Page 29 of Reign of the Beast

For once in my life there was nothing I could do.

He was stronger, faster, he had some serious magic.

“Hit the deck!” a voice yelled from behind me, a voice I knew well.

I reacted quick, throwing myself on the grass.

A green lightning bolt shot over my head, just as I rolled onto my back to see what was going on.

It hit Draco in the chest, propelling him away, hundreds of feet into the fields in the distance.

Holy fucking shit!

I turned just as a hand was held out to me.

Looking up, I saw Ryker standing there.

I let him help me up. “Thanks, man.”

His gaze dipped to my tattoo sleeves, lingering, some sort of intrigue sparking, a moment before he cleared his throat and recovered, telling me, “We don’t have long.” He spun and called out, “Lucian!”

I tensed.Lucian?I’d known it was only going to be a matter of time before we came face-to-face again, but tonight really wasn’t the night for it.

But, in the next second, the bloodsucker sped over to us holding Mia in his arms.

Our eyes met quick, but I blew past it, ignoring him, as all my attention went to my mate.

She was bloodied, burned, and unconscious, hanging limply in his arms.

“Her pulse is steady. I fed her my blood. Her wounds will heal quickly,” Lucian reported.

“What?” I barked. “You gave your blood tomymate?”

“Purely medical.”

I growled, getting in his face.

Ryker shoved me back.

I really was off my game if a scrawny magic-wielder was able to knock me back without using his power.

“Stop. Think,” Ryker ordered me. “Lucian doesn’t share his blood as a rule, unless he’s devoted to the person in question. It’s very special to him. Mia was in dire straits, he did it for me, knowing I couldn’t bear to lose her.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. “Enough blood has been spilled here tonight.”

Talk about a sucker punch. “Yeah,” I murmured.

Looking around, he shook his head sadly, telling me, “I’m so sorry, Jax.”

All I could do was nod.

What the hell else could I say?

Everything was burned to ash.

My pack, myfamily,was gone.

“He’s coming,” Lucian announced, his eyes darting off in the distance. “Now, Ryker.”

In the next second, Ryker’s magic enveloped us, teleporting us away.

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