bChapter /bb103 /b

    ra’s POV

    “Kill a friend?” My voice barely rose above a whisper, but the words burned with rage in my chest.

    I couldn’t believe it. Not in a million years. This wasn’t what we had signed up for. This this was insane,

    “Fuck them” Relen’s voice cracked through the tension, a snarl curling in his words. “They’re fucking with us, ra. Do you see this? They’re ying games with our lives.”

    Thorne, as usual, was calm, Too calm. His gaze swept over the arena, his jaw clenched, eyes cold like ice. I hated the look in his eyes. The one that meant he was already thinking about how to tum this to his advantage.

    “The Rogue King is here somewhere,” he said, his voice deep, low, like a predator sizing up its prey.

    “How do you know? Raclen frowned, his gaze flickering nervously over the crowd.

    “I have a feeling.” Thome replied, his tone bunshaken/b. “And someone like him wouldn’t miss such a grand performance.”

    He scanned the stands, his lips curling into a small, bdangerous /bsmile.

    “it’d be best to kill him now, before the night ends”

    I bit my lip. Thome was right about one thing–this was the perfect chance to strike. The Rogue King could be among them, and we couldn’t waste it. But then again, the risk was immense. We didn’t even have our wolves. How could we possibly fight him without that advantage?

    “Okay, let’s pretend we find him out there,” Raelon spoke up again, his voice tinged with concern. “But how do you n to face the Rogue King bwithout /byour noli?”

    Thorne stretched, his body exuding confidence and arrogance. I bcould /balmost feel his energy pulling at the bair/b,

    “You never know unless you try,” he saidb, /ba spark of excitement in his eyes.

    “No! Hell not” Raelen shook his bhead /bfuriously. “bYou’re /bstrong, Thorne, I know that. But the Rogue King? You’ve seen him. We’ve fought him for decades. We couldn’t even finish him off with everything we had. And now, you think you can take him down without your wolf? This alliance can’t lose you!”

    Jory, standing a little off to the side, nodded in agreement, his expression grim, “agree. It’s too risky. We’ll find another chance.”

    Thorne’s gaze hardened, his voice iceb–/bcold, “I won’t leave here empty–handed”

    My chest tightened. I knew Thome. He was relentless, never backing down from a fight. But this wasn’t just another battle, it was the kind of fight that

    could kill them all.

    “And if that aplishment ends with your death Racen challenged “The Rogue King will love that. It’s two against one now, Thorne, ra, what do you say?

    All beyes /bturned to me, their silent plea hanging heavy in the air. I clenched my jaw, my heart pounding in my throat. Thome had always been fearless, charging into danger without hesitation. It was one of the things I admired most about him, but bthis/b… this was different.

    Topened my mouth to speakb, /bbbut /bmy words caught. How could I let him do this?

    Before I could form a coherent thought, ba /bvoicerang out from the standsb, /bcutting through the tension.

    “What’s the dy hereb? /bI don’t have all night”

    Jory hissed in frustration, his voice urgent. “Let’s go, before it’s toote, Alpha Thanel”

    But Thome didn’t badge. His eyes locked onto minu

    the weight of his store like a physical for

    “must me on this, ra,” he urged, his voice more intense than had ever heard it.

    I could feel my pulse in my fingertips. The decision was too big, no hovy. My thenat rightened as I tried to speak, but

    Then I heard the unmidakable sound of something scraping the ground. A noise that shouldn’t have been there, shouldn’t have bee happening.

    Twhipped around just in time to see Bex pick up a knife, the metal glinting under the moonlight. My breath hitched in my throat.

    “What the fuck are you doing, Bex?!” I cried out, my voice higher than I meant it to be, panic starting to build in my chest.

    He stood a few steps away, his hands gripping the life with determination in his eyes.

    “Don’t be stupid, Bex!” Raelen barked, his voice shaking with raw anger. “Drop the fucking knife?”

    But Bes didn’t move. He just stood there, his jaw clenched, eyes hollow, lost. I couldn’t breathe. Was he really going to kill one of us?

