Page 66 of Bound to Four Alphas

Malek took another step towards Selena.

Tears were running down her cheeks and she was screaming something at Damien, pleading with him.

Ronan broke free of the soldiers and nightmares attacking him, chest heaving and fur matted with blood. With a snarl, he leapt over and tackled Malek from the side. Unlike Kaelen, Ronan was physically stronger than Malek. But he still had that drive to hold back.

A drive Malek currently lacked.

Malek growled and flipped Ronan over, using the temporary advantage to spear him with his razor-sharp antlers, the tips embedding themselves in Ronan’s ribs. Ronan howled in pain, bucking and kicking to get free.

Kaelen prepared to dive and rejoin the fray, but Ronan managed to twist under Malek, catching the monster’s neck with his teeth as he tossed him into a tree. Malek quickly shook himself off, hackles rising as the two enormous beasts circled each other, teeth bared and dripping with blood.

Ronan wouldn’t be able to hold him off for long.

Kaelen dove towards the ruins of the temple, transforming mid-air and landing close to Selena with a hiss, barely keeping on his feet. His vision was growing hazy, the wounds from Malek’s claws flowing with blood.

He shook his head, trying to clear it.

Now was not the time for weakness.

Siphoning a small amount of magical energy to stem the flow of blood, he withdrew two curved blades from his back to face the soldiers standing between him and Selena. Phaendar and Elian fought near her, equal in speed and physical strength, a blur of golden skin and silver daggers. Every time Elian even got close to Selena, Phaendar fought him off.

With a roar, Kaelen leapt into action, swinging his blades at anyone who got even slightly close to him, bodies piling up as he carved his way to his mate.

He could hear her words now, her shouting cries.

“Let him go! Don’t do this!” she begged Damien, the prince’s eyes wide and empty as he surveyed the battle, hands raised.

A slight tremor rippled down Damien’s spine.

Controlling Malek was consuming his focus.

That was all the distraction Kaelen needed.

Elian’s gaze passed over him for a moment, and the Fae’s eyes glinted in understanding. He broke away from Phaendar, feinting towards Damien, and Phaendar took the bait, following him and leaving Selena unguarded.

Kaelen ripped through the remaining soldiers standing in his way, rushing to Selena’s side.

“Kaelen,” she sobbed, “you have to stop Damien, he’s hurting him! He’s hurting Malek!”

“I know.” Kaelen dropped the weapons on either side of him and grasped her face in his hands, the wetness of her tears practically scalding him. “I will, we’ll stop him, I just need to get you free first.”

Ignoring her cries to leave her, to help Malek, he swiftly unbolted the chains holding both her feet, running around to unclasp the one on her right hand. He was running to undo the final chain when a heavy weight slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

He rolled over but was pinned beneath Malek’s slavering jaws, heat and death pouring from between his teeth.

“Kaelen!” Selena screamed, tugging desperately at the final chain, “Malek, stop! You can’t!”

Malek’s head whipped up, his gaze finding Selena.

“Yes, it’s me, Malek, it’s Selena!” she begged, rising to her knees on the altar. “You have to fight it!”

“Selena!” Kaelen roared, reaching an arm out. One of his blades was there, just out of reach. He couldn’t shift here; he was too close to Selena, he would injure her, bring down the rest of the roof onto her head. “Selena, don’t!”

Malek stilled, his muscles trembling. Kaelen looked over and saw Damien staring straight at him, his jaw tense and teeth gritted together with effort.

Malek was fighting him. Fighting his control.

“You can’t do this,” Selena whispered to him, and Kaelen practically roared with the effort of trying to reach the knife.

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