Chapter 391

Olivia

As Jenifer and Alvin collided, I leaped out of the way just in time. But my foot caught a jagged rock sticking out of the ground, and I tumbled to the dirt floor with a grunt.

I struggled to catch my breath, my chest heaving as I lay on the cold, damp floor of the basement. My vision was blurred, my head spinning from the relentless intensity of the fight that had begun to rage in front of me.

Alvin and Jenifer were locked in a vicious battle, their wolf forms clashing with primal rage. The sounds of venomous growls and snarls filled the air, echoing off the stone walls, punctuated by the sickening sound of flesh against flesh.

I looked up and located the door, which still stood open, but the path was blocked by the enormous bodies of Alvin and Jenifer. I knew that there was no hope if I tried to make a run for it; if Jenifer didn’t see me and kill me on the spot, then I’d be knocked out of the way by the fray.

I reached out for my wolf again, knowing that shifting would be my only hope.

But she was still weak, her voice shaky and far away. Whatever spell Jenifer had cast on me left my wolf at barely even a quarter of her strength, and I couldn’t even begin to shift. It was no use, no matter how hard I tried.

I was stuck in my human form with no abilities, and I was cornered by the intense fight in front of me.

The room was a chaotic whirlwind of fur and muscle, and I could hardly keep track of the frenzied movements. Alvin’s jet-black wolf clashed with Jenifer’s sleek, silver-gray form, their teeth bared in deadly combat. Each powerful strike sent ripples of tension through the room, and I watched in awe as they circled one another, snarling and snapping.

Alvin let out a guttural growl that reverberated through the basement. He lunged at Jenifer, jaws wide, but she dodged with a swift side-step, her own jaws snapping shut inches from his throat.

The basement felt like a battleground, and I was trapped in the crossfire. My body was still heavy with fatigue and pain, but I knew I had to do something. I had to find a way out of this nightmare.

With every ounce of strength I could muster, I managed to push myself up from the floor, my hands scraping against the cold, rough ground. My gaze flickered once again to the doorway, the only exit, but it was still blocked by the relentless struggle between Alvin and Jenifer.

Desperation surged through me. I had to find a way to escape, to survive this nightmarish ordeal. My eyes fell on a glimmer of hope—the knife laying on the ground nearby. It had been knocked aside during the chaos of the fight.

Summoning every ounce of determination, I crawled toward the weapon, my fingers reaching out for it. My breath came in ragged gasps as I closed my hand around the handle, a surge of adrenaline coursing through me.

But before I could even attempt to rise to my feet, Jenifer’s enormous paw connected with my side, sending me sprawling across the ground. Pain erupted through my body as I collided with the unforgiving stone wall. A trickle of blood ran down my temple.

My grip on the knife slipped, and it clattered away, out of reach.

Gasping, I tried to push myself up again, but it was no use.

My vision faded, and then everything went black once again.

…

I woke up in the same ethereal place, the Ancient Wolf’s circle, just as I had before.

Panic gripped me as I realized I was here once again, separated from the physical world, my surroundings a shimmering, otherworldly realm.

But this time, something was different—Jade, my wolf, was laying motionless on the ground a few paces away.

I rushed to her side and fell to my knees, my heart pounding in my chest. “Jade, what happened? Are you okay?” I asked.

She didn't respond immediately, and my fear deepened. I touched her fur, searching for any sign of life. “Please, Jade, talk to me. How can I help you?”

Her voice echoed in my mind, weak but still present. “It’s the spell, Olivia,” she said weakly. “I’m sick, but I’ll be okay eventually. Right now, you’re still unconscious in the physical world, and you need to wake up before it’s too late.”

Desperation surged through me as I realized what was happening. My body was vulnerable in the real world. I needed to wake up and find a way to escape, not just for myself, but for my children—born and unborn.

“Jade, can you lend me a tiny bit of your strength?” I pleaded. “I think I can wake up with just a little help.”

“I’ll try,” she murmured.

Reluctantly, Jade offered me a fraction of her power. I knew that it would set her recovery back, but it was the only way to wake up.

“Run, Olivia,” she said. “Run as fast as you can, and don’t look back…”

…

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the dimly lit basement, but a searing pain was throbbing in my head. I groaned softly as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and then I saw it.

Jenifer’s eyes gleamed in the darkness as she pinned Alvin to the floor. They were both back in their human forms; I didn’t know how long I had been knocked out, but it was clear that Jenifer had the upper hand now.

“Always in the way,” Jenifer hissed, drawing the gleaming knife upward. “And to think I gave you the benefit of the doubt. But you’re too soft.”

“You won’t… win,” Alvin croaked as he looked up at her, his face bruised and battered. “Nathan will save her.”

“Nathan is dying,” Jenifer giggled. “No one is coming to save her. And no one is coming to save you.”

Terror gripped my heart like a vice as I watched the scene unfolding in front of me. The knife was poised above Alvin’s heart, ready to strike.

Jenifer was about to kill Alvin, and there was nothing I could do. My body was too weak, the pain in my head so strong that every movement made it feel as though the world was tilting beneath me.

But at that moment, Alvin’s eyes met mine. There was a deep and profound sadness there, a look filled with intense longing and…

Regret.

“I’m sorry, Olivia,” he said, his voice cracked and dry from Jenifer’s iron grip around his throat. “I love you… I always loved you. And I’m…”

“Shut up!” Jenifer screeched. She began to bring the knife down toward Alvin’s heart, but his eyes never left mine.

“I’m sorry,” he mouthed.

At that moment, a surge of strength took over my body. The look in Alvin’s eyes grounded me, bringing me back to the present.

And in that moment, I no longer saw the troubled man who lay battered on the ground; I saw the little boy, shy and meek and hopelessly in love. He still had dirt on his face from playing in the backyard, and his grandmother was calling him home for dinner.

And I loved him, too. Just in a different way; but I loved him nonetheless.

Suddenly, my wolf’s strength surged through me, as though that look was what I needed.

As though running on autopilot, I rose to my feet, ignoring the blood trickling down my temple and onto my shirt.