h4Chapter 319: An Unforgiving God/h4

    strongJacob~/strong

    I stood there, the night air thick with the stench of fear and regret, my pulse hammered, not from exhaustion, but from the fury still burning low and steady in my veins. Beside me, Easter clung to my hand, her fingers trembling against mine. Her emerald eyes were wide, caught between awe and horror, locked on the chaos I’d just unleashed. I’d just ripped the wolf spirit from the bearded brute, watching as it twisted free like a shimmering ghost, howling silently before I guided it into one of the lifeless wolf corpses I’d summoned from the earth. The body jerked to life, fur rippling, eyes igniting with that amber glow, and it let out a howl that split the darkness like lightning.

    The men were frozen in ce, my invisible hold pinning them like insects to light. Scarface—the one who’d dared to touch her, to bruise her delicate skin—watched it all, his scarred face twisting from bravado to pure terror. His eyes darted between me and the newly awakened wolf, which prowled forward, growling low, its gaze locked on its former host.

    "Please, man," the bearded one wailed, copsing to his knees as much as my hold allowed, tears streaming down his filthy face. "That’s my wolf! Give it back! What the hell have you done to me? I feel... empty. Like somethin’s been torn out!"

    Ponytail thrashed uselessly, his voice cracking into a sob. "This can’t be real! Make it stop, you freak! I didn’t sign up for this shit!"

    Easter’s breath hitched beside me, her body pressing closer, her wild curly hair brushing my bare chest. "Jacob," she whispered, her voiceced with fear and something like pity, those big doe-like eyes pleading up at me. "Jacob, stop. This is... this is too cruel. They’re monsters, yeah, but taking their wolves? It’s like stripping their souls. Please, have mercy."

    I nced down at her, my eyes softening for just a moment, but the ancient power still thrummed through me, unyielding. "They don’t deserve mercy, Easter," I murmured, my voice low and steady, though my heart ached at the horror in her gaze. She’d heard stories about me—from my own lips during Natalie’s wedding, from my brothers Fox and Bubble spinning tales of the Wolf Spirit’s wrath. Bits and pieces flickering in her fractured memory now, I could see it in her eyes: whispers of my power, how I could be terrifying when provoked. But she’d never seen it like this. Not really. I’d wiped her memories before, shielded her from the darkness I’d unleashed in the past. So this? This was her first true glimpse, and it tore at me but I couldn’t forgive them. Never.

    "No," I said firmly, turning back to the next one—a wiry guy with tattoos snaking up his arms. He was begging now, all of them were, a chorus of desperate pleas filling the abandoned street.

    "Don’t do me next!" Tattoo whimpered, his voice breaking. "I swear, we’ll leave her alone. We’ll leave town! Just... don’t take it!"

    Scarface, still held forst, shouted over him, his bark turning to a whine. "He’s right! Listen to the girl—your mate. She wants you to stop. Be a man, not some goddamn myth!"

    Easter tugged at my arm, her freckled cheeks flushed with that natural pink blush, but now streaked with worry. "Jacob, listen to me. I know you’ve got this power—I’ve heard the stories. A few days ago, Bubble and Fox joked about it, but your eyes... they got this faraway look, like you’d seen hell andmanded it. And Eagle, he pulled me aside once, warned me you could be scary when someone threatened family. But this? Ripping their wolves out... it’s changing them forever. Please, for me?"

    Her words pierced me, emotional daggers, but I couldn’t back down. Not after what they’d done—what they’d nned to do to her. "Theyid hands on you, Easter," I growled, my voice booming again with that ancient resonance, shaking the ground. "They bruised you, terrified you. And their minds... I’ve seen inside. Murderers. Rapists. They’ve destroyed lives. This is justice."

    I pointed at Tattoo, and he screamed as his wolf spirit emerged, ethereal and snarling, ws scraping the air. With a flick of my wrist, I sent it into another corpse. The body shuddered, eyes snapping open, and it rose, shaking off the dust, joining the first wolf in a low, menacing growl.

    One by one, I did it. The next was a stocky guy with a shaved head, his pleas turning to blubbering sobs. "No, no, please! I’ll change! I’ll be good!" His wolf tore free, translucent and wild, and vanished into the third body, which lurched to life with a howl that echoed off the empty houses.

    Then Ponytail, his bravado shattered, crying like a child. "Stop! I can’t feel it anymore—it’s gone! What am I now?" His spirit wolf howled as it was pulled out, merging with the fourth corpse, the wolf rising to prowl with the others.

