Clarissa's POV

I held Willow in my arms, her sobs tearing through the air as I tried to calm her. She strained against me, desperate to run back to her sister, but I couldn’t let her go. This battlefield was no place for her, and it would soon erupt into chaos. Keeping her here was the only way to ensure her safety, no matter how much it hurt her.

“Please,” Willow begged, her voice cracking. “Let me go to her. I can stop this. I can talk her out of it. I just need time.”

“She won’t listen to you, Willow,” I said softly, trying to ease her anguish. “Here, you’re safe. We can protect you.” My heart clenched at her desperation.

“Please don’t kill her,” she whimpered. “She’s all I have. Please, don’t take her from me.”

I wanted to promise her that Anya would live, but I couldn’t. If Anya attacked us, if she threatened my family again, I didn’t know if anyone could stop what was coming. She had crossed too many lines, hurt too many people. But Willow’s pleas broke something in me. How could I tell her that her only family might not survive this?

Suddenly, Anya’s voice rang out, cold and unyielding, “Bring my sister back to me and kill whoever you must to get her.”

Her command echoed through the air, chilling me to the bone. Was she trying to get herself killed? She knew we were stronger. What was her plan?

Griffin and Atticus shifted into their wolf forms, immediately standing guard around us. Autumn stepped back, her hands glowing faintly as she readied her powers. I could feel the magic in the air shift, and I knew what it meant—the witches were preparing to strike.

Then it came. The first wave of pain from their attack hit me like a hammer. But it didn’t last long. Autumn’s shield protected us, holding their magic at bay. I could see the strain on her face; she was holding the shield with everything she had, but it wouldn’t last forever.

Atticus’s howl cut through the night, calling for backup. We didn’t need the pack yet, but it was always smart to be prepared. He and Griffin lunged forward, meeting the witches head-on with deadly force. Behind them, my adoptive parents and grandfather joined the fray.

“They’re handling it,” Autumn murmured beside me. “They don’t even need our help.”

Willow tugged at my sleeve again, her voice barely a whisper now. “Please... please let her live.”

Her words hit me hard. We never wanted to kill Anya, not really. She’d caused us more pain than I could count, but this... this was something else. Seeing her little sister beg for her life changed things. Could we really take her away from Willow?

Autumn’s breath quickened. “I can’t hold the shield much longer. We have to end this now.”

I nodded grimly. The battle was closing in. Dante stood frozen, refusing to fight. I understood his pain. He still loved Anya, even now. How could she throw someone like him away? He would have given her everything, cared for her, protected her—and her sister too. Why couldn’t she have just been honest?

Autumn shouted suddenly, “It’s happening now!”

Damon didn’t hesitate. He tore through another witch, ending her life in a single, brutal motion. I flinched at her dying screams but didn’t have time to dwell on it.

“Stop this now, Anya!” I called, my voice urgent. “Your sister doesn’t want to watch you die! We can’t protect you if you keep fighting. Think about her! She needs you!”

I wasn’t sure why I was pleading with her. Maybe it was because of Willow. Maybe, deep down, I didn’t want to see her die either. Despite everything, we had spent years together. The memories weren’t all good, but they were still there. I didn’t want this to be the end.

Then, unexpectedly, Anya’s voice broke through the chaos. “Okay!” she cried out. “You’re right. I don’t want to die. I want to live... for my sister.”

Everyone froze. The battle came to a halt, and silence fell over the field.

“Bring her to me,” she begged. “Please, just bring her so we can leave. I promise, I’ll never bother your family again. I just want my sister.”

I hesitated, taking a step toward her. Damon shifted back into his human form, his eyes locking on mine, filled with warning. But no words came as I approached Anya, Willow clinging tightly to my hand.

Was this a trick? Could I trust her?

My family stood on high alert, every muscle tensed, waiting for Anya’s next move. Slowly, I handed Willow over to her sister. Anya’s eyes softened, and she wrapped her arms around Willow in a tight embrace.

“I love you,” she whispered to her. “I love you so much.”

For a moment, it seemed like it was over. Maybe, just maybe, Anya had decided to end this without more bloodshed.

But then, her words changed.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cold once more. “I can never forgive them for what they did.”

My heart dropped.

Before I could react, she shoved Willow aside and lunged at me with a knife, her eyes wild with fury. I gasped, but before the blade could reach me, another blade pierced through her chest.

Anya screamed, her body convulsing with pain, and I saw Damon behind her, his face stricken with disbelief. He had done it—he had saved me by taking her life.

Anya’s body crumpled to the ground, her eyes wide with shock.

And then came the scream. Willow’s voice tore through the night, filled with agony as she collapsed beside her sister’s body.

I’d tried. I’d tried so hard to prevent this. But it hadn’t been enough. Anya had made her choice, and now Willow was left alone.

Why couldn’t she just let it go? Why did she have to do this?

Why?