Chapter 44. The Final Stand

Stella POV

“You’re the only obstacle left,” Mia growled, her voice thick with hatred. “Because of your existence, the Moon Goddess can still interfere. She’s stopping me from fully controlling my army.”

The earth quaked beneath her fury as she slammed her fists into my protective barrier again. The undead soldiers behind her clawed at the edges, but they couldn’t breach it—and she was losing patience.

Without warning, her hands closed around my throat, and fire coursed through my body. My limbs flailed, vision darkening at the edges. Her grip tightened, and that twisted smile of hers burned into my memory—vile, triumphant, cruel.

“I will rule this world,” she hissed, her eyes wild with power. “Every wolf. Every Lycan. All will kneel. I’ve been overlooked and underestimated all my life. No more.”

Pain surged... but so did something else.

A spark.

A surge of power ignited deep inside me. Instead of slipping into unconsciousnes