I felt the moment that Grace left my side and I tossed my head to see as she rocketed off towards the back of the pack. I was confused about why until I saw the enemy racing for the scouts at the back. I barked at Marshall to catch his attention. He looked to me and I tossed my head in Grace's direction. He turned to see then without more prompting took off after Grace who was now fighting with another wolf.

I felt torn between going after my mate and fighting with the others against my father. I didn't get a chance to decide because a large body collided into me, tossing me to the ground. My body tumbled a couple times before coming to a halt. I shook my head as I tried to recover my awareness as I pushed up off the ground. I could hear the sounds of wolves fighting around me and I rose to see that the battle was raging all around.

A wolf charged at me from the masses and I jump backwards to avoid its attack before rushing forward with my own attack. My teeth skimmed its shoulder as it twisted to the side to escape being caught. A rush of pain ripped threw me and I threw my head back in a howl of surprise. I turned with wild eyes to see my brother Constantine at my back. I snarled at him but my attention was called away when the wolf who had been attacking me perviously caught my flank with his claws. I twisted quickly snapping my teeth as fury rippled through me.

Constantine used the distraction to his advantage and bit into my back leg shaking his head back and forth vigorously. I was trying to fight off the other wolf working alongside him. Constantine yanked hard and my legs gave out underneath me. My body slammed down into the ground and I twisted to the side snapping my teeth, trying to get to my brother. He dragged me a couple of feet before I was able to turn my body enough to kick out at him with my free leg.

My claws burrowed into his muzzle as I kicked, slicing him open. He let go me with an angry yelp, tossing me away. I rolled through the dirt as the pain raced up my leg, and I was sure that it must be broken. A familiar growl and heavy presence waved in over me and my body trembled as if I had been thrown back in time. A time to when I was only a pup and my father would punish me for my unruly wolf. My eyes blinked as I stared up into the dark eyes of my father.

My father towered over me in his wolf form and I rolled over onto my stomach, trying to protect my soft spots from him as I scurried across the ground. He leapt forward and sunk his teeth into my neck, biting down hard. I let out a howl as I dug my crawls into the ground to slow him down as he began to drag me backwards away from the others. He was going to kill me If I didn't do something soon. My back leg was too messed up to be useful, Constantine had made sure of that.

A howl of anger had me peering to see Lennicks charging through the frenzying crowd of snapping teeth and sharp claws. His legs carrying him swiftly towards us. His eyes were full of hatred as he broke through the crowd and threw his body full force into our father. My father jerked me with him when he was thrown off. I hit the ground on my side, shaking my head I pulled myself up off the ground with my good legs.

I turned to see my father and Lennicks circling each other slowly. My father lunged forward snapping his teeth causing Lennicks to jump backwards out of the way. I'd seen the attack many times as a child when my father had tired to tame my wolf and make him submit. It always led to me being ambushed by one of his captains. I watched as Constantine appeared out of the masses catching Lennicks in the shoulder and yanking him down to the ground. My ears flattened against my head and my heart froze in my chest as our father leapt forward at the opportunity.

His teeth buried themselves into Lennicks while Constantine held him down. The blood splashed across his white fur, turning it to shades of pink. I stood silently watching the scene before me unable to move, the sounds of death were the only things I could hear. Lennicks was going to die because he had tried to save me from our father.

"SILVER! What the hell are you doing? FINISH THIS!" Grace's voice broke through the trance and I turned my head to see her standing in her human form. Splashes of blood running down her body making her look like a goddess of war. She stood proudly among the chaos, behind her stood a large gathering of wolves ready attack. When the enemy spotted her charging towards her my heart clenched with fear but she shifted and caught her intended attacker. At that the wolves that she had at her command rushed forward like a tsunami of impending death.

My wolf snapped us back into action at the sight and words of my mate. I ignored the pain of my leg and pushed forward turning back to my family. I couldn't let them kill Lennicks, he might be a right bastard but he had protected me and fought to save my pack. I hobbled towards the frenzy and bit down onto my fathers flank. I sunk my teeth in deep before I dropped my weight towards the ground hoping to pull him free from Lennicks.

He landed on top of me and started snapping his teeth at me over and over like a rabid beast. I could feel every rip and tear of his sharp teeth through my flesh but I wasn't going to give up. I released him and used my strength to butt him away with a toss of my head. He landed in the dirt a couple feet from me, attempting to shake off the attack. I didn't want to give him the chance to recover. I went for him again. This time my teeth plunged into his shoulder. Over and over again, I released and went back for another bite. The taste of his blood sending me into a blood thirsty haze.

