Page 126 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

Luka and Jax are already in their wolf form. Both magnificent creatures that tower over the other shifters looking down at them like prey. Blue flames envelop Jax as he strikes the nearest tiger. His teeth clamping on his neck as his ice flames freeze him in place just as he snaps his neck in half.

Luka’s red flames drip from his mouth like blood as he snarls at the two bears trying to cage him in.

A dark shadow hovers over him like a cloak of death, waiting to strike down his enemies. The bears veer off, trying to attack him from each side.

I don’t realise I’m moving towards them until Axel grabs my hand, stopping my advance.

“They’ve got this, princess,” he whispers into my ear.

Glancing up at him, I see the promise in his words. He keeps hold of my hand, rubbing small circles with his thumb, making me shiver.

I look back, seeing both bears bleeding out on the ground.

Each of the guys is holding their own, but the shifters have doubled their efforts, teaming up to attack them.

I hear a gasp making my stomach drop. Morana’s amused chuckle hits my ears like nails as she throws energy balls toward Ry’s basilisk. His beautiful matte black scales light up and turn an angry scarlet the more she hits him.

Red coats my vision as I measure up my new target, no longer caring in that moment what Morana used to be to me.

I make it two steps before a hand pulls me back.

“Don’t even think about it, princess.” Axel growls, looking pissed off.

“I’m not standing here doing nothing while the rest of you all sacrifice yourselves.”

“We’re not sacrificing anything, especially not you. So, sit tight and this will be over soon.”

“They need our help, Axel,” I plead with him. He frowns, looking over at Jax and Lukas’ wolves as they take on a group of jaguars that viciously strikes at them from every angle. They’re holding their own, but there’s too many of them and a group of warlocks waiting right behind them.

We need to help. Even as powerful alphas, they can’t take on this many shifters by themselves.

I think he’s about to listen, but then he shakes his head, narrowing his eyes on me. “I can’t. If anything happened to you—”

“I can’t die. Please, just help them. I’ll be fine.”

A loud howl draws our attention. Frantically I search out my missing shadow wolves, coming up empty.

Morana is nowhere to be seen, making the pit in my stomach grow.

“There.” Axel points in the opposite direction I was looking. What I see makes my throat turn dry and stomach turn to ash.

Jax’s wolf is on the ground, struggling to get up from a deep wound on his legs.

Warlocks are throwing energy bolts over and over while the bears coordinate a vicious attack.

Luka has unleashed his dark side, but even that’s not enough to hold them all back.

“Help them,” I beg Axel.

Axel glances over at his bond brothers and back at me, looking conflicted.

“Please, if anything happens to them…” My voice breaks, a mirrored reflection of my heart.

Axel lets out a growl, giving me a fierce look as he pulls me over to two crates.

“Promise me you’ll stay here.”

I agree immediately, not wanting him to waste any time. “I promise, just hurry.”

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