A Werewolf's Unexpected Mate-Chapter 69: Ember’s Fury

Ovelia’s POV

The fireball roared toward us, its searing heat making the air shimmer. My muscles locked, my breath trapped in my chest as the orange glow illuminated Ace’s horrified expression. Time slowed - this was how I would die, burned alive in some nameless forest.

"Ovelia!" Lady Firera’s voice cracked through my mind like a whip.

Then the world lurched. Ace’s arms crushed around me, his claws pricking through my clothes as he yanked me sideways. The fireball exploded where we’d stood moments before, the concussion slamming into my back like a physical blow. Heat seared my skin even as Ace shielded me with his body, the scent of singed fur stinging my nose.

"Damn it all!" Ace snarled as he set me down, his hands trembling against my shoulders. The flames’ reflection danced in his silver eyes - not just anger, but raw fear. For me. His claws retracted carefully, leaving tiny pinpricks in my sleeves but not my skin.

Ray was already moving, his silver-orange pelt rippling with tension. "They’re coming," he growled, low and lethal. His claws scraped against tree bark as he braced to spring forward.

Philip flipped his daggers, the blades catching the firelight. "Khaleed and the witch are mine," he said, all traces of his usual humor gone. His knuckles whitened around the hilts.

Ace gave a sharp nod, his jaw working. "Go. Don’t die." The words came out ragged.

Then his hands were on me again, warm and steady despite the chaos. "Ovelia." My name sounded like a prayer on his lips. "Stay. Here." Each word deliberate, his claws gently pressing into my shoulders as if to root me in place.

He reached for his sword at my hip but stopped, his fingers brushing mine. "Keep it," he murmured, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. The blade felt heavy against my thigh - both comfort and burden.

"Come back safe," I whispered. My voice didn’t shake.

Ace’s attention snapped to Ann. "They’ve scented you," he said, his tone shifting to battlefield crisp. "You’ll need distance from Ovelia to fight properly. But keep her in sight."

Ann’s ears flattened in determination. "Understood."

Then Ace did something that stole what little breath I had left - his lips pressed against my forehead, quick but searing. His fur tickled my nose, his scent wrapping around me. The kiss lasted less than a second, but it burned hotter than any witch’s fire. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Then he was gone, swallowed by the smoke and shadows.

The sudden emptiness ached worse than any wound. Clutching Ace’s sword, I watched the battle unfold through gaps in the trees - flashes of silver fur, bursts of orange flame. Ann stood guard several paces away, her growls blending with the chaos.

A childish thought bubbled up: Why does he always leave me behind? I crushed it immediately. He wasn’t abandoning me - he was trusting Ann to protect what he held most dear while he fought for everyone else. That was his duty. And mine was to be strong enough to bear it.

I slapped my cheeks - once, twice. The sting grounded me. Ace’s sword felt lighter in my grip as I straightened my spine. I would not be the weak link. Not today.

Ace’s POV

Each step away from Ovelia sent fresh waves of agony through my chest. My claws extended fully, digging deep grooves in the earth as I ran. The wolf inside me raged, its primal instincts screaming to turn back, to protect our mate. I swallowed the growl building in my throat and forced my legs to keep moving forward.

"Ann!" My voice came out sharper than intended, edged with barely contained fury. She matched my pace effortlessly, her dark fur blending with the shadows. "We take them alive if possible. No unnecessary killing."

Her ears twitched backward, nostrils flaring as she shot me a sideways glance. The moonlight caught the glint of her extended claws. "Understood, Sir Ace," she said, though her voice carried the unspoken ’but’. The tension in her shoulders spoke volumes - for an assassin, restraint required more effort than surrender to bloodlust.

The hideout clearing erupted into chaos as we burst through the tree line. Philip danced between Khaleed’s wild strikes, his daggers flashing like silver fish in a stream. Ray moved through the bandits like a storm, his silver-and-orange pelt streaking through the darkness as bodies crumpled around him.

Then I saw her.

The witch stood apart from the fray, her green-streaked hair limp in the humid air. Her wand snapped up the moment our eyes met, lips curling around the incantation: "Pyrus!"

The flaming arrow hissed through the night, its heat searing my cheek as I twisted away. But the distraction cost me. A crushing weight slammed into my side - the Alpha’s fist connecting with my jaw with a sickening crack.

The world tilted. My back collided with a tree trunk, bark splintering under the impact. The coppery taste of blood flooded my mouth. I spat a glob of crimson onto the dirt, wiping my muzzle with the back of my hand. When I looked up, the Alpha loomed over me, his matted fur reeking of old blood and arrogance.

A feral grin split my lips, my canines gleaming in the firelight. "My turn," I growled. The words vibrated with the wolf’s fury as I pushed off the tree, muscles coiling for retaliation.

Ann’s POV

Three unconscious bandits lay sprawled at my feet, their chests rising and falling in steady rhythm. My claws retracted with a soft click as I scanned the battlefield. Ray stood rigid a few yards away, his silver-and-orange fur bristling as he glared at the witch. Two hulking werewolves stood guarding her, their claws glinting in the firelight.

I flexed my fingers, feeling the dried blood crack between my claws. If I could eliminate the witch, Ray could clear the remaining bandits without magical interference. My gaze flicked to Philip - sweat plastered his hair to his forehead as he parried Khaleed’s spear thrusts. Though his movements remained precise, I saw the tremor in his arms from sustained effort.

"Philip!" My shout cut through the clang of steel. He ducked under a wild swing, turning just enough to meet my eyes. "The witch is mine," I said, jerking my chin toward the green-haired figure. "Focus on your prey."

Relief washed over his face as he nodded. "Go. Watch her spells." He barely finished speaking before spinning to block another attack.

My paws sank into the soft earth as I stalked toward the witch. Every sense sharpened - the acrid tang of magic in the air, the whisper of leaves underfoot, the rapid pulse visible in the witch’s throat. My claws extended again, their curved tips catching the moonlight. Alive. I needed her alive.

Philip’s POV

The witch should have been my target, but Ann’s intervention let me concentrate on the real prize - Khaleed. My daggers felt heavier with each parry, the muscles in my arms burning from the relentless assault.

"Is that all you’ve got?" Khaleed’s laughter grated against my ears as his spear whirled in a deadly arc. "Hahaha! Should’ve stuck to your market stall, merchant."

The taunt stung, but I kept my breathing steady. "I won’t take bait from a traitor," I spat, pivoting to avoid a thrust aimed at my gut.

Khaleed’s face twisted in rage. "I’m no traitor!" he roared. His spear tip flashed toward my face. I jerked back, but not fast enough - white-hot pain flared across my cheekbone as the blade grazed skin. Warm blood trickled down my jaw.

"You allied with bandits! How is that not—" My words died as the witch’s shrill incantation cut through the air.

"Ignis Serpentis!"

A flaming serpent erupted toward me, its heat blistering my skin even from feet away. My dagger slashed upward on instinct. The fire creature burst apart in a shower of sparks that stung my exposed skin. The explosion’s force knocked me backward, my boots skidding through dirt.

Wiping blood from my cheek, I adjusted my grip on the daggers. Khaleed’s smug grin fueled the fire in my chest. Merchant? Weak? I’d show him what this merchant could do.