A Werewolf's Unexpected Mate-Chapter 71: Claws and Chains

Ace’s POV

The enchanted chain whirled through the air between us, its blackened links pulsing with an eerie violet glow. The metallic tang of dark magic stung my nostrils, mixing with the coppery scent of blood and sweat hanging heavy in the clearing. My hackles rose as the bandit alpha’s claws flexed around the weapon’s handle, his knuckles cracking with the movement.

"You really think that toy’s gonna stop me?" The growl rumbled up from my chest, vibrating through my fangs. Every muscle in my body tightened, ready to spring.

The alpha’s laughter rolled through the trees like distant thunder. "You’re just a whelp playing at being alpha." His yellowed fangs glistened with saliva. "I’ll snap your spine before moonhigh."

The chain lashed out with a whip-crack sound, its magic leaving afterimages in the air. I twisted sideways, but the tip still grazed my shoulder. White-hot pain spiderwebbed through my nerves, making my vision flash. My claws tore deep furrows in the earth as I recovered, the damp soil cool beneath my paws.

"You move like an old wolf," I taunted, circling him. My voice carried just enough edge to make his ears flatten. "Was that your best strike? Or are you already winded?"

A roar ripped from his throat as he swung again—wild, reckless. I dropped low, feeling the displaced air ruffle my fur as the chain passed overhead. My hind legs propelled me behind him before he could recover. One precise kick to the back of his knee sent him staggering. My claws raked down his back, leaving four parallel gashes that welled crimson.

"Yield," I commanded, the alpha tone resonating through the clearing.

He whirled with surprising speed, the chain whistling toward my head. My paw shot up instinctively. The moment the metal touched my gloves, I yanked hard. His eyes widened as his balance failed. My other fist connected with his jaw with a sickening crunch.

The alpha collapsed like a felled tree, his massive body shaking the ground. I knelt beside him, the magic chain’s hum vibrating through my bones as I secured his wrists. "All that killing intent," I murmured, wiping blood from my knuckles, "and you go down in three moves." The links clicked shut with finality, and his form shrank back into human shape.

My breath fogged in steady clouds as I rose, surveying the aftermath. Unconscious bandits lay secured, the witch restrained, our team bearing only minor wounds. A surge of satisfaction warmed my chest—until a familiar prickling sensation crawled up my spine.

My wolf senses screamed in warning.

Approaching danger.

Witches, yes—but also... werewolves?

Ray’s ears twitched violently, his orange eyes narrowing to slits. Ann’s nostrils flared as she scented the wind, her claws unsheathing reflexively. They felt it too.

Philip spun his daggers, his brow furrowing. "What? Why are you all making faces like someone died?" His human senses couldn’t detect the approaching threat.

Ann’s fur bristled along her spine. "Stay sharp," she snapped, her voice like cracking ice. "They’re coming."

Ray’s tail lashed once before stilling. "Ace, we should release the prisoners. They’re werewolves—they could fight with us." His tone was measured, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed his urgency.

My jaw clenched. "No." The word came out harsher than intended. I forced my voice softer. "I won’t risk their lives. They’ve suffered enough." The image of returning broken bodies to Chief Gareth made my stomach churn.

Ray exhaled sharply through his nose, his claws digging into his palms. "One moment you’re a ruthless prince, the next you’re softer than spring grass." His ears flattened in frustration. "I’ll never understand you."

A humorless chuckle escaped me. If only he knew how alike we truly were. From the corner of my eye, Ann and Philip exchanged glances, lips pressed tight against amused smiles.

Then the approaching presences became unmistakable—multiple witches and werewolves closing in from all sides. My heart lurched violently.

Ovelia.

Before I could move, Ann was already a streak of black fur racing toward where we’d left her. Ray, Philip, and I formed a defensive triangle, backs pressed together as we scanned the treeline.

The first figures emerged—hollow-eyed werewolves flanked by witches in dark robes. My claws extended fully, a growl building in my chest.

Please. Let Ovelia be safe.

Ovelia’s POV

The distant sounds of battle had quieted when Ann came sprinting toward me, her powerful legs tearing through the underbrush. Even in her werewolf form, I could read the urgency in her black eyes—the way her ears pinned back, the tension in her bared teeth. My fingers instinctively tightened around Ace’s sword hilt.

"Ovelia, draw your sword. Now." Lady Firera’s voice sliced through my thoughts like a steel.

Then I heard it - the crunch of leaves under heavy paws. The hair on my neck stood straight as a low, rumbling growl vibrated through the air. My breath hitched. This was exactly like before. That same primal fear crawled up my spine, freezing my limbs.

Slowly, so slowly, I turned.

A massive black werewolf emerged from the shadows, his matted fur glistening in the moonlight. His fangs dripped saliva as he sniffed the air between us. My knees locked. Ace’s sword felt impossibly heavy at my side. Why couldn’t I move?

The werewolf stopped just an arm’s length away, his rancid breath washing over me. "Those red eyes..." He tilted his head, nostrils flaring. "They’re familiar. But no matter—you die tonight."

Red eyes? What was special about—

A sudden warmth flooded my veins, melting the ice in my limbs. The fear evaporated like morning mist.

