“You were always a means to an end. Nothing more.” King’s reply left no room for doubt. He never loved her.

Morana drops the innocent facade, recognising she’s lost. “You rotten bastard!”

King’s bored look turns into a crooked smile. “Kill her.”

Morana narrows her eyes, rapidly shooting out energy bolts of her own. The warlocks dive to the ground, throwing their own back at her.

I duck behind a bolder, just as chaos erupts around me.

King watches on, feeling confident of his warlock’s ability to kill his jilted lover.

The warlocks work in sync, wearing her out, before going full force at her.

One bolt hits her before she’s able to take cover. The warlocks see this and work together to send a larger bolt at her.

She freezes on impact, her eyes widening in shock as she lands near my feet. Her skin turns a molten grey before me as she rasps out her final few breaths.

I bite down on my gag, promising myself I would not cry for this bitch. Not after everything.

The Alana I knew, looks to me one last time. Before she takes her last breath, she rasps out a broken few words. “Not just a healer. You… re… a…”

She dies before she finishes her sentence, leaving me more confused than ever.

I’m thrown sideways as an explosion of fire hits the marina, blowing up Morana’s boat and the surrounding pier.

The concealed attacker hits again, hitting the ground, setting it on fire.

King and his guards pull back, ducking for cover just as another explosion hits.

While they’re distracted, I see an opening and make my way to the nearest crate. Just as a sliver of hope runs through me, I’m yanked backward into the small, tight space between two crates and disappear into the darkness.

CHAPTER 26

Ifight against the restraints, hoping to get away from my new kidnapper.

“I thought I told you to stay where I left you.” The familiar harsh tone to my ears makes my tense body relax immediately.

Axel turns me around, releasing the gag first before getting to work on my restraints.

I lick my dry lips before speaking. “As you can see, I ran into a slight problem.”

Once my hands are free, Axel grabs the side of my face, looking me over for injuries.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” He narrows his eyes in the direction of King and Morana, bringing a small smile to my face.

“I’m no damsel, but I’m really fucking glad to see you.”

Axel gives me a genuine smile, making my heart stutter. He came for me, just like he promised. I feel my smile grow; a giddy energy works its way through me begging for some type of release.

Not thinking about what I’m about to do, I slam my mouth to his, letting all the adrenaline, fear and heartache go into the fevered brush of my lips.

Axel moans as he deepens the kiss. He pushes me back against the crate, leaning into me. Tilting my head, he grinds his hard body into mine, lighting my body on fire.

I lift a leg up, curling it around him, pulling him closer. His thrusts get harder, making me burn in all the right places.

“More.” His breathless voice is thick with desire, sending shivers down my back.

His lips work their way up my neck, making me bite my lip to cover a moan.