My Sister Stole My Mate, And I Let Her Chapter 477 TRAITOR. LIAR. ENEMY

MAYA’S POV

The world felt as if it had tipped on its axis after the explosion.

For a few moments following Marcus’ device detonating, a muffled and distant quality pervaded everything, much like being submerged in water.

The area around me had been reduced to smoke and rubble, and the ringing in my ears distorted voices into fragmented echoes.

A wave of nausea washed over me, my vision blurring. I placed my hands on the still-warm ground, forcing myself to take slow breaths against the ash choking my throat.

One.

Two—

Through the profound connection of our mate bond, I sensed Logan’s presence surge within Ethan.

My head snapped in his direction just in time to witness raw power erupting from him with urgent force. Fur covered his skin, and enormous paws slammed down on the shattered stone.

I understood immediately what was unfolding—he was pursuing Jack.

Nyra acted before I could even formulate a thought.

An intense surge of heat coursed through my veins as she awakened beneath my skin.

A single heartbeat later, I underwent my own transformation. The world crystallized, and a deluge of scents assaulted my senses.

Smoke. The coppery tang of blood. Overwhelming fear. The acrid smell of dissipated magic.

Jack.

Logan was already in motion.

Nyra followed him without hesitation—

Then came to an abrupt halt, sending a spray of gravel scattering from beneath my paws.

Sera.

She and Kieran had been in the most direct path of the blast and were still near the devastated platform.

My attention shifted instantly. Nyra covered the distance in mere seconds, coming to a skidding stop beside her.

A tightness gripped my chest. Sera lay in a half-curled position on the stone, her pale hair matted with ash and dust.

Small cuts marred her face and one shoulder from the impact of stone fragments. For a heart-stopping moment, she appeared unnervingly still within the swirling haze of smoke.

Kieran was by her side, his knee braced on the fractured platform as he painfully pushed himself upright through sheer force of will.

Blood trickled down his temple, and dust clung to his dark hair and clothing. His arm remained protectively wrapped around Sera, as if she were the sole focus of his existence.

Nyra lowered her head, nudging Sera’s shoulder gently.

Sera’s eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then softening with recognition.

A trembling hand lifted, stroking the fur along my neck.

"I’m okay," she whispered.

Behind her, Kieran let out a low groan and managed to propel himself halfway up.

"Don’t—" he hissed.

Nyra turned her attention towards him.

Kieran clenched his jaw so hard I could hear the strain. "Don’t let Jack escape."

That was all the confirmation I needed.

I spun around. Logan was already vanishing into the dense trees.

Nyra surged forward, pursuing him.

We blazed through the forest, branches whipping past, the overhead sunlight fracturing into golden shards.

The scent trail was unmistakable. Jack was practically radiating corruption now.

Darkness. Blood. A foul, burnt stench.

And beneath it all, a palpable, violent agony that required no psychic ability to perceive.

Logan maintained a slight lead, with Nyra running pace-for-pace beside him.

Our speed increased, the surrounding forest dissolving into a blur of light and shadow.

Jack hadn't exactly been discreet in his flight. He had left a path that resembled pure chaos given direction.

Shattered branches hung precariously overhead, testament to something massive tearing through them. Tree trunks bore deep, gouged claw marks, some so fresh that wood splinters littered the ground below. Crushed bushes lay in his wake, and more than once, I detected the sharp, metallic scent of blood staining the earth and leaves.

Even injured and consumed by madness, he had forced his way through the wilderness, too unstable and ferocious to care about any obstacles.

His scent grew more potent, and a surge of hope coursed through me.

We were closing in. Perhaps we could corner him before—

Logan abruptly halted. Nyra nearly collided with him before swerving sharply to the side.

A figure stood directly ahead.

The dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy illuminated familiar dark hair and piercing dark blue eyes.

Every muscle in my body tensed, and a blinding rage washed over me.

Lucian fucking Reed.

LUCIAN’S POV

Jack’s vile scent permeated the forest, akin to rot spreading through pristine water.

Blood. Corruption. Utter madness.

I remained motionless beneath the trees, gazing intently at the spot where he had disappeared. My jaw tightened as the wind carried more of that putrid aroma toward me.

His condition was deteriorating more rapidly than I had initially feared.

Marcus’ ill-conceived escape attempt had propelled Jack far past mere instability, pushing him directly into a full collapse.

Whatever remnants of the man existed beneath the encroaching corruption were being systematically devoured by Catherine’s engulfing darkness.

I should have already set out. Every passing second was critical.

Yet, I stayed rooted to my spot, for another scent had reached my awareness.

Two distinct scents.

And though I recognized one of them, for a fleeting, foolish moment, I found myself wishing it belonged to patrol wolves or some anonymous guards dispatched to apprehend him.

But then, the undergrowth rustled, and Logan burst forth from the trees, Nyra accompanying him.

The wave of disappointment that washed over me was so sharp it nearly provoked a laugh at my own expense.

Naturally, it had to be individuals I knew well.

Destiny had a cruel habit of presenting familiar faces to me, repeatedly questioning how much more I could endure to lose.

An explosive fury erupted from Maya, so potent that I felt its physical impact.

I let out an internal sigh. I understood her thoughts perfectly.

