Page 88 of Rising Reign

Wren cried out, trying to run for him, but Marcelle blocked her path. “You won’t escape me this time. I’ll feel your blood dripping from my fangs before I let you go.”

I pushed harder, trying to make it to Wren, attempting to save her.

Wren lifted her blade. “Your cruelty makes you weak.”

She struck out, but Marcelle ripped the blade from her hands with his teeth. Blood poured from his mouth, so dark it was nearly black. Wren leveled a kick at his head, shoving the blade farther into his mouth. Marcelle howled in pain.

One, two, three arrows pierced his hide, just as I reached him. Marcelle stumbled. My teeth sank into his neck, and the taste of his blood was foul on my tongue. Rotten. But I didn’t let go. I shook the red wolf, feeling his neck snap, but I knew it wasn’t enough. My teeth sank deeper until I felt his carotid artery. I clamped down on it and ripped it free.

Rhys raced forward, his hand punching into the red wolf from behind his shoulder blade, pulling his heart free.

“Give it to me,” Hera yelled.

Rhys threw it toward her in some macabre game of catch, and Hera managed to snag it from the air, instantly beginning her chanting. A few moments later, the heart was engulfed in flames. She dropped it to the forest floor, breathing heavily. “He’s dead. Now, he’s really dead.”

But it wasn’t enough. There were still far too many wolves. The only one I didn’t see was Bastian. The goddamned coward.

The inky black wolf I knew was Mei took on two mercenary wolves. One sank its teeth into her hindquarter, but Clara snarled in fury and pounced on him, snapping his neck.

Wren struggled to her feet as two wolves charged at her.

“You take the brown. I’ll take the russet,” Ender ordered.

I lunged at the brown one, raking my claws over its face as Wren stabbed it through the heart. Ender and Franco took down the second with arrows and bullets.

But it seemed as if it would never end. The invasion just kept coming. We were fighting them off, but we were struggling.

Locke leveled his weapon at a wolf about to lunge at Hera. He got off two shots before the whole world slowed.

I took in everything in the pauses between inhales and exhales. Bastian stepping out from between the trees. His claws lengthening. Those claws ripping across Locke’s throat.

His eyes went wide with shock as he crumpled to the ground. And then he didn’t move at all.

52

WREN

“Noooooo!” The word tore from my throat as Locke fell to the ground.

I was already running, not giving a damn if I was running toward the last person I should. I didn’t care. All I cared about was getting to Locke. The purest soul of all of us.

Bastian laughed, the sound ugly and twisted. “You take from me, and I take from you, Little Flower. You should know that by now.”

I sank to the ground, my spine jarring with the force of it. I rolled Locke to his back and put pressure on the wound. I poured all the energy I could through our bond. I gave him everything I had to give because I couldn’t lose him.

“It’s too late,” Bastian rasped. “You’ll never save him.”

My mates raced toward us, but the moment they were steps away, they bounced off an invisible force field.

Bastian only laughed harder as they pounded against the ward. “It’ll never work. You see, those dark mages were none too pleased about you trying to break up their coven and killing some of their own. So, they came to me.”

I gaped at my father as I pressed harder against Locke’s throat, pouring more of my life’s essence into him.

Bastian just grinned down at me. “We made a deal. I’d get you for a year, get an heir I can train to be a true leader, and they could have you for their little sacrifice after.” He glanced around the forest. “Looks like they didn’t fare too well. Pity. I guess I’ll get to kill you myself in the end.”

Snarls and howls lit the air as my mates tried in vain to get through the barrier. Hera was casting some sort of spell but coming up short. And I could only stare at the man who was supposed to be my father.

“You killed her, didn’t you?” I croaked.