I gritted my teeth and stood in place, waiting for O'Brian to make his first move. I didn't have the energy to work on the offensive. I needed to keep my defenses up.

I felt my wound and found that it had surprisingly stopped bleeding. That was good at least. I still didn't have the energy, but at least I wouldn't bleed to death like had happened to Freemont.

"You know this is foolish of you. You know that you can't win this."

"If I can't win, then I die, and either way I'll be free of you and so will she."

"Then wouldn't this all seem like it was for nothing? You die and don't get to be with your mate, then why did you come to save her?"

"I came to save her because she is my mate. She's under my protection. I would gladly give my life for her or any of them if it meant they would be safe. It's something I'm sure you don't understand, sir." I sneered the last word, mocking him.

O'Brian hadn't taken well to that. His eyes narrowed at me and he rushed forward, closing the distance quickly. All I could do was prepare for the impact.

O'Brian's large body slammed into me hard, a closed fist connecting with my jaw and I went to the ground. I knew it would leave a nice mark.

I got up quickly, moving out of his reach. My head started to swim with dizziness at the fast movement. I shouldn't be doing this right now. I should turn and leave, go back to the car where Allison is waiting. I should go back to my pack, but I can't do it. I can't just leave when the man who has caused so much pain in such a short time is standing right in front of me.

He was the one who had handed Allison over to those monsters. I don't know what they did to her, but I know that I want to kill all of them for it.

I turned my attention back to the Alpha in front of me. I leaned slightly against the wall next to me, my breathing ragged.

"If you wish to die then I can help you with that." I shake my head slightly at his words.

"You misunderstand. I don't want to die, if this goes according to plan, I'll be the one walking out. However, I've finally found something worth risking my life for, and it isn't power."

O'Brian snarls at that and lunges forward again. I try to move away, but he still gets me. I feel the sharp pain as his claws sink into my side instead of my stomach. I feel the wound from before open up again with the new assult.

I groan and push the Alpha's weight off of me. I feel his claws sliding out of my side. I hear the sick sound of them moving along my flesh as they leave my body and I can't help but stay on the ground.

I hear the rumble of laughter coming from the man next to me as he looks me over.

"It's quite sad really," he says. "I once thought you were full of power, that you were necessary for greater power. But here you are, powerless at the brink of death."

"Aren't we all powerless at death," I ask though I should just remain quiet. "It's the one thing we can't escape. The only certain thing after we're born."

"Ah, but some leave with the power they were born, and some leave stripped of it all. You came here to save a mate, one who could supply you nothing in return. Where is she now? She's run off with another, left you here alone. You were foolish to run after her, to chase after the one who could do nothing. You let her get a hold on you. You let her strip you of everything. Now here you lay, ready to die for the one who has abandoned you."

Though I know his words aren't true, I can't help the stab of pain I feel. Allison left because I told her to leave. I didn't care what happened as long as she was safe. I made sure Jason wouldn't let her back in, that if I didn't make it back out there, that he would take her far away. She was only in any danger of this because of me. Because she had the unfortunate luck to be mated to me.

I feel anger bubbling up inside me. It bubbles at his words, at the lies he spews. It bubbles up at the way a part of me wondered if maybe he was right, if even for a split second. It bubbled up at how he thinks love is weakbess, that Allison, as my mate, can't help me in any way. It's just the opposite really. The fact that I know her, the fact that I know what I'm fighting for is the only reason my muscles are now listening to me, allowing me to stand on my own two feet.

My claws slide back out and I feel the strength within, fueled by my anger, and fueled by my love for Allison and my determination to make sure she's safe.

I see the look on Alpha O'Brian's face. He knows that what I'm doing shouldn't be possible anymore. But it is. I feel my fangs sliding out without my meaning to, my partial shift no longer in my control. I advance, not quite as quickly as he'd been able to, but fast enough to take him by surprise.

A clawed hand finds its way around his throat and my eyes are level with his. I can feel the shift within my own as his are staring back at me, dull.

"I'll take much pleasure in this. You spoke of power being stripped away? You can feel it for yourself." I feel O'Brian pulling under my grasp, but somehow my hold is like steel.

"Now you can feel it as every bit of your power is stripped away. How does it feel to know that I am about to gain every bit of your power?" My voice is barely above a whisper. I hear him swallow loudly, his Adam's apple moving against my palm with the gesture.

I squeeze my hand and feel as the claw breaks skin, the first bits of blood being drawn from him. The first mark is close to the vein.

"How does that feel? That's your life right there. Interesting how just a bit of liquid can be the difference between life and death." My voice is cold I remember feeling it myself, that part blocked off in this moment, by whatever has taken me over, whatever power was found to help push through the weakness and overpower this man.

"How does it feel to know that everything that was once yours will soon belong to me because I'm about to forcefully take it from you?"

O'Brian doesn't answer me. His eyes just stare blankly into mine. I can feel the rage vibrating through him and for a moment I feel pity. I pity all those who only feel hatred. For those who don't realize that love is the only thing more powerful than just power. The amazing things it can do. The way it can pull people together, help you push differences aside, lend you the strength to go on. That is something he must have never felt and for that I pity him.

It's the last though I have before I use my claws to finish the job, taking away his life.

By rite, I have just taken his pack.

That's not something I can think about.

I feel the effects of whatever it had been that pushed me through, wearing off.

My hand touches my side, coming away with fresh blood. I turn slowly, my eyes scaNing the room. I see a darkness intruding on the edges of my vision as I look around. The only people still in the room are those who are dead or unconscious. I start to stumble my way back down the hall. I pause alwhen I see two of my men.

I check for pulses and when I feel nothing, I continue on. They are the only ones I see, though I don't trust my vision.

I keep going in the direction I remember coming from.

It seems like it takes years and yet no time at all before I'm falling through the doorway and into the back alley behind the store. I use the brick wall to support myself as I stumble along in the direction of where Jason had parked the car.

I'm not sure if the time has passed, if he would still be there. I'm sure I'd been down there longer than I'd told him to wait.

I finally get to the end of the alley and I see the car still sitting there. I hear a familiar voice calling my name. It's her, it's Allison. I take a few more steps forward but fall when I no longer have the wall for support.

"Alarik!" This time my name is said in panic. It sounds so far away, like I'm hearing it through a tunnel. The darkness is closing in and I no longer feel like I can fight it. I know I shouldn't give in but it's so tempting. I hear Allison's voice in the dark, like it's welcoming me. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay here.

Just maybe.

*********************

Sorry it's taken so long for an update. I don't have my laptop at the moment because my charger died. I have a new one on the way, but I couldn't just not write until it gets here because honestly who knows how long that could take. I needed to get this chapter out... so here it is.

There are probably ly typos because I did this on a phone and I don't have the patience or time to go back right now and correct everything. Hopefully I'll get to that when I get my laptop up and running g again if there are horrible typos.

But here was the next chapter!!!

Sorry to make you wait, but I slaved away on a phone and my thumbs are now sore all for you people!! I'm hopeful my charget will be here soon!

Thank you for putting up with me. You're all fantastic.