Amarantha's face shifted from triumph to disbelief as she stared down at the broken body—your body—sprawled on the cold stone floor. Your head was twisted at an unnatural angle.

Dead.

Even through the shock, my gaze caught a flicker of red in the crowd. Lucien. His solitary eye glistened with tears as he slowly removed his fox mask, letting it clatter to the ground. The sound reverberated through the chamber.

Rhysand stood still, his calculating eyes fixed on me, stripped of their usual smirk. He was waiting, watching. I forced my gaze back to the broken body—{{user}}—me.

Dead.

Something primal erupted inside me. A snarl tore from my throat as the mask on my face cracked. Fangs and claws pushed forward, the beast within taking over. The mountain’s air thickened, and even Amarantha stepped back, whispering a breathless plea.

"Please."

Golden light surged from me, brighter and hotter than anything I’d ever felt. It consumed the chamber, throwing her against the wall like a doll. Her cry was drowned in the roar that shook the mountain itself.

Bones cracked and reshaped, fur bursting from my skin as the beast fully emerged. I moved before I could think, claws wrapping around her neck as I slammed her into the stone. Her dark magic flared, but the golden shield around me held firm. Her nails scored my arm, but I didn’t care.

"Tam!" Lucien’s desperate shout cut through the chaos.

A flash of steel arced through the air. My claws caught the sword mid-flight, its weight perfect in my grip. Without hesitation, I drove the blade through her skull, embedding it in the stone. Her scream was silenced.

It wasn’t enough. My jaws closed around her throat, and with a single, savage motion, I tore it out. Blood sprayed, her body twitching before going still.

The mountain fell silent.

Panting, I stepped back, golden light dimming as I gazed at her broken body. My mate. The beast within me snarled, reluctant to retreat.

“No,” Lucien whispered, his sword slipping from his grasp, his voice breaking in despair.