"Lady Firera?" I thought desperately.

Her voice answered in my mind, clear but strained: "Fight him until Ann arrives. I’m already lending you my strength—but not for long."

The werewolf’s claws flashed toward my throat. My arms moved without thought—Ace’s sword arced up with a metallic *shing*, meeting the attack in a shower of sparks. The impact rattled my teeth, but the blade held firm. The werewolf’s eyes widened in shock.

I adjusted my stance, copying Ace’s sword-fighting posture—knees bent, blade angled. The sword felt lighter now, like an extension of my arm.

The werewolf’s surprise twisted into a grotesque grin. "Strong for a human bitch," he sneered. "Let’s see how long you last." His next swing came faster, claws whistling through the air.

"Block left!" Lady Firera commanded.

Steel met claw again with a bone-jarring *clang*. Attack after attack rained down—each parry sent shockwaves up my arms, my muscles screaming in protest. My boots slid backward in the dirt from the sheer force. I could only defend, each block making my arms heavier, my reactions slower.

The werewolf’s laughter echoed through the trees as he pressed his advantage, his strikes coming faster, harder. My breath came in ragged gasps, the sword’s hilt slippery with sweat.

"Hold on," Lady Firera urged. "Just a little longer."

"You’re quick for a human!" he taunted, his fangs glistening with saliva. His amusement only made my grip on the sword hilt tighten until my knuckles turned white.

I saw my chance—a brief opening in his stance. With all my strength, I swung the blade toward his chest. Steel met flesh with a sickening *crunch*, but his massive arm intercepted the strike. Dark blood welled around the wound, yet his muscles clamped down on the blade like a vice. I pulled with everything I had, but the sword wouldn’t budge.

When I looked up, the werewolf was grinning down at me, his breath hot and rancid against my face.

"Ovelia, drop the sword! Get back now!" Lady Firera’s mental shout pierced through my panic.

Too late.

The werewolf’s free arm swung in a wide arc. The impact sent me flying backward, the world spinning in a blur of trees and sky. I curled into a ball, bracing for the crushing impact—but then, an unexpected gust of wind cushioned my fall, softening the blow just enough to spare my bones.

As I crumpled to the forest floor, a terrible numbness spread through my limbs. The borrowed strength drained away, leaving only raw terror in its wake.

"I’m sorry, Ovelia," Lady Firera’s voice sounded distant, strained. "I can’t lend you any more strength today."

The werewolf advanced slowly, savoring my fear. "This was fun, but—"

A black blur shot from the trees. Ann’s powerful kick connected with the werewolf’s ribs, sending him crashing into a nearby oak. She didn’t let up - punch after brutal punch rained down until his body went limp.

"Finally," Lady Firera sighed in relief.

Ann was at my side in an instant, her black eyes scanning me for injuries. "Lady Ovelia, are you hurt?" Her voice carried barely-contained panic.

I opened my mouth to respond when a guttural laugh cut through the night. The black werewolf stirred, his clawed hand snapping around Ann’s ankle. "Did you really think that would keep me down?" he sneered.

From the tree line, a witch’s shrill voice rang out: "Electro-Blast!"

Blue lightning crackled through the air, illuminating the forest in an eerie glow. Time seemed to stretch and warp as the deadly energy surged toward us.

"LADY OVELIA!!" Ann’s scream echoed in my ears. She lunged for me, fingers outstretched—just as the werewolf yanked her backward with brutal force, her claws carving furrows in the earth as she fought against his grip.

Tears burned hot trails down my cheeks. My entire life flashed before me—the childhood beatings absorbed in silence, my small hands clutching my knees in dark closets where no one would hear me cry. The nights I’d press my ear against my non-biological parents’ door, praying for even a whisper of affection, only to hear nothing but suffocating silence.

Then there was Ace—the man who had once been my tormentor, forcing himself into my life, my body, and then ripping his heart away from me. He had chosen another, and that betrayal cut deeper than any wound. And yet, despite it all, here I was—my heart aching, my soul unraveling—falling deeper into the cruel pull of fate. Because no matter what he had done, no matter how he had hurt me... he was still my mate.

The world dissolved into white nothingness. Before me stood Lady Firera, her crimson hair and eyes mirroring my own. In her hands rested a sealed box wrapped in chains, pulsing with forbidden power. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"While I’m sealed inside you, I can’t save us," she said, her voice heavy with grim certainty. "The only way is to release my power. But if you do this, you can never return to being fully human."

What did she mean? Am I not really human?

"Isn’t there another way?" My voice trembled.

"I wish there were." She extended the box toward me. "If we want to live, you must open this. Now."

A sharp voice shattered the vision: "What are you doing? Snap out of it!"

Reality crashed back with brutal clarity. The Electro-Blast still raced toward me, its deadly light casting long shadows across the forest floor. My chest tightened—not with fear, but with something worse: the certainty of it. No sprint, no desperate dodge, no last-second miracle. Just the raw, inevitable truth: This is how it ends.

A laugh tore from my throat, jagged and broken. Death had come hunting, and I was out of time.