Elliott hit the deck hard, totally caught off guard. He was about to snap when Thora yanked him back up. "What are you doing?" Thora shot Darius a glare. Darius shrugged like it was nothing. "He was getting on my nerves." Thora didn't know what to say. They still had dozens of guns pointed at them, and Darius was really settling a personal grudge right now? "But he's right about one thing. Killing him here in the Astralis Empire would create a mess for my grand-uncle." Darius looked at Elliott, his tone matter-of-fact. Darius's grand-uncle was the Lycan King of Astralis Empire. Thora caught on immediately. They wouldn't make a move here—they'd just wait until the ship left the Empire's waters and deal with it then. Just then, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the rear of the ship. Countless speedboats and patrol vessels surged forward, choppers thundered overhead—Darius's reinforcements were here. At the same time, the Hawthornes' reinforcements were also racing in, but the standoff on the ship remained deadlocked and showed no sign of easing. "We're almost out of these waters." Darius stared straight ahead, his voice turning cold. "Elliott, tell your people to stop the ship." If Thora hadn't shown up, he could've dragged things out with Elliott overseas as long as he wanted. But now, he knew that once the ship left Astralis Empire waters, every delay mattered. If Thora missed her shot to enroll at Blue Star Military Academy, he'd never forgive himself for holding her back. He refused to be the reason she failed.Elliott squeezed out two words through clenched teeth. "Keep dreaming." Thora's eyes went cold. She locked Elliott in a one-handed grip, then fired her gun right at the bridge above. The glass shattered with a sharp crack, a dull groan echoed from overhead, and the entire cruise ship screeched to a halt. "You want something done right, you do it yourself." Thora shot Darius a look, her voice all business. Darius was left speechless. Thora never wasted time on complicated plans. She always preferred direct action. But in that split second, Elliott broke free from her grasp with a violent wrench of his body. He spun, sending a heavy punch slicing past Thora's cheek. Thora narrowly dodged the blow, but Elliott pressed the attack, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage that blurred in the air. His right fist rocketed toward Thora's face again, but suddenly a hand clamped down on his wrist from the side. Elliott turned and met Darius's icy stare. "Do you think you can hit my mate?" Darius's eyes darkened. Golden wolf power flared around his arm, veins standing out as he easily broke Elliott's grip and flung him away. That surge of wolf power hurled Elliott halfway across the deck. He managed to twist midair, landing hard on the rail but steadying himself, though his arm tingled from the force. He hadn't expected Darius's wolf power to be that overwhelming. As an Alpha, he realized Darius’s strength far surpassed his own. Before Elliott could recover, Darius was already on top of him, his golden wolf power swirling as he threw a punch straight at Elliott's face. Elliott threw his arm up to block. Their arms collided with a heavy thud, forcing him to stagger back as his palms went numb. Darius barely shook out his wrist before coming at him again, that shimmering gold wolf power swirling around him, filling the air with raw pressure. Gritting his teeth, Elliott funneled all his wolf power into his fist and slammed it at Darius's chest. His punch glowed yellow, carrying the force unique to an Alpha from the western Chaules. Darius didn't flinch. He lifted his left arm, his golden wolf power forming a shield as he locked into close combat with Elliott. While they fought, several armed men tried to sneak up on Darius from the side.