Wolves of Betrayal

Chapter : 33. Howl of hope..

Amara’s heart leaped in her chest. She knew that howl. She knew that voice. It was Darius. It had to be.

Killian’s face twisted with confusion, and he turned toward the sound, his eyes narrowing. “What the hell—”

Amara used Killian’s momentary distraction to push herself up, her body trembling with effort. She knew she had only a few seconds to act. Every muscle screamed in protest, and her vision blurred, but she forced herself to stand. She wasn’t going to give up now—not with the distant sound of Darius’s howl ringing in her ears, cutting through the darkness like a blade.

He came for me, she thought, her chest tightening with a mixture of disbelief and hope. He’s really here.

Killian turned back to her, his face contorted with a mixture of fury and annoyance. “Still fighting, are we?” he sneered, his lip curling with disdain. “You should’ve stayed down when you had the chance, Amara. Now I’m going to make sure you regret every second you’ve defied me.”

Amara squared her shoulders, swallowing back the bile rising in her throat. She was exhausted, her body battered and bruised, but she refused to back down. She could feel the adrenaline kicking in, numbing some of the pain, sharpening her focus. Darius was coming, and she needed to hold out until he arrived. She needed to survive.

Killian lunged at her again, this time with the full intent of overpowering her completely. His fists swung wildly, each strike a furious attempt to break her down. Amara dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a blow to her head, and countered with a kick to his shin. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to throw him off balance for a moment.

“You little—” he growled, his eyes flashing with rage.

Amara knew she was outmatched in strength, but she could use his anger against him. Every move Killian made was driven by his arrogance, his confidence that he would win. If she could stay on her feet just a little longer, keep him off balance, she might just make it. She remembered what Darius had taught her—keep moving, make them come to you, and use their momentum against them.

Killian swung again, this time catching her in the side with a heavy punch. Pain flared through her ribs, but she twisted away, using his own weight to shove him off balance. He stumbled, cursing under his breath, and Amara took the opportunity to strike him in the back of the knee with an elbow, driving him down onto one leg.

“Fight back all you want,” he spat, his voice a venomous hiss as he straightened himself. “You’re just delaying the inevitable.”

Amara didn’t respond. She focused on her breathing, on keeping her hands up and her stance firm. She knew she was fading, the energy slipping away from her with every movement. Her vision swam, and she blinked hard to clear it. She could feel the blood trickling down her face, her side aching with every breath. She was running out of time.

Killian rushed at her with renewed fury, his face twisted with murderous intent. She sidestepped him, narrowly avoiding his grasp, but he was quicker than she anticipated. He spun around, backhanding her across the face. She staggered, her head snapping to the side, and for a moment, her vision went black. She barely caught herself before falling, her legs threatening to give out.

“Getting tired, are we?” Killian taunted, moving in closer, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Good. I want to see you break, Amara. I want to watch you fall apart.”

Amara’s breaths came in shallow, painful gasps. She could feel the darkness closing in around her, her body screaming for rest. But she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t let him win. Not now. Not when she knew Darius was out there, coming for her.

I need to hold on, she thought, the desperation clawing at her insides. Just a little longer…

Killian advanced again, this time with a more calculated approach. His eyes never left her, watching her every move, looking for the moment she would falter. She could see the sadistic glee in his eyes, the way he relished her pain. He lunged, aiming for her throat, but she ducked under his arm, twisting away and landing a weak punch to his ribs.

But she was too slow. He grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back toward him. She cried out in pain, her scalp burning as he pulled her close. “I’m going to enjoy breaking you all over again,” he whispered in her ear, his breath hot and rancid.

Before she could react, he slammed her head against the wall. Stars burst in her vision, and she felt herself slipping, the strength draining from her limbs. She tried to stay upright, to keep her hands up, but her arms felt like lead, her body weighed down by exhaustion and pain.

No… I can’t… I can’t lose now…

Killian leaned in, his grip still tight in her hair, and sneered. “Look at you. You think you’re so strong, don’t you? But you’re still just a weak, broken omega. You’ll never be anything more.”

Amara’s vision blurred with tears of pain and frustration. Her body felt like it was on fire, every nerve screaming in agony. She was slipping, her strength waning, but deep inside, she felt that spark again—the same spark that had pushed her to fight back in the first place.

I’m not weak, she thought fiercely. I won’t let him win.

With a surge of adrenaline, she twisted her body, slamming her elbow into his face. She felt the satisfying crunch of bone as his nose broke under the impact. Killian howled in pain, stumbling back and releasing her. She staggered away, her breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps.

“YOU b***h!” he screamed, his face contorted with fury. Blood streamed from his nose, and his eyes were wild with rage. “I’ll kill you for that!”

Amara knew she was out of time. She had to keep him off her, had to hold out just a little longer. She could hear the sounds of movement outside, the distant growls and snarls of wolves. The pack was here. Darius was here. She just had to survive until they reached her.

Killian charged at her again, and she barely managed to dodge his first swing. His second caught her in the stomach, doubling her over with a pained gasp. She fell to her knees, her vision darkening at the edges, but she forced herself back up, stumbling, swaying. She couldn’t go down. Not yet.

She could hear the chaos outside growing louder—the howls, the sounds of battle, the war cries of wolves. She had to believe it was the Nightshade Pack. She had to believe that Darius was coming for her.

Killian lunged again, his hands reaching for her throat, but she swatted them away, weakly but effectively. She kicked him in the shin, buying herself a few more seconds as he cursed and stumbled. She could feel herself fading, her body on the verge of collapse, but she held on, digging deep for every last bit of strength she had left.

Suddenly, a powerful howl cut through the air—loud, clear, and filled with fury. Darius’s howl. The sound sent a jolt of energy through her, a burst of hope that reignited the fire inside her.

Killian heard it too, and his face twisted with rage and panic. “No… no, they wouldn’t dare!” he growled, his voice tinged with disbelief. He turned back to Amara, his eyes blazing. “What did you do?!”

Amara could barely stand, her body swaying with exhaustion, but a small, defiant smile tugged at her lips. “You’re not… going to win,” she whispered, her voice weak but steady. “Not this time.”

The door to the dungeon burst open, the wooden frame splintering under the force of a powerful kick. Darius stood there, his eyes blazing with fury, his chest heaving with breath. Behind him, the warriors of the Nightshade Pack poured in, their eyes fixed on Killian with murderous intent.

“Get away from her,” Darius snarled, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

Killian’s face twisted with rage and panic, but before he could react, Darius launched himself at him with a feral snarl. Amara’s legs finally gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, her vision going dark as the sounds of battle erupted around her. She knew she was safe now, that Darius had come for her. And as her consciousness faded, she allowed herself one last thought—a small, flickering hope.

I’m going to make it.