Chapter 244: Dog of All Things

**Thelma Zane’s POV** For a brief, surreal moment, time seemed to stop. Everything froze—the lunging figures, the sharp claws, and the anguished expressions of my comrades. In this agonizing stillness, I saw it all too clearly: a deformed wolf leaping past me, its claws slicing through the cold air toward Aldrich’s chest. No! The scream caught in my throat as I saw the claws pierce his chest. The hot spray of blood struck my face, blurring my vision and painting the world in shades of despair. Time resumed its cruel pace, and I was left standing there, helpless and paralyzed, as the reality of what had just occurred crushed me. Why? Why was I powerless yet again? The blood of my lover streamed down, staining the snow beneath us. My vision clouded, not only from tears but from the overwhelming realization of my own impotence. Had I not sacrificed enough to gain power? Had I not already cast aside everything, even my former self, to stand against forces like this? Wh