I didn't notice that Constantine had made a move towards me, leaving Lennicks to whatever fate awaited him from his wounds. The yelp of agonizing pain had me tossing my head up to find Constantine shaking his head, blood oozing down from his left eye. Grace stood protectively in front of me with her fur bristled up and her head hanging low ready to attack again.

I turned my eyes back down to see that my father was puffing short labor breaths. His body looked like a mangled mess of bite wounds that I knew I had inflicted. He was dying, and nothing could stop that now. I took a step back from my work in shock out my own work. Grace tossed a brief look in my direction and I could see the softened look in her wolfs eyes. I looked away from her when I noticed the silence that surrounded us.

Around us were no longer wolves but humans covered in the enemies blood. We had already won the battle and the enemy who hadn't died where on there knees with there neck outstretched in submission.

Kale appeared out of the parting gathering, his face hard as he spotted the monarch dying at my feet. When he got closer a growl erupted from my chest and he froze looking to me with slight hesitance. I'm not sure why I did it but I didn't want him anywhere near my father—this was my kill.

"Silver—" Grace's sweet voice drifted to my ears. I turned to see her standing with her head tilted to the side. Her eyes questioning, "You don't have to do this if you don't want too. I know you hate the man but it doesn't change that he's your father. No matter how evil he might be..."

"You kill our father and I promise I'll gut your stupid bitch when I get free." Constantine growled behind her. She turned around quickly to my younger brother and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him over into the dirt. She stood over him as she pressed her foot to his throat, "If you want to continue breathing for even a moment longer I would rethink your little show of authority. You are nothing now and your pure blood won't save you anymore. You're surrounded by men who want nothing more then to hang you up by your own intestines. I'm the only thing standing between them and you—" Constantine stared up at her with his good eye but kept his mouth shut.

I closed my eyes and let the shift take me. I could feel my skin pulling tight as my bones realigned themselves. I sagged to the ground when it was over, kneeling beside my fathers body. He released a weak growl, showing me his teeth but I knew he was to tired to be a threat to me now. I reached out with my hand and touched his bloody fur, "You were a terrible leader and an even worse human being. You caused the suffering of innocence for your own aims. You never deserved to be king—" I whispered.

I reached my hand into his fur and gripped it tightly as I lifted his head into my arms. His growl rumbled through my body as I wrapped my arms around his thick neck, "Consider this a final wish from my mother—I'll take your life as payment for all the suffering you've caused, as is your right as king. I imagine the Goddess won't be so forgiving when you meet her..." My eyes filled with unshed tears as I thought of the people who had lost and suffered because of my father. All the years of carrying that weight was lifted as I tightened my arms around his neck and twisted of my body.

Justice was served as I released father and his dead weight crashed into the dirt. There was a moment of silence before the howls of victory echoed up around me. I could feel the thunder and sizzle of the energy that raced through everyone. I remained kneeling in the dirt next to my dead father and king. An electric pulse rushed through me as a hand touched my shoulder. I turned my head to see Grace getting on her knees beside me, her grey eyes focused completely on me.

"We made it through—" She whispered to me, "We're both alive and we are together..."

"There is so much more we have to worry about now. I mean I'm king—I have—" Her fingers pressed to my lips, silencing me.

"We can save those worries for tomorrow. Today we can join the others in celebration of our victory." She encouraged. I heard the sound of a heavy groan. I turned my eyes to see Lennicks standing with his hand cradling his wounded arm, "God I really wanted to be the one to kill him—" He complained, "You're always stealing my thunder little brother."

"I thought you were dead—" I replied dryly.

Lennicks scoffed, "As if I would die and miss out on the opportunity to boast about how I saved the new kings life in battle. Now excuse me I have to go rub it in that alpha's kales face--the prick..." He hobbled away towards the cheerful crowd as they gathered up the remaining enemy. I rolled my eyes, turning my gaze back toward Grace at the sound of her laughter. A soft smile played on her lips and even though there was blood splattered across her face from the fight, it did nothing to diminish her beauty. In fact it was somehow more precious to me. She stood out like a ray of everlasting hope in a land of blood and bone.

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Song: God's Gonna Cut You Down--Johnny Cash