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    Chapter 0641


    Joyce, despite his best efforts, was not a fighter. He was not bred for war and battle like Hawke was, so even calling on the power of his Alpha wolf, Hawk tossed Joyce aside like he was a sack of potatoes.


    However, Joyce did show amazing tenacity, and stood back up time and time again. Roaring. he threw himself at Hawk, all elbows and poorly-timed punches


    Hawk blocked and blocked, until finally, he seemingly reached the edge of his patience and grabbed Joyce by the shoulders, stopping him.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Enough of this," Joyce growled. Magic glowed around his hands, and then Joyce disappeared.


    Teleportation.


    "Where is he?" I demanded. "What have you done with him?"


    "He''s fine. You think I''d kill off my meal ticket? Hawk snapped. "I simply sent him to a locked room. Now.." Hawk stepped toward me, menacingly. "You are going to fall in line, Piper, or I am going to break you."


    linched backwards. "I''ll never do your bidding."


    Hawk sighed. "Why can''t anyone ever pick the easy way? Oh well." He took anotherrge step.


    Back up against the wall, I was running out of escape room. I had to make a stand, then.


    I pushed my thoughts out through my mind, searching for Miracle, in wolf or bear form, but she was too weary, too weak yet from ourst transformation. She wouldn''t be able to help me with this.


    "Be a good girl, now," Hawk said, lifting his arms.


    Then, suddenly, Nichs appeared in the shadows behind him. He hadn''t been there before. Had he teleported as well? Veronica must have been here!


    "Don''t fucking touch her," Nichs growled.


    Hawk, startled, turned but he was too slow. Nichs lunged and tackled him, stealing the breath straight from his lungs.


    "How are you here?!" Hawk shouted, fear and anger rivaling in his voice.


    "You dare to steal my mate from me?" Nichs was slowly shifting, his teeth elongating and his fingers curling into ws. "You think you can separate us? You think you can use her?"


    Nichs soon bes monstrous, all bulging muscle and fur and rage. He''s half-human, half-wolf, a bulky towering, looming figure, with death in his eyes.


    "You have hurt us for thest time," Nichs growled. His ws ripped into Hawk''s shoulder. Hawk cried out. Then, as before, magic swirled around him. But unlike with Joyce, this time the magic curled around himself. He was going to teleport


    "Nick!" I shouted, but it was toote.


    In a sh, Hawk blinked out of view.


    Yet, just as quickly, Nichs snapped his arm out. Suddenly, Hawk reappeared, with Nichs''s hand curled around his neck. Had Nichs snatched him out of his magic? How was that possible?


    How powerful must Nichs truly be?


    I watch agape and awed as Nichs ripped Hawk away from the magic.


    "Look away Piper," Nichs said. When I obeyed, I heard a sickening crack. Then a heap, as Hawk''s lifeless body crashed onto the floor. Nichs had snapped his neck.


    Hawk, leader of the notorious and treacherous underground, was finally dead.


    Nichs immediately shifted back into full human form. He stepped over the dead man and rushed to me. I was still trembling, tears in my eyes. I almost couldn''t believe what I was seeing.


    Nichs. Here with me. Safe.


    Hawk, finally gone.


    And Jane... Oh, Jane.


    "Nick," I said in a sharp inhale. Nichs gripped me to his chest as the waterworks start in earnest. Now that he was here, I was finally safe, and in that safety, my emotions broke free of their restraints and overwhelmed me.


    I sobbed and shook. Nichs held me through it all, gently stroking my back. He must have seen Jane''s body lying there. He didn''t ask what was upsetting me. He didn''t say anything at all. He merely gave me thefort of his presence and his strong body.