Regina starts speaking, voice clear and steady. Latin flows from her lips like she was born speaking it. The air in the room goes heavy, and the electricity in it makes the hair on my arms stand up.
The ritual components start doing weird shit. Crystals glowing, herbs releasing smoke without burning, the lunar venom swirling in its bowl like an invisible finger is stirring it. Regina keeps going, voice getting stronger. The grimoire starts glowing soft blue, matching the starlight pendant around her neck.
"Now," Villeneuve instructs. "The blood."
Regina tips the vial to her lips and takes a sip.
Her body goes rigid against me. She gasps. Before I can freak out, she's turning, pressing her mouth to mine.
The taste hits me like fire on my tongue and something so old it doesn't have a name. Energy surges between us as the blood passes from her mouth to mine, hot and electric. My wolf lunges forward, done being patient.
I barely register Regina turning to pass the blood to Sean, then Rowan, then Micah, completing the circle. With each transfer, the energy in the room ratchets up a notch, pressure building.
"This is the wildest fucking game of spin the bottle ever," Sean manages to growl before the energy surge hits him and his eyes roll back in his head.
Regina picks up the incantation again, but now her voice sounds layered, like multiple people are speaking through her at once. The candle flames leap higher, burning blue-white instead of yellow.
And then it hits me.
A wave of energy so intense I nearly black out. My consciousness expands, stretching past my body. I can feel the others too, but not like our usual pack bonds. Sean's wild, chaotic, tornado-like energy. Rowan's deep, steady presence. Micah's easygoing nature keeps us grounded even as he's getting swept away.
Regina is like grabbing a live fucking wire.
Raw power and fierce determination all wrapped up in a hurricane of magic and green.
Through our connected minds, I feel the moment Regina's old coven bond starts to break. Regina arches in our hold,screaming. Pain stabs through all of us.Herpain, shared across the bond that's connecting us to her.
"Hold her," Villeneuve commands. "Do not break contact, no matter what happens next."
The pain gets worse. Images flash through my mind—memories that aren't mine. A basement. Blood. A chained and roaring beast. Claws raking across flesh.
Regina's skin.
Her face.
The attack that scarred her.
I snarl, low and dangerous, rage burning through me. At the creature that hurt her. At the coven that used her. At every single thing that ever caused her pain. I'm going to hunt down every last one of them and use their fucking spines as coat racks.
"Focus, Mr. Underwood," Villeneuve snaps. "Your emotions are feeding back into the circuit. Control yourself. This isn't the time for your revenge fantasies, no matter how creative the use of entrails."
What? How the fuck does he know what I'm thinking? Just when I thought this bastard couldn't get any spookier.
I fight to rein in my wolf to keep my rage from bleeding through the bond. As much as I hate to admit it, the professor is right. Regina needs my strength right now, not my anger.
The pain peaks. Another scream rips from Regina's throat. I feel somethingsnap—like a cord stretched past its limit, finally breaking. The pressure in the room drops, leaving us all gasping for air.
"The coven bond is broken," Villeneuve announces. "Now form the new one. Quickly!"
I hold onto the woman in my arms, keeping her steady.
Regina's voice wavers but she picks up again, Latin words flowing into the second part of the ritual. Her body sags against us, exhausted from the broken bond, but we hold her up, keeping her on her feet. Reminding her she isn't doing this alone.
The energy shifts. The chaotic storm of breaking transforms into something focused. I feel my wolf surge forward again, but this time with purpose instead of pure rage.
It's time to claim our mate.
Chapter 7
