The tension between Mascot and Jacob was palpable, a thick wall of hostility that seemed impossible to break through. I stood between them, my body frozen, my heart pounding as if it would tear through my chest.

I never thought the day would come when I will see them face off each other, yet here we were. Jacob’s words still echoed in my ears: “You have to choose.” How could he ask that of me? After everything that had happened, after the betrayals, the heartbreaks, the nights I spent wondering if I could ever trust either of them again—how could he ask me to choose between them?

Mascot’s growl was low and dangerous, like a wolf on the edge of attack. His dark eyes, usually so calm and calculating, were filled with an anger I had never seen before. But there was something else there too—pain. As much as he tried to mask it, I could see the hurt buried beneath the rage. Jacob’s return had shaken him in ways I couldn’t fully understand.

Jacob took a step closer, his gaze never leaving Mascot. His posture was tense, every muscle in his body coiled and ready. “You think you can just swoop in and act like nothing happened?” Mascot spat, his voice laced with venom. “You think she’ll just forgive you?” his lips curled back, his teeth bared. “You don’t know anything about what happened, Jacob. I did what I had to do.”

“And look where that got her!” Jacob repeated, his voice rising, filled with fury. “You nearly got her killed! Sarah’s gone because of you, and Tasha is—”

“Enough!” I shouted, my voice cracking the silence between them. Both of them turned to me, their anger momentarily subdued. But the fire was still there, burning just beneath the surface. I couldn’t take it anymore—the constant battles, the outcome of their decisions, their failures, all of it. They were getting to me.

“Do you think I haven’t thought about that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Do you think I haven’t replayed everything in my mind over and over, wondering what I could’ve done differently? Do you both think I don’t feel the pain of losing Sarah even now?" Mascot’s gaze softened, but Jacob didn’t look away. His eyes locked onto mine, intense and filled with desperation.

“Tasha, I never wanted to leave you. I was trying to protect you.”

“You keep saying that, but don't you get it? I don’t need protection,” I snapped, my anger bubbling to the surface. “What I needed was someone to stand by me, someone I could trust.” For a moment, Jacob seemed to falter, looking like he was slapped across the face. But before he could respond, a rustling in the trees behind us made us all tense. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I recognized the scent—Charlotte.

“For God's sake,” I whispered under my breath. But it was too late. She appeared out of the darkness, flanked by a group of dark werewolves, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. I could feel the dark energy radiating from them, a twisted power that sent a chill down my spine. Charlotte’s smile was cold, her eyes gleaming with malice as she sauntered toward us, clearly enjoying the sight of our little reunion.

“Isn’t this touching?” she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “The two men who failed you, both vying for your attention. How tragic.” I felt Jacob and Mascot stiffen beside me, their hostility toward each other momentarily forgotten in the face of a greater threat. This wasn’t the time to be divided. We had to fight—together.

“Charlotte,” I said, stepping forward, my hand tightening on the talisman hanging around my neck. “You’ve made a mistake coming here.” Her laugh was sharp and cruel. “The only mistake was letting you live this long, Tasha. But that ends tonight.” I could feel the energy around us shifting, the air growing colder as the dark werewolves prepared to strike. My heart raced, but this time, I wasn’t afraid. I had something they didn’t—control. Power.

“Get ready,” I whispered to Mascot and Jacob, my eyes locked on Charlotte. “We fight together.” They both nodded, though I could feel the tension between them still simmering beneath the surface. But for now, they would have to put their differences aside. We all would. The battle exploded. Charlotte’s werewolves charged forward, their snarls filling the air as they lunged at us.

I felt the familiar surge of adrenaline as I drew my dagger, slashing at the first wolf that came too close. Mascot shifted beside me, his wolf form a blur of fur and claws as he tore through the attackers with brutal efficiency. Jacob fought with a ferocity I hadn’t seen in him before, his movements quick and lethal as he dispatched one werewolf after another. But it wasn’t enough.

There were too many of them, and they were stronger, faster than we had anticipated. For a moment, I thought we might be overwhelmed. Then, something inside me shifted. It started as a warmth in my chest, a strange sensation that spread through my body, igniting every nerve. The artifact in my pocket began to glow, pulsing with energy. I didn’t know how I was doing it, but I could feel the power surging through me, as if the artifact was responding to my need—my desperation. I lifted my hand, and a wave of energy exploded from my fingertips, slamming into the nearest group of dark werewolves.

They were thrown back, crashing into the trees with a force that left them stunned. I gasped, my heart pounding as I stared at my hands, glowing faintly with the power of the artifact. I had never done anything like that before. But now wasn’t the time to question it. We had to survive this. I threw myself back into the fight, using the artifact’s power to protect us, creating shields of energy and blasting away any werewolf that got too close. I could feel the energy draining me, but I pushed through it, refusing to let them win.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the last of the dark werewolves fell. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of our heavy breathing. We had won, but the cost had been high. Mascot was limping, a deep gash across his side, and Jacob’s shirt was torn, blood dripping from a wound on his arm. I dropped to my knees, exhausted, the artifact’s power fading as quickly as it had come. I could feel the adrenaline leaving my body, leaving behind only the pain. Mascot knelt beside me, his eyes filled with concern.

“Tasha, are you alright?” I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I was telling the truth. I had just tapped into a power I barely understood, and it terrified me. But there was no time to dwell on that.

Jacob approached, his expression unreadable. “We need to talk,” he said quietly, his eyes flicking to Mascot. “All of us.” I didn’t have the strength to argue. I was too tired, too drained from the fight and the emotions swirling inside me. We sat in the aftermath of the battle, the silence between us heavy with unspoken words.

Finally, I looked up at Jacob, my voice barely a whisper. “You said you wanted to fix things. But I don’t know if I can trust you. Not yet.” Jacob’s face fell, but he nodded, accepting my words.

“I understand. I’ll earn it back.” I turned to Mascot, my heart aching as I met his gaze.

“And you… I understand why you did what you did. But I’m not ready to forgive you.” Mascot’s eyes filled with pain, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he knelt before me, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ll wait for your forgiveness,” he said, his voice raw. “No matter how long it takes.”

Before I could respond, Jacob stepped closer, his voice low and steady. “Then I’ll fight for it too.”

“Oh come on.” I muttered, watching them glare at each other, torn between the past and the present, my heart screaming for resolution while my mind demanded patience. But there was no time left to wait.

The war was coming, and I would have to choose sooner than I was ready.