    “I’m sorry, prys” Bex’s voice was hearse, bbarely /baudible.

    I watched, helpless, as his grip tightened baround /bthe handle.

    “But I can’t do this anymore. I’vee this far, and it feels like nothing’s changing. All the sleepless nights, the regrets…it’s tearing me apart

    Jory growled low, his wolf form suddenly springing to file in front of me, his massive body blocking the path to Bee

    “Drop the knife, Bex!” Thornemanded, his voice sharp like a whip

    But Bex smiled, a bitter twist to his lips. The smile bwas /bsmall, sad–defeated.

    Then, without warning, he turned the de inward, pressing it to his own chest.

    “No!” I screamed, my legs balready /bmoving before my brain caught up.

    But bit /bwas toote.

    Bex copsed to the ground, the life leaving his eyes too quickly for us to stop it. Blood poured from the wound as Raelen knelt beside him, his hands pressing uselessly against the growing crimson stain.

    “Why, Box? Why?” Ruelen sobbedb, /bthe raw pain in his voice shattering me. “Why the bfuck/b, man?!”

    Bex’s eyes flickered weakly. “You have bto /bkill him,” he whispered, barely audible. “You have to kill him for Serena Avenge her…b” /b

    His voice trailed off, and ba /bfragile smile yed on this lipsb, /bbas /bthough he had found some small measure of peace. “I was a traitor, but I couldn’t keep living with it. Just make it count. Kill him… for both of us.”

    Tears filled my beyes/b, my chest breaking with the weight of his final words.

    Thorne gripped his hand bas /bit fell limp. “You have my word,” he muttered, his voice dark and filled with a promise.

    Bex let out onest breath, his eyes lifting to the full moon above. “Serena,” he whispered.

    bAnd /bthen he was gone.

    I stood there, stunned. My entire world had just tilted. Everything had shattered. Bexwds dead. And we were no closer bto /bkilling the Rogue

    before.

    “We can’t let Bex’s death be for nothing.” Thorne said, his voice quiet but fierce.

    He looked at Jory, who was silent for a moment. After a few long seconds, Jory nodded reluctantly.

    Thorne’s gare shifted back to me, his intensity never wavering: “Remember what I told you before we left Cragin Fortress?

    I blinked, my heart racing, Whit was he talking about?

    Jory met Thorne’s pace, a silent understanding passing between them.

    Thorne’s eyes softened for a montent before he said, “Stick to the n when the timees.”

    Stick to the n? What n?

    I didn’t know what they were talking about, and I couldn’t ask, not now. The situation was too grim..

    Before I could wrap my head around anything, a loud, manicughter rang out from the stands.

    We all turned, startled by the sound.

    A tall figure stood up from the crowd, moving toward us with an ease that made my stomach twist.

    When he finally stopped into the light, I saw him.

    Lanceb. /b

    The Rogue King,

    It all clicked into ce. The kind, helpful cksmith I bhad /bonce saved from the rogue’s hands. The one who had been hiding in in sight

    The same man who had killed Serena.

    And Mi.

    “Why the furious look, my friends?” Lance chuckled, the joy in his voice sickening

    It hit me like a ton of bricks. All the lies, all the betrayals. He was the one pulling the strings the entire time.

    The one who’d destroyed everything.

    Thorne’s eyes burned with rage.

    “Because you’ve been hiding in the shadows like a fucking rat,” he spat

    Lance justughed. “True. But not everyone is bom with an Alpha aura, Still, it’s not toote. Today’s the day we finally meet, isn’t it?”

    Thorne’s muscles tensed. “Yes,” he growled, his lists clenched. “And it’s the day you die.

    Without another word, Thorne leapt forward, his roar shaking the air around us. His Alpha power surged through the arena, knocking everyone–Lance included–back in stunned silence.

    And just like that, Thorne was upon him, gripping Lante’s throat with a deadly strength.

    With a sickening bcrack/b, Lance’s bneck /bsnapped like a twig

    The Rogue King was dead.