Chapter 45

Elena’s POV My hand moved before my mind caught up. The sound echoed sharp and loud, and his head snapped to the side. A red print bloomed on his cheek almost instantly. I noticed it, stunned—that I even had such energy. “No,” I said, my voice shaking but firm. “I’m not worth that. And you’re not worth me either. You’re sick. You’re a fucking monster.” A low chorus of growls rolled through the room. The air thickened. Several of them shifted halfway, bodies lowering, teeth flashing. “She struck the Alpha,” someone snarled. “Let us handle her.” “She deserves punishment!” A she-wolf rushed forward, grabbing at me, trying to pull me away. Before I could scream, Eric spun around. A powerful snarl tore from his chest, loud enough to shake the walls. “Enough!” He planted himself in front of me, arms braced on either side of my body, eyes blazing as he faced them all. Silence dropped like a heavy curtain. One by one, they retreated. Only then did he straighten. He reached for a shirt from the