Page 79 of Israel

Israel could almost feel it in his own body. The delicate human bones being crushed, the excruciating pain.

Ashley screamed.

Israel scrambled to his feet and staggered across the warehouse.

She was struggling against the blade, but it was embedded deeply into the wooden board. All she was doing was hurting herself more. Enzo was hauling on the ropes from above, trying to pull the blades loose, but they weren’t moving.

Israel stumbled over to Ashley. “Shh, shh,” he said. “You’ll be okay. We’ll get this off.”

But he couldn’t figure out how. Grabbing the blade would just cut his fingers off, and if he grabbed the bar where the blades were attached, he’d be too far away from the board to have any leverage.

Blood was running down Ashley’s arm and pooling on the floor. He had to do something before she bled out.

Behind him, he heard the roar of an engine. Malone, blood blackening one whole side of his face, had crawled into the seat of a bulldozer and started the engine. As Israel watched in horror, he put the machine in gear and drove straight towards them.

With a harsh scream, Enzo dropped the ropes and launched himself into the air, heading for the bulldozer.

Ashley, her face deathly pale, whispered, “Israel. Ring.”

He followed her gaze down to the floor beneath her hand, where a gold ring lay. He snatched it up. “Put it on,” she said. “Stone—from Dragonlands. Magic.”

The Dragonlands were where magic had been born. He thrust the ring on his finger, his hands shaking. Enzo dive-bombed Malone, smashing at the windshield of the ‘dozer, but Malone just plowed forward, shrieking about his ring.

This ring. This was what gave him his power.

The bulldozer roared closer. Enzo changed to human and tried to pull Malone out of the driver’s seat, but Malone fought back with insane strength, and the ‘dozer bore down on them.

Ashley grabbed Israel with her free hand, staring deeply into his eyes. “You’re—my alpha,” she gasped. “My mate. Love you—always. Trust you. I—submit.”

A huge burst of power flowed through Israel, coursing through the mating bond. The magic filled him, surrounding them both. He could feel the blood draining from Ashley, and started to pour strength into her. She shook her head.

“Collar,” she whispered. “Make me—shift.”

He stared at her. Enzo was trying frantically to stop the bulldozer, but it just kept coming.

“Have to. Now,” Ashley whispered.

It was their only chance.

Israel wrapped his fingers around the necklace, feeling the magic in the ring pour down into it. He didn’t know what else to do, so he just put all the alpha command he had into his words. “I love you,” he said. And then,

Shift.