Shelby's POV

In the days that followed, I spent time with all of my friends and my mother. We trained together and took walks through the pack, visiting the park that we played in as children. Since my talk with Amanda, I felt the weight off my shoulders, and I did not feel guilty anymore about my plan. I knew that they would be fine, they all had each other. I currently was sitting at the edge of the lake, listening to the waterfall, and watching the sunset. I knew that tonight could be my last night alive, but I was not afraid to face him. I was at peace with my life, I had let go of the future that I wanted and gave into the future that needed to occur for everyone to live happy lives. I heard a twig break in the distance and stood up, taking a breath, closing my eyes, and letting go.

"Are you ready to die, Red?" I heard him ask when his eyes met mine.

"Are you?" I responded.

"I have lived thousands of lives, conquered many men stronger than you. To be frank, you do not stand a chance alone, maybe if you had brought your Alpha, but rumor has it you broke your mate bond to save him from the pain of your death,"

"How did you know that?" I asked taking a step back at his knowledge of my personal matters.

"I had someone on the inside," he said and waved his hand. I turned my head to see who he was calling forward. I was not surprised to see Eric walk forward but as my eyes came back to him, I saw the twins behind him. Heather came up to his side wrapping her arms around his neck. Karissa looked guilty as she stood off to the side, her eyes refused to meet mine.

"So, I see,"

"Your plan was not bad but if it were that simple, someone would have done it already,"

Karissa shot me a look that I was not sure what it meant, but regardless I got into my fighting stance waiting for him to make the first move. Heather gave him a kiss on the cheek before stepping back and joining her sister on the outskirts of the clearing.

"You should have died months ago little wolf. Now your death will only save your mate for a few hours before he joins you in the great beyond," he said before lunging at me. I knew his fighting style; he would go left first trying to get me off of my strong side. He knew from our last encounter that I was stronger with my right fist than my left.

As predicted, he tried to hit the left side of my stomach, turning my left foot to be parallel to him causing him to miss. I knew that I could not dodge for forever, I brought my knee up to hit his stomach causing him to stumble to the left. I had landed the first successful hit, his eyes told me that he was not happy. Eric made a chuckle, he was slightly proud, after all, I was his student. John shot him a look of annoyance before turning his attention back to me.

He came back at me and went toward my right side aiming at my face, I brought my hands up just in time to block causing him to hit my arms. I stumbled back and he took the opportunity to tackle me to the ground hitting me repeatedly in the stomach. "You were born to die at my hands," another hit to the stomach. I was badly bruised and needed to change the dynamic and fast. I close my eyes remembering what my mother taught me while we secretly trained in the forest. My body disappeared from under him to the shadows behind the trees by the lake. 'You can move among the shadows, you just have to concentrate,' I could still hear her say.

"So, the old hag taught you a few of her tricks, I doubt it will be enough to save you," he said looking around trying to find me. "In case she didn't warn you, I have a few magical gifts of my own," he said lifting his hand causing a black flame to engulf his hand. "Being the devil has its perks, like my hellfire,"

"Hellfire," I repeated looking at the ring that Amanda gave me. "How were you created?" I asked safely from my place in the shadows trying not to give my position away.

He chuckled, "No one ever told you?"

"I know that my mother created you,"

"I think it would be more accurate to say our mother, little sister," my jaw dropped. "Also thank you," He brought my attention back to him and I could see him looking at me.

'Shit,' I thought. 'He found me,'

He sent a fireball right at me, I could only duck and hide behind the tree. "What do you mean?" I questioned.

"You didn't think that our parents only had one child," he replied. Winding up for another one. "Maybe in another life, we could have been friends. I could have broken the nose of your first boyfriend, the one who broke your heart, and then you broke the mate bond with him. Or the ass that tried to rape you in the neighboring pack. I know everything about your life sissy," he threw another fireball my way causing me to jump into the lake. "I could have killed you that day you snuck into my place to get mommy dearest, but I didn't you see. I wanted her to admit my existence, but she clearly did not," he said when I resurfaced.

"Why are you still trying to kill me?"

"You know the prophecy, one of us will kill the other and I would rather your pathetic life end than my eternal one,"

"We don't have to do this," I said getting out of the lake twirling the ring around my finger. "You do not have to be evil, we can both live. We decide out fates," I tried to reason with him.

"You really do have a big heart, but our fates were chosen for us long before we were born," he rushed toward me grabbing me with his hand that wasn't aflame looking into my eyes I could see that there was no saving him. I could not help but feel pity, he did not ask for this life. He has been hated his whole life because a fate that he never knew he could change. I clear my head one more time to teleport to the shadows again. I end up next to Eric who grabs me and holds a knife to my throat. "Well, I guess you have not perfected your power," I did not move but Karissa caught my attention, and then her voice came into my head.

'It will still work... the spell. As long as John is not the one to kill you. I added that condition without Heather,'

I get it now, she interfered with my teleportation to put me here so that Eric could kill me which would also kill John. Not how I wanted to go but if it meant saving everyone else then I would do it. I slightly nodded my head to show her that I understood without giving away that she had just saved the entire pack.

"Any last words?" John asked coming to look me in the eye. He stood just in front of me, I could hear running in the distance. I do not know how they found me, but I needed them to be stalled for a couple of minutes to finish this up. Karissa heard them too and started to cast a spell, I did not know what she was doing but I knew that I could trust her.
"I forgive you," I said to him. "You were not born evil you just believed that you had no other choice. Don't worry, I'll save you,"

"YOU'LL SAVE ME????" He started laughing maniacally. "How are you going to do that when you can not even save yourself?"

"Everything is going to be alright," I replied calmly. 'Please forgive me,' I mind linked to the group that I knew was near. Karissa dropped the spell just in time to see my smile as Eric slid the blade across my throat. I looked into their eyes and felt a tear slide down my cheek as I saw the pain and fear on their faces. I took off the ring with the last ounce of strength I had causing John and Eric to get burned by the fire that was released from the ring, it was the most beautiful shade of red that I had ever seen. I fell to the ground, it was cold and dark but I could still hear.

"DO SOMETHING! SAVE HER!" James yelled.

'It'll be ok,' I mind linked them. 'The bond is broken,' before slipping into my forever sleep.