MasukMagnusShe’s safe. Her trembling form, a fragile weight in my arms.“You can open your eyes now, love,” I murmured, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, a contrast to the acrid smell of death that lingered around us. Her ragged breath ghosted my skin, the frantic thump-thump of her heart a wild drum against mine. “You’re safe, my queen.”“Magnus… oh my God. I-I… can’t believe we did this.” She clung to me, shivering in my arms.I held her closer, afraid she might disappear like smoke if I let her go. “Yes, we did,” and I would deal with the repercussions later. I could only imagine what hell broke loose on the cliff. But Hein and Eric were there to deal with the chaos.“Let’s get the bloodstone and get off this cursed rock!” Aching to have her back in my castle, in our bed. We’ve been away from each other for too long.She lifted her head to look at me, her pale blue eyes wide and glistening, meeting mine. The doubt I saw there hit me like a physical blow. “I want nothing more. B
ErinaThe sound of my name merged with the howling of the wind. Magnus was coming to save me, risking it all. His desperation, anger, resolve — I felt it all thrumming through our link. He was reckless.I couldn’t allow it. This was my fight. Even if it means my death.Every nerve in my body ignited as the knife's tip pressed into my spine. If she increased the pressure, I'd be paralyzed. Vulnerable. My life flashed before my eyes.“Say your prayers, bitch!” her triumphant voice sliced through my thoughts.Lightning curled across the sky just as her hand tightened on the hilt.‘This is not how we die!’ my wolf surged to the surface.No, she wasn’t strong enough!I tried to stop her.But she forced me back. The change was abrupt, violent, driving the knife out of my spine. My scream turned into a howl of rage.The girl staggered back, taken by surprise. She slipped. Landed on her back in the mud. My wolf, hurt but fueled by fury, lunged.She tried to run. Tried to transform. But the wo
ErinaI didn’t stop to think about what happened. This new power inside left no room for emotions, no regrets, no mercy. It burned through the two females as if they were nothing but paper. Somewhere high above me, I heard Magnus spurring me on to run.Ran through the tilting ground. Jumped over boulders that materialized out of thin air. Sharp rocks sliced at my feet. Thorny bushes ripped at my skin. I ignored the pain.“I’m going to win,” was the mantra I repeated in my head.And all the while the blood moon peered through the thickening clouds, watching with cold indifference the destruction I had left behind. The Pillar of Power loomed in the distance. A giant finger of rock pointing toward heaven. No matter how fast I ran, it felt out of reach. I pushed harder. Ran faster until my lungs burned and my legs buckled.“Don’t fail. Never give up.” I pushed on.Black clouds moved in faster, and thunder rolled over the mountaintops. The night became a living thing, eating the moon’s ora
MagnusSabelle had gone just as imperceptibly as she had appeared, releasing the crowd from her freezing spell. I had yielded to her demands to protect Erina, but I was done being manipulated by that witch. I would use her to get rid of the High Council, but after that, her head will decorate the castle wall. If there was any sign that Erina would fail, I was going to save her. I didn’t trust Sabelle. Erina could resent me all she wanted. I don’t give a damn. Her life was more important than her pride.“Can you see anything? Where is she?” Eric’s anxious voice snapped me out of my dark thoughts of death and revenge.He leaned precariously over the edge to peer at the shifting labyrinth below.She was alive. Exhausted but alive. I felt her emotions through our link. Just the right amount of fear made her cautious but didn’t overwhelm her. She was brave, but I have always known that about her.“She’s strong,” I said, pulling Eric back before he toppled over the edge. “We have to give he
ErinaThe change happened seamlessly. One moment I was the wolf backed into a corner, the next I was in my human form. Bruised and battered, but surprisingly in one piece. I didn’t have a second to waste. Thank God for Magnus teaching me to mask my scent. I hid behind the rubble of a fallen statue, crouching in the dust, barely breathing. The wolves moved about, confused by my sudden disappearance.I needed a weapon. My eyes scanned the chaos for anything I could use. I heard them sniffing and pawing at the place where I had been a few moments ago. Frustrated growls reached me as they searched in vain. I prayed they wouldn’t hear my frantic beating heart.As if in answer to my prayer, the ground trembled beneath my feet. The labyrinth was in a constant state of change, shifting with the moving ground. A narrow corridor opened to my right, and I slipped through the crack.Run. Find the exit, get to the Pillar of Power, and the Bloodstone. Once there, I would stand a better chance of su
ErinaPain was irrelevant when your life was at stake. She fought like a demon. Despite having the other wolf’s canines embedded in her right leg. Despite the tearing of sinew, muscle and bone. The bigger wolf pinned her, suffocating us with its weight. Ribs cracked under pressure. Putrid breath, saliva dripping from the wolf’s snarling maw while my wolf struggled to avoid the snapping canines.Was this how it ended? Being torn apart by power-hungry she-wolves? Another woman holding my child, making love to my mate? Would he take another? He said he would follow me into the underworld.No! I refused to give up. My baby needed me, needed both of us.I summoned every ounce of my strength and poured it into my wolf. She got away from under the larger wolf. Where was the moon fire? Why couldn’t I control it? I needed it now! Did I use it all?The runes were still there, glowing faintly on my skin. But my wolf was fading fast. She was exhausted. Blood loss had taken its toll. The wolves we
ErinaSleep. It terrified me. The wolf paced restlessly in mind, waiting for me to lower my defenses. Who knew who she would go after next. Gisela? Magnus? My sister? Elise…‘They hurt us. Betrayed us. All must suffer,’ she growled, pushing against the walls I’ve tried to erect in my mind.No, I to
With Fritz dead, I gave the High Council orders to begin annulling my wedding to Elise. My reasons were simple. Elise had found her soulmate, and I wouldn’t stand in their way to happiness. Yes, I’m such a hypocrite. Being mortal had apparently given me a conscience. It accused me of denying Erina
Erina‘What is she doing here?’ I pretended to be interested in the food on my plate while linking Magnus.Instead of answering me, Magnus pressed my thigh under the table, his hand firm, a warning. Do not make a scene was the message it conveyed. I swallowed a huff. He should have told her to leav
Blood painted the walls, the ceiling, pooling at my feet. The smell, coppery, nauseating and somehow satisfying. My heartbeat pounded steadily in my ears; lub-dub, lub-dub… This was some weird dream. A nightmare? But it felt too real. There was a weight in my hand, something soft, almost rubbery. I







