for us, and regardless of the situation, we weren't going to let them get away with killing Damian. We weren't going to let them get away with anything.

Before I could step forward, a force surrounded me, holding me in place. I tried with all my might to move, but I could not. And suddenly, a shift was forced over me, turning me back into the human body I usually held.

'What's going on?!' I yelled through the link. 'Something made me shift back.'

'Me too.' Talon growled.

'It seems it has for all of us. Something is happening.' Hale replied.

He wasn't wrong. Something was happening.

A buzzing under my skin started to burn like fire, and a voice deep inside me spoke with it. 'It's almost time.'

What was almost time? Was this the beast Ivy freed?'

I tried to fight against what was happening but was unable. A force pushed against me, and the beast came forward snarling. Watching, I saw the wolves of our enemies stepping backward. Their ears lay back as they seemed to look at each other with confusion and uncertainty.

It was obvious I was something to fear. Something they shouldn't get involved with, and I would tear them apart with my new form.

My eyes cast towards where Ivy was, and watching, I saw the power building within her. She was magnificent, and though I couldn't hear what she was saying, the moment a roar sounded and the wolves started the battle once more, she shot a source of power toward the man in front of her with fury.

"Kill them all."

My beast growled before he threw himself at our enemies, slowly tearing them apart. His hunger for blood was a feeling I would never be able to forget.

***********

Onyx eyes as black as night with midnight blue hair hung loosely down over his shoulders were the first things that caught my attention. The man before me stood with pale skin covered in black and green intricate tattoos.

Something about him was familiar, and his mischievous grin let me know he had expected this reaction. "The portal that I came from."

"Who are you, exactly? Because nothing about you is familiar."

"Well, that's a shame," he replied with a smirk.

This was enjoyable for him. While I was here falling apart at the loss of my mate in front of me, he was relishing the destruction he caused. Standing to my feet slowly, I let the power within me build up. My heart raced, and my fists clenched so tight that my knuckles turned white.

I was going to kill him. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

Cocking an eyebrow, the corner of his lip twitched at my response. "You're the goddess of Earth… or so they have proclaimed. But now the circle is broken, you will never reach that potential. The portal will never open, and I will rule over this realm. Everyone you love will die at my hands."

With his words, a roar sounded, and the battle commenced again. Some of my warriors were caught off guard as more wolves pushed from the treeline. Richard included.

"That's what you think," I snarled as my eyes washed over black, releasing the power inside me. A power that had been slowly growing over time. Slowly leaking out and infecting the people around me.