Chapter 244

Grayson’s POV

I rolled aside, ignoring the searing leg pain, and fired. The shot echoed deafeningly in the confined space. Liam recoiled, the bullet grazing his shoulder, but he didn't stop. He never stopped.

He moved with terrifying speed, his claws scraping the floor as he pivoted and attacked again. I barely dodged, feeling the air shift as he passed inches from me. I fired again, but he was ready. He spun, his powerful hind legs propelling him forward, and before I could react, he slammed into me.

The impact was brutal. I hit the ground hard, my gun skidding away, the air knocked from my lungs. Liam's weight pinned me, his growl vibrating through my chest. His claws dug into my shoulders, his teeth bared inches from my throat.

His eyes burned into mine, wild and untamed. His weight shifted, giving me an opening, and I drove my elbow into his side with all my strength. He grunted, momentarily off balance, and I rolled free. I lunged for my gun, but he was faster.

Claws raked my back. Fire-hot pain seared as my shirt tore, blood welling instantly. I gritted my teeth, ignoring it, and reached for the gun again. Liam growled and lunged. I grabbed the weapon and fired. The bullet slammed into his side.

He yelped, staggering back, but it wasn't enough. He shook himself, breathing heavily but steadily, muscles rippling beneath his thick black fur. I pushed myself up, my back screaming, my leg barely supporting my weight. He came at me again. This time, I wasn't fast enough.

His jaws clamped around my forearm, the pressure bone-crushing, pain ripping through me like a white-hot blade. I roared in agony but held onto my gun. I twisted, using the momentum to drive my knee into his stomach. It felt like hitting a brick wall, but it loosened his grip slightly.

I ripped my arm free, blood splattering the floor. Liam growled, crouching low, ready for another attack. His chest heaved, his golden eyes fixed on me with deadly intent. He wasn't holding back; he wasn't playing. He wanted me dead.

I tightened my grip on the gun, knowing I had only a few shots left. I had to make them count. But Liam wouldn't give me the chance. He lunged again, and I barely ducked, his claws slicing through the air inches from my face. My heart hammered, my breath shallow and rapid. My body screamed in pain—the bite in my leg, the burning gashes on my back, the throbbing arm—but I couldn't stop. I wouldn't survive if I stopped.

He was relentless, circling me with measured steps, his claws clicking against the concrete, his lips curled in a snarl. Blood oozed from the bullet wound in his side, staining his black fur, but he barely seemed to notice. If anything, the injury enraged him further.

I tightened my grip on the gun, forcing my shaking fingers steady. Three shots left. I had to make them count. Liam lunged again, fast and vicious. I sidestepped, avoiding his snapping jaws, and fired. The bullet tore through his shoulder, but he didn't slow down. He twisted mid-air, landing with terrifying agility. Before I could fire again, he was on me.

I threw myself backward, my wounded leg threatening to give way, but I stayed upright. My back hit the cold concrete wall, trapping me. Liam saw his opportunity and seized it. His body slammed into mine with full force.

I felt the impact in my ribs, a sharp crack sending agony through my chest. My head hit the wall, a dizzying wave of nausea washing over me. The gun slipped from my fingers, clattering to the floor. I reached for it, but Liam was faster. His massive paw crashed down on my wrist, pinning me.

His breath was hot against my face, his golden eyes burning with something feral and merciless. I braced myself. Liam's jaws snapped toward my throat. With my last strength, I twisted, barely avoiding the killing blow. His teeth sank into my shoulder instead, tearing through flesh. A scream ripped from my throat, raw and guttural. My vision blurred with pain, but I forced myself to move.

My free hand groped for the gun, my fingers brushing the cold metal just as Liam released my shoulder and reared back, ready for the final strike. I seized the weapon, fingers slick with my blood, and fired. The bullet struck him squarely in the chest.

He snarled in pain, staggering back, but he didn't fall. His breathing was ragged, his stance unsteady, but he was still standing. Still fighting. I had one shot left. Liam lowered his head, muscles bunching, his golden eyes flashing with deadly determination. This was it.

I lifted the gun, aiming for his head, knowing I had no choice. My hand trembled. My pulse pounded. Liam lunged.

And then—

"You fucking bastard!"

A gunshot rang out. Liam jerked violently, twisting mid-air, his snarl turning into a howl of agony. I didn't fire that shot. Another followed. And another.

Liam collapsed, his body shuddering from the impact of each bullet. His growls turned into pained whimpers, his massive form twitching. My gaze snapped to the source.

Elaine stood a few feet away, breathing hard, her hand gripping a smoking gun. Her expression was pure fury, her dark eyes fixed on Liam. Blood spattered her clothes—some his, some hers—but she didn't seem to care. Our eyes met.

"Go find Ava," she said, her voice steely. "I've got this." I hesitated momentarily, but the fight with Liam was ours, so I pushed past the pain, past the exhaustion, and moved. Every step felt like fire. My leg throbbed, my shoulder burned, and my lungs screamed for air, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. The only thing that mattered was getting to Ava. The sounds of distant gunfire and echoing footsteps faded as I stumbled forward, gripping my gun tightly.

Somewhere behind me, Elaine's voice cut through the haze, "You're going to pay for everything you did to me." A gunshot followed—loud, final. I didn't look back. I kept going.

Then, as I neared the open space, I felt Ava's presence, followed by Crystal's irritating voice, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." I didn't stop, didn't hesitate, though my grip tightened on the gun. Her voice slithered through the air, smug and malicious, but I didn't respond. I was close. Almost there.

Then I heard Ava. "Just let him go. Your problem is with me, not him." Her voice was steady, but I knew her well enough to hear the fear beneath it. Crystal let out a short, humorless laugh. "And that is where you're wrong."

I moved faster, ignoring the pain with each step. The space ahead opened up, and I could make out silhouettes in the dim light: Ava, Crystal, Luther. "My problem is with every single one of you," Crystal's voice sharpened, venom lacing each word. "And once I make you watch as I kill him, you're next."

I was almost there. Close enough to see the glint of the knife in her hand, the way Ava's breath hitched. Crystal tilted her head, considering. Then she hummed, low and thoughtful. "Or better still," she mused, eyes gleaming, "I just kill you both at the exact same time."

"What?" Ava's voice barely registered because at that exact moment, everything happened at once as I reached them. My eyes locked onto the arrow first, aimed directly at her, just like before. At the same time, I saw Crystal's knife plunging downward, straight for Luther's chest. Ava moved, her scream tearing through the air, but I didn't think—I ran. Faster than my body should have allowed, faster than the pain should have let me. The arrow fired. The knife sank into flesh. And I threw myself at her.