Free Web NovelChapter 157: Chapter 157
Caden’s POV
The moment I said it, I knew there was no turning back. freewēbnoveℓ.com
I saw it in his eyes.
Whatever control Cane had left snapped right there, and it was like something else took over completely, something that did not recognize me, something that did not care who I was to him.
His body tensed, his shoulders pulling tight, his chest rising faster as his breathing turned rough and uneven.
Then he moved fast.
His fist came straight at me, and I did not block it this time.
It landed hard across my jaw, the impact forcing my head to snap to the side as pain shot through my face instantly.
I staggered but stayed on my feet.
That was the plan.
I was not here to fight him.
I was here to take it.
"Cane!" I called out, trying to reach him, trying to break through whatever was controlling him.
But he didn’t hear me.
Or he did, but it didn’t matter.
He came at me again.
This time his hit landed directly in my ribs, and I felt something shift painfully inside me as the force pushed me back a step.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay grounded.
"Come on," I muttered under my breath. "Get it out."
Another hit.
This time to my shoulder.
Then another.
Each one harder than the last.
Each one faster.
He wasn’t holding back at all.
And I wasn’t stopping him.
Because if I fought back, if I pushed him the way he was pushing me, this would turn into something worse.
He needed to burn it out.
He needed to exhaust whatever was taking over him.
Even if it meant I took every single hit.
He lunged again, grabbing my shirt and slamming me back into the wall.
The impact sent a sharp pain through my back, but I didn’t react.
I grabbed his arms, holding him there just enough to keep him focused on me.
"Stay with me," I said, my voice firm even though my body was already starting to feel the damage.
He growled again, low and aggressive, his face twisted in anger that wasn’t fully his.
"I said fight back!" he snapped, his voice rough and breaking between words.
"I’m not fighting you," I replied.
That only made it worse.
His eyes darkened further, and he drove his knee into my stomach without warning.
The air left my lungs instantly, and I bent forward slightly, a painful groan escaping me before I could stop it.
He didn’t give me time to recover.
His hand grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me forward as his fist slammed into my side again.
Pain spread fast, sharp and deep, but I forced myself to stay upright.
"Is that all you’ve got?" I said, even though I could already feel blood at the corner of my mouth.
I knew how he worked.
I knew what would keep him focused.
Anger.
Push him.
Make him use it.
Make him burn through it.
His expression twisted further, and he shoved me back hard, sending me crashing into the table behind me.
It broke under the impact.
Wood cracked, pieces falling around us, but I pushed myself up immediately, not giving him space to shift his focus.
"Come on!" I shouted, spreading my arms slightly. "You wanted this, didn’t you?"
He didn’t answer.
He just came at me again.
This time, his fist slammed into my face again, and I felt my lip split as blood filled my mouth.
I tasted it.
Felt it.
But I didn’t stop.
I didn’t step back.
I stepped forward instead.
Right into him.
I grabbed his arm as he swung again, holding it just for a second before letting it go, not stopping him, just slowing him down enough to keep him from completely losing direction.
"Stay on me," I said, my voice lower now but still firm. "Don’t turn away."
Another hit.
Another impact. Each one taking more out of me.
My body was already starting to give in places.
My ribs hurt every time I breathed.
My vision blurred slightly when he hit too hard.
But I stayed. Because if I didn’t, he would go after someone else.
And that couldn’t happen.
He drove his fist into my stomach again, harder this time, and I dropped to one knee for a second, my breath coming out uneven as pain spread through me.
"Get up!" he growled.
I let out a rough breath and pushed myself back up slowly, wiping the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand.
"I’m right here," I said.
That was all it took.
He grabbed me again, slamming me into the wall, his grip tightening as he tried to overpower me completely.
His strength was increasing. Was that how freaking insane the Gravemaw bite was?
It was pushing him beyond his normal limits.
And that made this worse. Much worse.
"You’re losing it," I said, trying to keep his focus locked on me.
"I already lost it!" he snapped back as he gave me another hit.
This time across my cheek.
My head snapped again, and I felt something warm run down my face.
Blood.
A lot of it.
But I didn’t care.
I straightened again, forcing myself to look at him directly.
"You’re still here," I said.
"No," he growled. "I’m fücking not you bastard! Fight back!"
He shoved me again, harder this time, and I stumbled back, my leg hitting something broken on the floor, throwing off my balance for a second.
That was all he needed.
He lunged again, tackling me to the ground.
The impact knocked the air out of me again, and before I could recover, his fist came down hard against my side.
Then again. And again. Each hit heavier. Faster. More brutal.
I gritted my teeth, my hands gripping his arms, not to stop him, just to hold on, just to keep him grounded to me.
"Cane..." I muttered, my voice strained now.
He didn’t respond. He just kept going.
My body was starting to give in fully now.
Every hit hurt more. Every breath felt harder.
But I refused to push him off.
I refused to fight back.
Because this was the only way.
"Listen to me for fuck sake!" I forced out, grabbing his shirt and pulling him slightly closer.
For a second—Just one second— His eyes flickered like he heard me.
But then it was gone.
Another hit landed, harder than the rest, and I felt something crack.
Pain shot through my ribs, sharp and immediate, and I couldn’t hold back the groan this time.
That was bad.bReally bad.
But I still didn’t stop.
"Come on..." I muttered, my voice weaker now but still there. "You’re not done yet..."
He hesitated for half a second. Then his grip tightened again and I knew this wasn’t slowing down anytime soon.
I needed help. I couldn’t do this alone much longer without my wolf snapping and lunging out.
I kept holding onto him, taking the hits, keeping him focused on me as much as I could, but at the same time, I reached out through the link.
["Gunnar," I called, my mind straining as I forced the connection open.
There was a slight delay.
Then his voice came in—
"What is it?" his voice came through and rough like I had disrupted him in the middle of something.
"Hurry," I said, my thoughts uneven but urgent. "Cane is in danger." I said " I don’t know how much longer I can hold him like this."
