Everything had yet to fully register in Lara’s mind. It felt as if the world had come crashing down around her. Magnus, her husband, her mate, was now lying lifeless in her lap, his body cold, his once-strong heartbeat silenced forever. The grief was overwhelming, suffocating her. How could she ever accept that he was truly gone? The love of her life, taken from her in a heartbeat. Her heart shattered, and she felt like she was sinking into a void of despair. Nothing mattered anymore.
Around her, the sounds of battle raged on. Her warriors fought fiercely against Thana's minions, but the noise barely penetrated her fog of mourning. She was numb to it all, lost in the devastation of Magnus’s death. Everything else faded into the background. It was as if the world had come to a stop, except for the aching void in her heart.
But even in her grief, danger loomed. Cyrus, the one who had driven the blade into Magnus’s heart, stood not far from her. Unbeknownst to Lara, he had raised his weap
