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ELARA’S P.O.V.Bodies lay scattered in every direction, twisted in unnatural angles, fur matted with blood, bones broken through skin. The metallic scent clung to the air so thickly it coated the back of my throat, though I could also feel it on my skin and lips, and my stomach rolled.Lucien stood only a few steps away from me, still and lethal, as if he were waiting for me to freak out, and I couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t.I couldn’t stop looking at him. It wasn’t the blood coating every inch of his body, or the black smoke that was fading away.I was staring at his eyes. They were normal again, back to normal. No silver glow or the black of his beast. It was just him, and for the first time since we started bonding, I didn’t know what to expect from him.His pack had made it clear that he was a force to be reckoned with, but the savage bloodlust he had just displayed was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and the terrifying part was that his curse had no part in it. Sure,
LUCIEN’S P.O.V.Blood dripped from my muzzle as I bared my teeth, adrenaline rushing through me as I stood over the field of bodies, staring at the last rogue… the last soul.It stood frozen between two blood-soaked trees, ribs heaving, foam still clinging to its muzzle as its wild eyes flicked between the bodies scattered across the clearing and me. Rogues were the worst of our kind, and I had no problem putting them down before they infected more.I had counted twenty-six wolves dying by my hands, and I knew the others had put some down as well, but at least Elara wouldn’t have to. She could honor her gift. I knew it was important to her to heal and save lives, and I would forever hate myself if she had to break her vow because of me.The forest reeked of copper from the blood soaking into the dirt and painted the trees, plants, and my team, rotting flesh, and the fear of the last-standing rogue. I could see his feral side trying to keep control, to encourage him to attack, but wh
ELARA’S P.O.V.Wolves burst from the shadows, surrounding us. Thick white foam dripped from their muzzles, and their mangy, patchy fur looked like it was about to fall off at any moment. They weren’t just rabid anymore. They looked feral, and my breathing caught in my throat as I turned my head from side to side, seeing that we were outnumbered. We hadn’t just stumbled upon a few rogues. This was a pack. There had to be at least thirty, maybe more, where I couldn’t see, while we only had nine people. The six guards we had with us jumped into action, but Lucien stood tall before me, a terrifying snarl of warning leaving his body, making several rogues stumble or briefly drop from his power and dominance. Yet, their lack of sanity allowed them to shake it off and continue forward. I was surprised to feel Abigail move to my side, until I realized she was expecting Lucien to save her. She wasn’t here to help or fight alongside me. She wanted to hide behind my mate. The closest rog
ELARA’S P.O.V.“We need to talk about what just happened!” Abigail exclaimed, moving to walk at Lucien’s other side. I quickly looked over my shoulder, shaking my head discreetly to everyone else since they had gone with me. There was no way we were going to discuss it. I had to figure out a way to make sure that Death couldn't hear me before I could tell Lucien that I had agreed to try to reopen the light.When I looked back, Abigail's eyes were narrowed on me, and I clenched my teeth together as she reached for Lucien’s other arm to demand his attention.“No,” I said firmly as I pulled myself away from Lucien.“No? We came all this way, and your answer is just no?!” Abigail exclaimed with frustration, her voice becoming higher-pitched, and I knew right away that she was about to throw another one of her tantrums.I spun quickly, crossing in front of Lucien, who paused at my movement until I was face-to-face with Abigail. “How many times do we need to have this conversation? I do
ELARA’S P.O.V. I refused to let the ward slow me down this time. I rushed through it like the ribbon at the end of a race. Even then, as I broke through the other side, I could feel it sticking to me, clinging like it didn’t want me to leave, but I had no choice. Roland had wanted me to stay there, to help him reopen the light for souls to move on, but I couldn’t. There was nothing he could do or say that would make me agree to leave Lucien. Once I turned down his request, I promised I would see what I could do and ran before he got angry and kept me trapped there, too. I had barely caught a glimpse of my uncle as I fled, and the sight was burned into my memory. He had been one of the wolves. His back had been to me while everyone else had turned our direction to run. Yet, he hadn’t. He had been braced, teeth bared, and ready to fight and defend his pack. I had run so fast that I hadn’t even had a chance to pay attention to what Lucien was doing on the other side. I just n
ELARA’S P.O.V. Movement from the center of the statues had me pulling myself away from Hera, starting to shift into my beast, ready to fight to the death…or until I was turned to stone. Every guard snapped into motion at once. I watched from the corner of my eyes as three of them shifted into their fur, their large paws crashing to the soft dirt, kicking up small clouds of dust. The other three stood with me, half-shifted. Jax’s wolf moved in front of me without being told, his stance low and ready as he bared his teeth. The snarling from the group grew louder as the statues started to move like chess pieces. A narrow path opened through them as if the stone itself were being gently pushed aside. It was careful and controlled, but felt cruel. My blood boiled as he played with them, moving them around where he pleased while they were trapped inside, screaming in pain or for mercy. Then he stepped forward, emerging from between two frozen wolves, hands raised slowly