From her viewpoint, I had sided with Thomas, and now I was actively blocking her path, separating her from Jack.

Absolutely fantastic.

Slowly, I raised my hands. "Maya."

Nyra let out a snarl, a sound laden with such strong accusation that words were unnecessary. Yet, I knew Maya well enough to decipher her every unspoken condemnation.

Traitor. Liar. Enemy.

"I am not the enemy," I stated, my voice carefully measured, keeping my hands visible.

The guttural growl that tore from Nyra’s throat resonated through the clearing with such ferocity that even the birds in the surrounding trees took flight.

Her lips peeled back further over her teeth as she advanced, her brown eyes locked onto me with such raw animosity that no mind-link was needed for me to grasp Maya’s full disbelief in my explanation.

She rejected every syllable, and frankly, given the circumstances, I couldn’t fault her reasoning.

Logan shifted beside Nyra, his immense form tensing, muscles bunching beneath his fur as he lowered himself.

Unlike Maya, Ethan remained contemplative, still analyzing the unfolding situation despite the palpable hostility filling the air.

His gaze swept over me deliberately, scrutinizing my posture and expression, seeking some hidden truth beneath the surface before making his judgment about my allegiance.

Maya, however, sought no answers; her decision was already cemented.

I watched her closely as she took another deliberate step towards me, her intense gaze never wavering from my face.

"Maya," I murmured softly.

Nyra dropped into a crouch, her shoulders rolling as sharp claws sank deep into the forest floor, her eyes burning with pure homicidal intent.

I exhaled slowly. "I swear, it’s not what it appears to be."

The instant those words escaped my lips, I realized my error.

From Maya's perspective, my statement sounded precisely like the desperate justification a traitor would employ.

Nyra exploded forward. She closed the distance with astonishing speed, and I only just managed to twist away as her claws raked across my shoulder instead of my throat.

Fabric ripped instantly, and searing pain shot across my skin as her strike grazed flesh.

Behind me, tree bark disintegrated from the trunk.

Nyra landed with fluid grace, pivoted on her paws, and attacked again.

Her assault lacked any discernible strategy, devoid of restraint, and made no attempt to probe my defenses or extract information. It was fueled solely by rage.

And beneath that raw anger lay something far more difficult to confront: profound hurt.

Maya’s aggression wasn't merely because she believed I had chosen Marcus and Catherine.

Sera wasn’t the only one I had deeply wronged.

Maya had placed her absolute trust in me. For as long as I could recall, she had consistently had my back. In so many ways, she had been like a sister to me.

And I had shattered her heart.

Logan moved then.

Not with Maya’s unbridled emotion, but with Ethan’s calculated control.

He began a wide encirclement while Nyra relentlessly pressed her attack, systematically cutting off potential escape routes and forcing me into increasingly confined spaces.

I ducked under Logan’s snapping jaws and threw myself backward just as Nyra’s claws sliced through the air where I had been a moment before.

Dirt kicked up under my boots as shattered branches rained down around us.

I still wasn't retaliating.

I couldn't.

My actions consisted only of redirecting her lunges, evading her claws, and creating brief moments of breathing room that were almost immediately compromised.

But Maya's fury was so intense that I couldn't sustain this defensive posture indefinitely.

Each time I managed to gain a sliver of distance, she instantly closed it.

Every successful evasion was immediately followed by another relentless strike.

She relentlessly drove me backward through undergrowth and trees, and with each passing moment, I realized my options were rapidly dwindling.

In the distance, Jack’s scent was fading, growing more remote.

Damn it.

I sidestepped Logan’s swipe and immediately caught Nyra’s shoulder as she charged, using her own momentum to send her tumbling to the ground beside me.

She recovered instantly, twisting with a ferocity that nearly cost me my arm.

"Maya, stop!"

Nyra responded by slamming into me. The impact expelled the air from my lungs as my back crashed against a tree, the wood groaning and splintering violently before the entire trunk toppled sideways.

A sharp pain shot down my spine, and for a fleeting second, black spots danced at the edges of my vision.

Alright. That’s enough.

I slowly pushed myself to my feet and looked at both of them.

Nyra stood a few feet away, her lips drawn back over her teeth, her chest heaving with ragged breaths, palpable rage radiating from her very being.

Logan moved beside her, lower and quieter, but no less menacing.

And behind me, Jack’s scent had all but vanished.

I closed my eyes and deeply sighed. "I’m sorry."

A surge of magic flowed outward from beneath my feet, forming intricate, glowing blue patterns that snaked across roots and fallen leaves before seeping into the very earth.

They both lunged.

Too late.

Blinding symbols ignited beneath them, and chains fashioned from smoke and light burst forth, encasing their limbs and bodies before exploding outward in a potent wave of energy.

The resulting shockwave slammed into both wolves, sending them flying backward across the clearing.

It wasn't enough to injure them, but it granted me precious seconds.

For a final time, my gaze fell upon Maya.

Even from this distance, the raw betrayal and animosity blazing in Nyra’s eyes were unmistakable.

That sight inflicted a deeper wound than the tree.

Then, my attention shifted to the vanishing trail ahead. To Jack.

“Forgive me,” I murmured, unable to turn back and face them.

With that, I vanished further into the dense woods.