Cayden snorted and waved a dismissive hand. "As if I give a fuck," he drawled softly.
"This time I won't leave you, Hawk. I'll rip your fucking heart out and watch you suffer," Cayden sneered, his eyes filled with a chilling determination.
"Really? Are you not going to ask what I did to Jennifer and that man?" Hawk mocked him as he folded his arms.
Cayden's lips curled into a malicious grin as he leant in closer. "I don't need to ask, Hawk. I already know what you're capable of. And trust me, vengeance will be mine." His voice dripped with venom.
Hawk tilted his head and looked at everyone else who was standing around. His eyes settled on Selena.
"Jennifer must be so disappointed to know that her darling daughter dumped her for a boy." He sneered.
Selena's eyes widened in fear. She clenched her fists. Her heart raced as she struggled to maintain her composure.
Cayden howled and charged forward, but Ruben easily blocked his path. "He's trying to agitate you, Cayden. He wishes for you to assault him. Hold for the time being."
Cayden snarled furiously, his huge body trembling with his rage as he tried to get his wolf under control. He tried to listen to the wisdom in Ruben's words, but he so wanted to sink his teeth into Hawk; it was an impossible task.
Hawk laughed loudly.
"That's a pity," Hawk said, letting out a disappointed sigh. "I would have preferred to kill you myself, Cayden. Just like I killed your dad."
Cayden's gaze returned to Hawk as his claws snapped together once more. He laughed. "The time for talk has passed. You understand why I'm here, and you understand why you're about to die. You're out of options. Nobody is coming to your aid. The only thing you have to look forward to is the sound of your screams as I make you pay for every second of the agony you have inflicted."
Meanwhile, Selena's mind was churning. The previous blast had already caused enough devastation. But Hawk wouldn't stall his attack in mundane talks. He was planning something more. Something sinister.
"Cayden, no!" she screamed. But before she could stop him,
Cayden hissed, transforming into his most feral state, and launching himself at Hawk. Ruben moved to the side when the two wolves crashed together. Cayden knew Hawk, what he thought, and what his intentions were. The wolves crashed into a tree so hard that the large oak snapped cleanly in half, their momentum sending them both crashing to the forest floor. Hawk landed on top, his claws trying to pierce into Cayden's throat.
"All of you will die!" Hawk ranted like a madman.
"Councilman Ruben. Please stop them and start evacuating everyone." Selena pleaded with him.
Ruben gave her a puzzled look. "What's going on?" he asked, clearly confused by her reaction.
"My dad, he is planning something. My mum warned me about it in my dream. We need to stop him before it's too late," Selena urgently explained, her voice filled with concern. "Please, we don't have much time."
"Relax, Selena! Cayden knows it." Ruben gently soothed her anxiety.
A loud crack caught her attention.
Hawk rushed forward, his teeth ripping into Cayden's neck. Cayden howled in surprise as he tumbled backwards, flesh and blood on his lips as he rolled over and landed less than three feet from Hawk.
Hawk's ominous laughter pierced the air, chilling the hearts of everyone who heard it.
"You always were a fool, Cayden!" Hawk taunted; his eyes gleaming with insanity. "Did you really think you could defeat me?"
Hawk's strength rose, and Cayden appeared to dominate for a brief while. Cayden's brow sweated as he struggled against Hawk's persistent attack.
Cayden shoved Hawk back, his claws inches from Hawk's throat, in a rush of strength and unrelenting resolve. Hawk's frenzied laughter faded, replaced by astonishment. Cayden couldn't help but savour the moment, his chest heaving with effort.
"Expecting another blast, Hawk?" Cayden mocked, a sneer on his lips as he pushed his advantage. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but that will never happen."
Hawk's countenance changed from surprise to shock. He anxiously peered around, as though looking for something or someone. Cayden took pleasure in his perplexity for a brief period. Then he divulged the shocking information that would derail Hawk's ambitions.
"You see, Hawk," Cayden replied slyly, "I knew about your scheme all along."
Hawk's eyes widened, and his grip became shaky. Hawk's shoulders sagged, and his crazy grin turned to a scowl. He'd been outplayed, and the realisation washed over him like a tidal wave.
"I'm done playing with you, Hawk," Cayden softly stated. As the other man yelled in agony, he grasped Hawk's left arm and yanked it smoothly from his body. Cayden yelled, "For Natasha," adjusting his grasp on the wailing alpha and severing his right arm cleanly from his body.
"For my dad and mum," Cayden crooned, softly dropping his adversary on the woodland floor and kicking him until he was on his back. He leant over the fallen guy, both hands on his chest, ten lethal talons burrowing in deeply and savagely raking down.
"For my Selena!" Cayden screamed angrily. " You believed you were invincible. But you were completely wrong. This is your karma coming back to you."
He straightened his back and stared at Selena's pale face. She nodded, as if pleading with him to complete Hawk.
Cayden moved, rolling to his feet, and stalked over to the hissing hawk on the forest floor. He wanted his death to be slow and painful, leading Hawk to cry louder than anybody else, louder than his mother, and louder than any other victim. The red mist of wrath enveloped him as he stood over Hawk, teeth bared, saliva literally flowing from them, looking for the location where he wanted to begin his destruction.
Cayden encircled Hawk's neck with his massive fangs and bit firmly into it.
Jennifer leant against the tree, letting Hawk's head slowly fall away from his body and relax. She was now liberated. Jennifer had once loved Hawk, and it had been a pure love. But that love had faded and died over the years, replaced by the harsh truth of who he had become. Hawk was irredeemable, and he deserved this punishment.
Cayden's eyes were filled with calm. Justice had been served, and in the end, he had kept his essential essence.
"You did well," Ruben said with a smile.
"I wanted to rip him to shreds," said Cayden. "But I would just have become as bad as him if I had."
"You did nothing wrong." Ruben assured him again.
Dr. Colin stood by Jennifer's side, his hand clutching hers tightly. He knew this was a bittersweet time for her, a mix of relief and grief.
"It's over, Jennifer," he whispered, his voice a balm to her tired soul. "He can't hurt anyone else."
Jennifer nodded; her gaze riveted on Hawk's bloodied figure. The guy she had once known, the man she had loved, had vanished, replaced by a monster he had created.
A thin figure approached Jennifer as she stood immersed in her thoughts.
"Mum!" Selena screamed, wrapping her arms tightly around Jennifer. "I thought I had lost you."
Jennifer cradled her daughter close, feeling her warmth and the beat of her heart.
"I'm here, sweetheart," Jennifer said softly, her voice full of love and assurance. "I'm right here."
Selena drew back slightly, her face furrowed in uncertainty. "How are you doing, Mum?" I assumed you and Hawk were linked through the mate connection."
Jennifer smiled softly, a strand of Selena's hair brushing away from her face. She had been expecting Selena's enquiry regarding the mate link, a connection that had once connected her to Hawk's body.
"Selena," Jennifer began softly and tenderly, "the mate bond was broken."
Selena's eyes widened in shock. "Broken? How, though?"
"I can explain that." Ruben chimed in. "But first, let's clean up this mess." He gestured at the burning buildings and trees.