Page 100 of Moon Cursed

Paxton dropped down between my spread legs, hands steadying himself on my thighs.

“Don’t do this, Paxton!” I looked deep in his eyes, beseeching someone that was no longer there. “I know you can hear me. I know you can fight!”

His brow twitched as fingers skated over my gossamer-covered skin, his touch asgentleandlovingas that disgusting creep commanded.

“Please, don’t do this.” My throat was thick, sore, and clogged from crying, but I couldn’t stop. “Everyone believes these bonds are forthem! That it and we exist for their purposes, but I finally understand now. The bonds are for us.”

Paxton slowly slipped my gown off one side, then the other. He wasn’t hearing a word I was saying, but I pressed on.

“Luame wasn’t punishing me.Wewere punishing ourselves, because deep down we knew we could have something great—something real—and we sabotaged it,” I croaked, speaking faster as he rose up on his knees, and started taking off his clothes. “And something real, if you want to get it back again, it can’t be forced. It can’t be tricked, or seduced, or logicked. If you want it back, you have to be vulnerable. You have to close your eyes and jump, trusting that the other person will be there to catch you.

“You have to love, Paxton...” I freed my hand, ignoring Cygnus’s bark as I cupped his cheek. “And I do,” I whispered. “I love you.”

He stilled. For the barest possible second, Paxton’s fingers paused on his pants button.

“I love you, Paxton,” I repeated, loud and clear. “So fight them, baby. No matter what those monstersthink,omegas were not put on this earth to do an alpha’s bidding. Your true power is inside of you—”

“Enough of this,” Cygnus bellowed. “Tell him to get on with it, Sunella.”

“But—”

“Now!”

“Fight, Paxton!” I screamed as Sunella’s lips parted.

“Paxton Clarke, get it over with.”

“Fight, Paxton!” Nia burst out.

“Mate with her now!”

He grabbed me, wrestling me back down.

“FIGHT!”

“All right already,” Paxton breezed. “Will everyone stop yelling?”

I choked on a cry, eyes popping.

My handsome, wicked love winked at me, grinning that grin. Swooping down, he dropped a kiss on my squawking lips, and whispered, “I love you too.” When he shot to his feet, he was glowing. “Thanks for freeing my hands, shitheads.”

“How!” Cygnus ripped his shirt, partially shifting in his rage. “This is impossi—eugh!” He gagged, water spewing from his throat.

Within seconds, Orion, Badr, the secret police, and the council were on their knees, clutching their throats. Faces reddening, eyes popping, hands releasing their weapons to claw desperately at their throats.

Ash didn’t waste a moment.

Sprinting across the room, the woman dove headfirst through the serving window, shifting before her paws hit the floor. “Boys, look away,” she ordered in wolfspeak.

They clapped their hands over their eyes, but I didn’t.

Ash snapped her jaw over the man’s pale and bulging face, and ripped it right off. Whipping around, she slammed the full force of her body into his—throwing him across the kitchen into the steel-plated wall. Absolutely every bone broke on impact, and they didn’t heal.

The other man tried to stagger away. Trying, failing, and trying again to get to his feet while his lungs drowned on dry land, he tried to stand one more time, and Ash snapped on his torso.

Chomp!

Hands flopping away from his throat, one part of him fell one way, the other part fell forward, and she spat out the rest.

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