My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game (Elena and Marcus) novel Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Mother’s Final Stand

Elena’s POV

The sound of wolves launching themselves against the exterior walls echoed through the house, their bodies slamming into the wooden siding with terrifying force. Each impact sent vibrations through the floorboards beneath my feet, but the creatures couldn’t seem to break through the reinforced barriers we had erected.

Then came the unmistakable crash of shattering glass from somewhere above us.

Without hesitation, I spun around and bolted toward the staircase, my heart hammering against my ribs. Damien’s heavy footsteps pounded behind me as we took the steps two at a time, the urgency of the situation driving us forward with desperate speed.

We burst onto the second floor and immediately began tearing through every room, throwing open doors and searching behind overturned furniture. The hallway stretched before us like a nightmare maze, each empty doorway increasing my panic. They weren’t here. Skye and the children were nowhere to be found on this level.

My eyes met Damien’s across the hallway, and I could see the same desperate fear reflected in his dark gaze. Without speaking, we both understood what we had to do.

We raced up to the third floor, our breathing ragged from exertion and terror. I made a beeline for my mother’s room, the door standing slightly ajar. My hands trembled as I pushed it open, praying to find them huddled safely inside.

The sight that greeted me made my blood turn to ice.

The window had been completely destroyed, jagged shards of glass scattered across the floor like deadly confetti. Heavy furniture had been shoved away from the opening, creating a clear path to the outside. But of Skye and the children, there was no sign.

Before I could process what had happened, something seized me from behind with crushing force. Cold, unnaturally strong arms wrapped around my torso, lifting me off my feet. I threw my weight backward, using my momentum to slam whatever held me into the wall behind us. The impact loosened its grip just enough for me to grab at its arms.

My fingers made contact with skin that felt wrong, too cold and strangely textured. As I tried to pry the limbs away from my body, razor-sharp claws suddenly pierced through my clothing and into my sides. The pain was immediate and excruciating, tearing a scream from my throat.

Desperation gave me strength. I snapped my head backward with all the force I could muster, connecting solidly with my attacker’s skull. The creature grunted in pain and surprise, its hold on me weakening enough for me to break free and spin around to face it.

What I saw made my stomach lurch. The thing wore a twisted, menacing grin that revealed rows of yellowed teeth. Its skin had an unhealthy gray pallor, and those terrible claws extended from fingertips that looked more bone than flesh. But as I stared at it, I felt my own body responding to the threat. My canines began to elongate, and my own claws emerged from my fingernails with a sensation that was becoming familiar.

Approaching the body cautiously, I confirmed that it had stopped breathing entirely. It was dead. Somehow, my bite had accomplished what Marcus claimed was impossible.

When I turned away from the corpse, my eyes fell upon another still form on the floor.

My mother lay motionless near the window, a small kitchen knife clutched in her frail hand. She must have tried to fight off the creature, probably buying precious time for Skye to escape with the children. Despite her weakened state, despite barely having the strength to get out of bed these past weeks, she had made her final stand protecting her grandchildren.

I knelt beside her still form and gently closed her eyes. For the first time in months, her face looked peaceful, free from the pain that had etched lines of suffering around her eyes and mouth.

Damien entered the room quietly and came to kneel beside me without a word. He simply placed his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

The tears came then, hot and unstoppable, as the full weight of everything crashed down upon me.