Chapter 52. Fight!

Ally's POV

"James, please." My voice cracks, betraying the turmoil within. "Remember who you are. You are the future Alpha, our pack's hope. Don't let her lies destroy you."

But the brother I implore is veiled behind a mask of spite, a puppet tangled in Poppy's web. He lunges again, his movements telegraphed by years of sparring together, yet each blow I evade is an ache in my heart.

"Fight, damn you!" He roars, the sound echoing off the trees, hollow and desolate.

Tears blur my vision, not for the pain or the fear, but for the loss of the boy who once stood by my side against any threat. The boy who has been twisted into a weapon aimed at my heart.

"Remember when we were kids, James? When we'd race to the edge of the clearing, Dawn and Rune leading the way?" I dodge another strike, my voice steady despite the chaos. "We were inseparable, unbeatable. We were family."

"