    Easter was shaking now, her hand covering her mouth, tears welling in those stunning emerald eyes. "Jacob, enough! They’re begging—I’m begging. Remember Rose? Our new baby? This isn’t the man I... the man who held me throughbor. Please, spare them this."

    But Scarface wasst, as I’d nned. He watched it all, his face ashen, sweat pouring down his scarred cheek. "You bastard," he rasped, but his voice trembled. "Wolf Spirit or not, you’re a monster. We said we’re sorry! Don’t... don’t take mine. Please."

    The others joined in, a pitiful symphony. "Give them back!" Bearded wailed. "We’re nothing without ’em!"

    I raised my hand, and Scarface’s wolf emergedst, the biggest of them, snarling fiercely before I guided it into the final corpse. It woke with a thunderous howl, all five wolves now circling their former hosts, eyes glowing like embers.

    The men copsed as my hold released, screaming and wing at their chests. "What did you do?" Scarface sobbed, on his knees. "My wolf—where is it? I feel hollow!"

    Easter gasped, burying her face in my shoulder. "Jacob... oh God, they’re broken."

    With a wave of my hand, the wolves vanished into thin air, dissolving like mist at dawn. The men howled in despair. "No! Bring them back! What have you done to our wolves?"

    "They’re safe," I said, my voice calm butced with steel, stepping forward so they cowered. "I’ll take care of them. Nurture them. But you? You didn’t deserve them. You abused them, you abused the gift—murdered, raped, stolen. This is your punishment. You’ll never be the same again. Human now, weak and alone. And if you harm anyone else—ever—I’ll know. You’re on my radar. I’ll appear, and next time? There won’t be mercy."

    They scrambled away, sobbing, broken shells fleeing into the night. Easter stared after them, then up at me, her voice small. "Jacob... did you have to?"

    I grabbed her hand, warm and soft in mine, and with a surge of power, teleported us back to the house. The familiar warmth of my living room enveloped us—the scent of fresh-baked cookies from earlier filled the house.

    I pulled her into my arms immediately, hugging her tight, my frame enveloping her delicate one. My hair fell over my eyes as I buried my face in her wild curls, inhaling her scent—sweet and floral, mixed with the faint metallic tang of fear. "Easter," I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion, afraid to let go. "I thought I’d lost you. When I sensed your fear... I couldn’t breathe."

    She melted into me, her arms wrapping around my waist, but I felt her hesitation. "Jacob," she murmured against my chest, "I can’t believe that was you out there. The same man who just... stripped those men without blinking. So merciless. But here, holding me like this... you’re gentle. Warm."

    I pulled back slightly, my eyes searching hers, depth swirling with so much love and regret. "Are the wolves really okay?" she asked, her voice tentative, freckles standing out on her flushed cheeks. "Last week, when you changed me... I didn’t want it at first. I begged to go back to human. But you said my wolf would die if I did. That it was part of me now. So how can theirs be okay?"

    I nodded, stroking her cheek with my thumb, feeling the softness that always grounded me. "Yes, I told you that, but ever since the issue with Mariel, the dream weaver —when she tried to make me take the wolves of and entire pack—it haunted me. I started searching, delving into ancient lore, experimenting in secret. I found a way to keep them alive, separate from the human. Transferring the spirits into bodies I create—wolf forms woven from mist and earth. Tonight was the test, and it worked perfectly. Those wolves are safe, Easter. I’ll make sure they’re alright. If they want a new human counterpart, I’ll find them one—worthy ones. Not those horrors."

    She hugged me back tighter, her body rxing against mine, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "Thank you, Jacob. For saving me. I was so scared... thought I’d never see Rose or the baby again."

    I held her close, my arms like iron bands, but tender. "I’d always protect you, no matter the cost. You’re my mate, my everything. Centuries of waiting, and now... you."

    She pulled back just enough to look up, a small, teasing smile breaking through her tears, her emerald eyes sparkling. "I’m still mad, you know. About taking my memories. Wiping away part of us."

    I hugged her tightly again, chuckling softly despite the ache in my chest—funny how she could lighten even this moment. "I know. And I won’t pressure you to forgive me. Take your time. I’m yours, ws and all."

    She held on, her head nestled against my shoulder, and I caught myself wondering—how did I end up hers, and she mine? The thought lingered like a quiet me, unspoken yet burning. In that embrace, I could only hope she felt it too—that to me, she was the single spark in an endless night.

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