Caitlyn's POV
With a dull thud, Talon instinctively covered his chest, pulling me behind a stone pillar.
It was only then that I noticed a sharp knife embedded in his chest, a desperate attempt to shield me. Scarlet blood trickled slowly from the wound, while Talon's concerned gaze remained fixed on me, checking if the recent attack had harmed me.
"Talon..." I gazed at him with a pang of sorrow, slowly extending my hands.
"Caitlyn, I'm alright. Now's not the time to heal," Talon waved his hand at me, forcing a small smile, trying to appear composed, although the beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed his pain. He propped himself against the wall with one hand, breathing heavily.
That was when I realized he bore fresh scars on his body. In that moment, a sudden, thunderous crash echoed from below, and a cloud of dust quickly enveloped the entire church.
My heart sank, indicating that the defenses downstairs had crumbled, and the church doors had been breached.
Angry hisses intermittently rose from the chaotic crowd, unmistakably Bard's voice. My heart felt like it was being torn from my chest, but it was Braum who appeared more concerned for Bard's safety than me, standing by his side.
Braum stood in the doorway, glancing at Talon while peering down at the chaotic battlefield with worry. "I must go and ensure Bard's safe return."
Talon waved his hand towards Braum, signaling him to depart.
"But, Alpha..."
Braum hesitated, lingering in the doorway.
"I haven't fallen so low that I need your protection." Talon's face held a confident smile, regaining his Alpha status in that moment.
With gratitude, Braum nodded and disappeared down the hallway. Almost immediately, a much louder commotion erupted downstairs, filled with cries and shouts echoing in every direction.
"Caitlyn, I believe I can answer your question now."
Talon wore a smile as he gently traced his hand down my cheek.
"No, don't!"
I immediately muffled Talon with my hand.
"You're the one who said you'd wait until all this was over before telling me. It's too soon for that," I said, my eyes welling up with tears as the scene before me blurred into a watery haze.
"Aalright."
Talon replied, gripping the knife lodged in his chest with determination. He gritted his teeth and, with a determined glint in his eyes, yanked the sharp blade from his chest, causing blood to gush out instantly.
"Talon!"
I cried out nervously, my shout echoing through the church as I instinctively raised my hand to try and staunch Talon's bleeding.
It was then that I realized with a jolt that the commotion outside the door had just subsided. Confused, I suddenly heard a loud bang from outside the door.
The door to the room was forcefully kicked open from the outside, and I obediently looked up just in time to see Jayce standing in the doorway with a large group of wolf warriors. However, judging from their insignias, they didn't appear to be soldiers from the Purple Moon Pack.
"Caitlyn?"
Jayce was the first to spot me tending to Talon after he entered the room.
Jayce's eyes briefly displayed surprise, but he quickly broke into a joyful expression upon seeing Talon huddled in the corner.
"Hmph, I never expected to find you two in such a state. Weren't you both so confident before? How did you end up like this?"
Jayce strutted in with a smug smile on his face.
"Indeed, it's us."
Talon nodded, sporting a playful grin.
"In these circumstances, just put away your high and mighty act. But honestly, to capture the Alpha of the Blood Wheel Moon with my own hands—if word gets out, my name, Jayce, will surely become renowned in the werewolf world!"
Jayce wore a sardonic smile as he approached us.
"As for you, Caitlyn, I really owe some gratitude to you for this. Without your involvement, I'd probably be stuck as just another Alpha in this small pack for the rest of my life."
Jayce stepped up to me, his face beaming with the pride of a victor, as though Talon and I were two helpless fish on his hook.
"You really have a terrible taste in men, Caitlyn. How did you end up with such a short-lived companion? If you had shown some patience and stayed by my side from the beginning, you wouldn't be in this predicament."
Jayce burst into a maniacal laugh, his raucous voice echoing throughout the church.
"My father won't let you get away with this."
I glared at Jayce, convinced that my father must have received the news by now and was making his way here.
"Haha, your foolish father? Don't make me laugh. It's all because of his past achievements, isn't it? You really think your father is some big shot. Well, don't worry; I'll ensure he meets you piece by piece after your demise."
Jayce's eyes turned amber as he began to transform into a giant gray wolf, slowly lowering himself.
"Can you tell me why you did this then?"
I lifted my head to meet Jayce's gaze without fear.
"Then I'll let you die knowing who led you to cross paths with the wrong people. All of this is the king's will, and if you want to blame someone, blame him!"
Jayce suddenly showed a ferocious face as he completed his transformation into a giant gray wolf. His body slumped to the ground, and he launched himself toward us like a bolt of lightning piercing the sky.
I instinctively turned to look at Talon, who seemed to shake his head in disappointment while a fleeting smile crossed his pale face.
"I'm sorry, Caitlyn."
Talon lowered himself to the ground, a faint glint of gold flickering across his body. Judging by the determination in his eyes, I could tell that this might be his last resort.
But all of this was sure to come with an unbearable burden.
I couldn't allow everything I had built to be shattered like this!
"Ah!"
A rush of anger overwhelmed my mind, and I could feel my body's temperature rising as an incredible power surged through me.
Accompanied by a fierce howl, this immense power pressed down on my body, and my consciousness began to blur gradually. I struggled to raise my hands, and that strange force within me seemed to have found an outlet, converging frantically on my hands.
With a dazzling purple light, a powerful shockwave emanated from my palms. Jayce's body hung in mid-air, his eyes wide with shock and a hint of panic.
Jayce attempted to dodge, but the purple light had already enveloped him. He let out a pained cry as his entire body was sent hurtling backward, crashing hard into the church wall.
The scene fell silent as death. Everyone present exchanged incredulous glances, staring at me as though they had stumbled upon a monster.
At that moment, the earlier surge of power was abruptly withdrawn from my body, leaving me engulfed in a profound sense of weakness.
"Caitlyn!"
Just as I was on the verge of losing consciousness, I faintly saw a figure hysterically shouting my name and slowly approaching me.