Chapter 105
The air was sharp with tension as I led our group through the dense forest, my beta Chris close on my heels. We’d been tracking Jacob for days, and finally, his trail had led us here—to a crumbling house on the outskirts of town. The scent was fresh, practically leading us by the nose. Too easy, too deliberate.
“It’s a trap,” Chris said, voicing the thought that had been circling in my mind.
“Or he’s cocky,” I replied. “Either way, we’re ending this today.”
The house loomed before us, its decayed frame looking as though it might collapse under its own weight. I paused, taking in the structure. It was unfamiliar to me, but I knew its significance. Jacob had grown up here, trapped in a broken home with a mother who had borne the brunt of our father’s failures.
While I’d been raised with love and support, Jacob’s life had been forged in resentment and neglect. Our father had chosen my mother—discarding his—and Jacob had never forgiven either of us for it.
“Surround the perimeter,” I ordered Chris. He signaled the pack warriors, and they fanned out silently into the woods.
Chris looked back at me. “You sure you don’t want to wait for reinforcements?”
I shook my head. “The longer we wait, the more time he has to plan his next move. We end this now.”
The front door creaked as I pushed it open, the stale air within carrying the scent of mildew and decay. My boots crunched against broken glass as I stepped inside, my eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering through boarded-up windows. The house was a skeleton of itself, the walls peeling and the floors warped, but it still bore the scars of its history. A few faded photos hung crookedly on the wall, the faces within barely visible beneath layers of grime.
Jacob was sitting in a battered armchair in the corner of the room, a glass of whiskey in his hand and a smirk on his face. His dark hair was disheveled, his sharp features etched with bitterness.
“So,” he drawled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “The golden boy graces me with his presence. Welcome to my humble abode.”
I took a step forward, my fists clenching at my sides. “Jacob. This ends now. Whatever vendetta you have against me, against the pack, it stops here.”
Jacob chuckled, low and humorless. “Vendetta? Is that what you think this is? No, brother, this is justice. You and your precious pack will pay for what our father did to me and my mother.”
I met his gaze, refusing to flinch. “What happened to you wasn’t fair. I know that. But killing innocent people won’t change the past, Jacob. It only makes you the monster you claim to hate.”
His smirk disappeared, replaced by a snarl. “Don’t you dare preach to me, Jake. You have no idea what it was like growing up here, watching her waste away while he played house with your perfect family. You had everything—everything—and we were nothing.”
My voice softened, but I didn’t let my guard down. “She was your mother, Jacob. She deserved better. But this? This isn’t what she would’ve wanted.”
Jacob’s eyes blazed with fury as he shot to his feet, the glass in his hand shattering under his grip. “Don’t talk about what she would’ve wanted. You didn’t know her. You didn’t see what he did to her, how he broke her piece by piece. But don’t worry, brother—I’m going to make you feel every ounce of her pain.”
Before I could respond, shadows moved in the corners of the room. Men emerged from the darkness, their eyes glinting with malice. Jacob’s followers. I growled low in my throat as Chris and our warriors burst through the door, engaging the attackers in a flurry of violence.
Jacob and I barely spared them a glance. This was between us.
“You want to fight me, Jacob? Fine.” I shifted, my body snapping and contorting as I transformed into my wolf. My fur bristled, my claws digging into the wooden floor as I bared my teeth. “Let’s settle this.”
Jacob’s grin was feral as he followed suit, his wolf form a dark mirror of my own. His fur was nearly black, his eyes gleaming with rage as he lunged at me.
We collided with bone-crushing force, the impact sending us crashing through the wall and into the yard.
The fight was brutal, a clash of raw strength and pent-up fury. Jacob was fast, his movements fueled by hatred and years of resentment. He came at me again and again, his claws raking across my side, his teeth snapping dangerously close to my throat.
But I wasn’t just fighting for myself. I was fighting for my pack, for Priscilla, for the future Jacob wanted to destroy. I met each of his attacks with unrelenting force, driving him back with every strike.
“You’re weaker than I thought,” Jacob taunted, his voice echoing in my mind. “Is this the best the great Alpha Jake can do?”
I didn’t waste energy on a response. Instead, I feinted to the left, drawing him in before slamming my body into his with enough force to send him skidding across the ground.
He recovered quickly, snarling as he lunged again. This time, I was ready. I sidestepped his attack, snapping at his flank and sinking my teeth into his leg. Jacob howled in pain, twisting to free himself, but I didn’t let go.
With a burst of strength, I threw him into a tree, the trunk cracking under the impact. Jacob collapsed to the ground, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. But even now, he refused to give up.
“You’re just like him,” he spat, his voice filled with venom. “Arrogant. Self-righteous. You think you’re better than me, but you’re not.”
“I never thought I was better than you,” I growled. “I wanted us to be brothers. But you made your choice.”
Jacob charged at me one last time, his movements sluggish but desperate. I met him head-on, our bodies colliding in a final, violent clash. My teeth found his throat, and I bit down, cutting off his snarled curses as his life drained away.
\---
When the fight was over, I stood over Jacob’s lifeless body, my chest heaving as I shifted back into my human form. Chris approached cautiously, his expression grim.
“It’s done,” I said, my voice hollow.
Chris nodded. “The others are retreating. The pack is safe.”
I looked down at Jacob, a pang of regret cutting through the haze of victory. Despite everything, he had been my brother.
“Let’s go home,” I said finally, turning away. “There’s someone I need to see.”
When I returned to the pack house, the sight of Priscilla waiting for me was a balm to my battered soul. She ran to me, her eyes widening as she took in my injuries.
“You’re hurt,” she said, her voice trembling.
“I’ve had worse,” I replied, pulling her into my arms. “But you—you promised you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
She winced, guilt flashing across her face. “I might have... bent that promise a little.”
I sighed, my annoyance melting away as I looked into her eyes. “You took care of Jenna. I can’t say I’m thrilled, but I’m proud of you, Prisca.”
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