She’d put the bulk of her race in a room with two, virtually magic proof dragons.
Her chuckle was without any worry or remorse. “I’d rather be queen and ruler of shifters than part of our weak covens.”
As I stared into her coldly excited expression, I knew the truth. She didn’t just hate shifters… she hated her own kind as well. “That’s why you didn’t care when we were taking out witches during the battle. You just left them there to perish.”
That got me a nod and shrug. “Yeah, pretty much. Your dragons probably just wiped out the last of our kind, which means I now have no competition. Once you and your pack are gone, there are none who will ever be able to stop me.”
Her wrist snapped out and I was hit with another blast of magic that slammed me back into the wall. I slid down to thrash near the toilet, unable to escape the pain.Lovely.
Beside a toilet wasexactlywhere I imagined taking my last breath.
The burning sensation had me screaming again, and I cursed myself for giving her this satisfaction. My wolf surged inside my essence, fighting to break through the stasis on our mates, and when Jewels rattled me a little harder, my magic finally found a gap in her spell.
Slade’s voice echoed in my mind so quickly, I knew he’d been slamming against our quintet bond.Snow!he roared as my pain bled into him. I was far too weak to try to hide it from him, as I scraped against the tiles hard enough to break nails.Where are you? What’s happe?—?
Jewels’ magic eased up, and the connection between our beasts faded with it. And just like that… I wanted the torture. I wanted to feel them for however many moments I still had.
“Are you ready for it to be over, abomination?” Jewels whispered, leaning down to clutch my face, drawing it up so I had to stare into her eyes. My chest heaved as I sucked in breaths, but never actually felt my lungs fill. “Would you like me to make the pain stop? You and your mates will be together forever in eternal paradise, where no one will ever hurt you again.”
As appealing as she wanted that to sound, I wasn’t done with this life yet. Not when I’d only just started really living. I would never just roll over and let this bitch choose my destiny.
“Not yet,” I bit out between clenched teeth. “Got a little more torture in me.”
That appeared to cheer her up, as she chuckled lightly. “Amazing. Let’s continue.”
It was when she hit me for a third time that I gave myself over to the magic, embracing it as I let my essence flow into the pain. My wolf vibrated harder than ever, and this time the disruption to the block let in more than just Slade. All five of my mates flooded the bond, their voices a balm that damn near soothed the painful magic.
Mate, we’re coming for you, Hunter rasped in a deep, desperate voice.Hold on for us, baby girl. Just hold on.
You are strong enough to best her, Snow,Slade said on a rumble.
Talon growled, and I caught the snippets ofmurderandlove,but he was beyond real words.
Shortcake, Kellan’s mental voice was graveled and low.We’re outside but we can’t get in. Enforcers are here too, but we need you to help us enter the house.
Finley was last, and there was so much sorrow in his essence that tears unrelated to magical torture leaked from my eye.I will follow you, darlin’. Whatever happens. I will follow you.
I love you all, I managed to gasp.I’m sorry for what has to be done.
Just knowing they were here with me in these last moments was enough, especially as I mentally braced myself for what had to come next. The idea had been hovering at the back of my mind, and while I was terrified, I couldn’t let them die. I refused to allow this bitch to kill my pack and damn the entire shifter world to her insanity.
Jewels chuckled louder than ever, her power surging as she prepared to steal my lifeforce.
Emme!Slade shouted, as he felt me ready myself.Do not do this, sweetheart. Do not?—
It was too late for him to stop me.
I started to chant the spell that had lived rent free in my mind from the moment I read it on Slade’s computer. As if it knew this moment was going to come for us all.
Mate, please no, Hunter howled, and with that, I felt him gathering up his energy, his wolf charging at mine. He wasn’t the only one either; the others hurled their essence into my beast, and I was too focused on the chanting to do more than allow their power to flow into mine.
Out in the bathroom, Jewels, who clearly recognized the spell—since she wrote it—launched herself at me. But she was too late.
My soul screamed in anguish as the coldest magic I’d ever felt severed through the ties of my golden bonds, cutting my pack off until I felt nothing except the swirl of the essences they’d sent into me before.
To an orchestra of howls, roars, bellows, and tears, I shattered the quintet bond, leaving my wolf alone in my mind once more. The agony of their loss hit me so hard that it made the witch’s torture feel like tickles.
Severing a bond like ours brought forth the sort of pain thatdestroyed one’s sanity, and I was relieved when my mind blanked out, and darkness stole me away.
