Chapter 178

Ella POV

Fight.

I smiled at the sound of that familiar voice—the one I had begun to think I would never hear again.

Despite all my efforts to reclaim my wolf, I had started to believe she was lost forever. David had worked tirelessly to rip her from me, and for years, he had succeeded.

But now, he was about to find out exactly what he had feared all along.

My wolf was back.

And she was furious.

I could feel it—the bone-deep rage twisting through me, igniting every cell in my body. Heat flooded my veins, white-hot and all-consuming, as the shift began.

It had been so long. Too long.

Pain ripped through me, shocking and raw, and I cried out—loud and unrestrained. The sound echoed across the desert, a primal, unearthly wail that sent a shudder through the air.

David’s grip loosened.

I hit the ground hard, gasping, but the pain barely registered. All I could feel was her. My wolf rising. Taking control.

David staggered back, his face twisted in shock and horror as he stared down at me.

“No,” he breathed, shaking his head. “This can’t be happening. You were never supposed to be able to shift.”

I wanted to answer. I wanted to mock the fear in his voice, to throw his failure in his face.

But my wolf had no words for the likes of him.

All she had was rage.

And the moment the transformation was complete, she unleashed it on David.

We—my wolf and I, one in the same—lunged.

David cried out in fear, stumbling back before he could regain his composure. But he wasn’t fast enough. We knocked him to the ground with crushing force.

He didn’t stay down for long. His own fury resurfaced as he lashed out wildly, his fist slamming into the side of our head.

It didn’t stagger us.

We were already moving, the fight so fast, so vicious, I could barely track our movements. I let go—gave myself over completely—let my wolf take control, her instincts guiding us with an ease I hadn’t known I was missing.

I had spent so long without her. So long thinking I was whole when I had been fractured. Maybe that was why I had clung to David for so long.

I hadn’t understood the emptiness inside me, hadn’t realized that it was the absence of her. That missing part of me had left a void, a loneliness I had tried to fill in all the wrong ways.

Not anymore.

I was complete now.

And more powerful than I had ever imagined.

David shifted into his wolf form, his dark fur bristling as his snarl tore through the air. The fight turned brutal—feral. Snapping jaws, tearing claws, the sound of growls and yelps echoing across the desert.

Fur flew.

But no blood was drawn. Not yet.

David tried to run. Again and again, my wolf pounced, slammed him down, sent him crashing into the dirt. He threw us off, lunged, we dodged. Over and over, the same dance, until realization struck.

He was running for backup.

Coward.

He couldn’t face me alone, not when I was finally his equal. It would’ve been laughable if it weren’t so infuriating.

After everything he had done to me—all the ways he had made me feel powerless, all the times he had hurt and humiliated me—he ran.

Pathetic.

Far more than I had ever realized.

And when I thought of the way I had once loved him, it made me sick.

All the noise we were making was bound to draw attention.

Alexander had to know by now that a fight was happening—a vicious one at that. I hoped he wasn’t too worried, but the fact that I hadn’t heard anyone shouting from the building yet told me his own struggle was still ongoing.

I had to keep David distracted.

So that’s exactly what I was going to do.

We pounced on him again, tackling him hard, sending us both skidding through the dirt. A cloud of dust kicked up in our wake. We were maybe a dozen yards from the building now. I could see the four cars parked near the entrance—two of them were running now, their drivers waiting.

That’s when I noticed that most of the fighting had stopped. People were piling into the cars.

Then I heard it.

Shouting.

Strange voices. Men I didn’t recognize.

"Get the car ready," one of them ordered. "We have the asset."

More shouting.

Dr. McIntyre.

David broke free from our grip while I was distracted, bolting toward the building. We tore after him, my heart pounding, just as the front doors burst open.

People poured out—the doctor, flanked by two men in dark suits.

The engine of a black car roared to life. Dr. McIntyre dove into the backseat, one of the suited men right behind him. The other jumped into the front, and before I could react, the black car sped away.

More cursing. More shouting. Men sprinted toward the blue cars, yelling to follow them.

But then—

David howled.

Everything stopped.

The men hesitated, turning toward him.

"Boss?" one of them called uncertainly.

"Shit," another muttered. "Scrub the mission. Let’s get out of here."

Two men leapt into one of the remaining blue cars, which peeled off immediately. Another man held the back door open. David didn’t hesitate. He lunged inside, still in wolf form, and the blue car sped off in the opposite direction of the black one.

They’d given up.

At least for now.

I slowed to a stop just a few feet from Alexander’s car, panting, my mind racing.

David had escaped.

Frustration burned through me, my wolf’s anger so fierce, so overwhelming, that thinking past it felt impossible.

I lay on the ground, struggling with my own thoughts, trying to will myself to shift back—but I wasn’t sure how.

Exhaustion crashed over me. It made sense. My body wasn’t used to the transformation. But that didn’t stop the fear curling in my chest, the terrifying sensation of being so utterly out of control.

"Ella."

Alexander’s voice was gentle.

I lifted my head to see him approaching. He knelt beside me in the dirt, and I stared up at him, whimpering despite myself.

How ridiculous must I look to him?

But his expression wasn’t one of annoyance or judgment. No, Alexander looked almost… awestruck.

"Look at you," he murmured, his hand moving as if to touch my fur—then hesitating.

"You did it."

I whimpered again. I wanted to respond, but I couldn’t. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, my heart racing too fast. I felt sick.

"You must be freaked out," Alexander said softly. "But you did so well. We got the doctor. You distracted David long enough that his men didn’t know what to do without his orders. We managed to get Dr. McIntyre—she’s being taken to a secure facility."

He hesitated, then added, "And, Ella… I think it’s important for you to know. She came with us willingly. I think we can trust her to give us the information we need."

His words helped anchor me, but I still couldn’t calm myself enough to shift back. I nudged against him lightly, hoping he would understand.

Alexander took the hint. With careful, steady movements, he ran his fingers down my head, through my fur. Electricity shot through me at his touch, and the tension unraveled from my muscles.

A wave of exhaustion hit me like a tidal force.

The tingling sensation in my bones signaled the shift. It was less painful this time—or maybe I was simply too drained to feel it.

I barely registered my human form returning before I collapsed on the ground, naked and dazed.

Alexander shrugged off his jacket, wrapping it around me before I even had the strength to shiver.

I wanted to thank him, but the words wouldn’t come. He lifted me effortlessly into his arms, carrying me toward his car. Safe. I was safe with him.

Sleep clawed at me, and this time, I didn’t fight it.

As I drifted, I felt Alexander settle me gently into the seat, maneuvering me into a comfortable position, buckling me in.

Right before sleep claimed me, I could have sworn I heard him mutter—

"You crazy girl… I love you."