The room was silent except for Nikolai's broken sobs. He held Elise's body close to his chest as his body racked violently with sobs. His tears fell on her pale face. Her eyes were closed now and very peaceful. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. "I'm so sorry." His voice cracked. His whole body shook. Lucian watched Nikolai break apart, They had always been at odds with each other from the beginning but looking at him right now. His heart ached for him. But there was nothing he could say. Nothing that would make this better. Dante wiped blood from his mouth. The shadow wolves around them had gone still when Elise died. Like puppets with cut strings. "Is it over?" he asked quietly. Zephyr pulled the sword from his shoulder. He winced but didn't make a sound. "I don't know." Laura tried to stand but her legs were still weak. But she forced herself up. Something still felt wrong. The air was too quiet and still. "Nikolai," she said softly. "We need to—" The temperature
Laura's body shook violently on the ground. Blood poured from her nose and mouth. Her eyes rolled back until only the whites showed."Laura!" Lucian dropped to his knees beside her. His hands shook as he touched her face. "Laura, come back to me."Her body shook violently on the ground until it went still"No, no, no," Dante crawled over. The black veins were gone from his skin but he was still weak. "She's not fucking breathing."Zephyr pressed his ear to her chest. His face went pale. "I can't hear her heartbeat."Nikolai stared at the sky through the broken ceiling. His fists clenched. "You did this!" he screamed at the silver moon. "You let her sacrifice herself!"Silence."Answer me!" Nikolai's voice cracked. "She saved your fucking world! Do something!"Still nothing."Please," Lucian whispered. He gathered Laura's lifeless body in his arms. "Don't take her from us."Dante's hands shook as he placed them on Laura's chest. "Come on, baby. Come back."Nothing happened."She's gone
Laura looked at the dying world around her. At Kragoth's burning form and also at Elise's desperate face.At that moment she knew what she had to do."I'm sorry," she whispered to no one in particular.Then she opened her mind to her mates. All four of them. Even here in this dark place, their bond was strong.Lucian, she called through their connection. I love you.In the real world, she felt him freeze. Felt his heart stop beating for a moment.Laura? His voice was desperate. Where are you?I'm fighting for us, she said. For everyone.Come back, he said as he could sense something in her tone. We need you.You don't understand, she said. I have to end this. I have to stop her.She felt his pain like a knife in her chest. But she pushed on.Dante, she called to her fiery wolf. My brave, beautiful Dante.Laura! His voice was weak. The shadow poison was eating him alive. I'm sorry. I can't... I can't fight it anymore.You don't have to fight anymore, she said. I'm going to fix everythi
Laura fell through endless darkness. Her body felt weightless, like she was drowning in black water.Then she felt herself hit something solid.She opened her eyes slowly and took in her surrounding. She was standing in a place that wasn't real. The ground beneath her feet looked like broken glass. The sky above was bleeding red."Welcome to my domain," a voice said.Laura turned. A woman stood behind her. But it wasn't Elise. Not anymore.This thing was taller. Her skin was pale as bone. Her eyes were empty holes that seemed to go on forever that staring in it made Laura's head hurt. And when she smiled, her teeth were black, like a void."You must be Kragoth," Laura said."I am," the entity said. "And you're the little queen who thinks she can save everyone."Around them, the world shifted. One moment they were in a forest. The next, on a mountain. Then in a cave filled with bones."This is Elise's mind," Laura realized."Was," Kragoth corrected. "Now it's mine. I've been living her
Laura just stood there frozen. Her mates were dying. The building was falling apart. The world was getting fucked up and she had to choose between saving them or stopping Kragoth."Choose," Kragoth said again. "Your mates or your duty."Laura's heart felt like it was breaking. She looked at Dante. His face was getting paler as the black veins were spreading faster."I can save them all," she whispered to herself though she didn't believe it."No," Kragoth laughed. "You can't. You're too weak."That's when something strange happened. Laura felt a shift inside her mind. Like a door opening.Images flashed before her eyes. A woman who looked just like her with glowing silver tattoos and four Alphas standing behind her.The first Alpha Queen.More memories came flooding in. Fighting moves. Battle strategies. A way of fighting that was like dancing.The Dance with Death.Laura felt her body changing. Her stance shifted. Her hands moved into positions she'd never learned."What are you doin
The shadow wolves hit them like a black wave.Laura raised her hands. Silver light burst from her tattoos. The light was different coloured now. And much more stronger. But she didn't know how to control it.The first wolf lunged at her throat. She threw up her hands and silver flames erupted. The wolf screamed and turned to ash."Whoa," she breathed.But there were more. So many more.Dante roared and shifted to his wolf form. His red fur blazed like fire as he tore into the shadows. But these weren't normal shadow wolves.These were bigger and much more faster. Their claws left trails of darkness in the air."They're different," Zephyr shouted. He slashed at one with his silver blade. The wolf's chest opened but it kept coming."They're not just corrupted," Lucian growled as he breathed heavily, blood running down his arm. "They're something else."Nikolai dodged a massive shadow wolf. It was twice the size of a normal wolf. Its eyes burned with a dark fire."Laura," he called. "Wha