AmandaI really didn't understand what the big deal was about where I came from. All I cared about was getting Clara back and putting Rigar down like the mad animal he was once and for all. I could be Lucifer's daughter if it helped me reach my goals.Raul chewed on his thumb nail, staring off into the distance at the targets scattered around the area. I still hadn't mastered just aiming at them, but we were getting closer.This time I had frozen half a target. "Maybe we're doing this all wrong."Jesse shrugged. "What are you talking about? She's getting there.""No, she should be focused on moving targets. She's not going to have the time to focus her powers and attack one at a time." I stared out past them, past the targets, the trees, just back in the direction I'd once came from. I was so close to being able to finally take on Rigar. It scared me, facing him. But I would be even more scared if I just let him continue to ruin my life. I touched my forehead. It was like I could
JesseOur pretty little Luna shivered beneath my every caress. The more I touched her, the more the warmth of Raul reflected in her touch. "It's your choice."She swallowed and looked away from me.The knife that twisted in my guts would normally be enough to take my breath away, but I wanted to hide it from her. After everything that she had gone through with Aren, I wanted to be able to give her at least one choice. Funny, normally I'd be the one that pressed things but I couldn't find it in myself to do it. Every second that dragged on made the wounds inside me widen. Hell hounds rarely took mates for just this reason. We were a species created for service. This was our punishment for daring to step up from our position. We were meant to always serve, never to care.Hell hounds were shit at actually listening to what we were supposed to do. Even if this ripped me apart in time, I wouldn't force her to accept me."Yes," she whispered so soft the wind almost stole the words from he
Javier A chill worked its way through my spine and I turned away from the men I was training, what was left of them anyway. After the demons' attack, our warrior force was looking pretty damn sparse. And it led me to a conclusion I *really* didn't want to accept. "There's not enough, is there?" Bo demanded from beside me. I wished I could slap him for putting that thought into words, but he was right. We simply did not have enough men to be able to both go after Clara, and to protect our Kingdom at the same time. "No," I let the words leave me in a groan. "Not nearly enough." Bo tipped his head back and observed the sky. "One of us is going to have to stay, huh?" I longed to grab a handful of snow and force the other man to eat it. Why did he have to bring things up that I didn't even want to think about? He was right, again. I fucking hated when Bo was right. "Shut up." Bo ignored me and jerked to the side. "What the fuck?" he scowled and stared off in the direction we'd le
AmandaJavier looked like he'd swallowed a stinkbug. His arms were crossed over his chest and though he tried to smile at me, there was something in the action that was missing."Luna," he grumbled as I walked by.This was quite the change from earlier. It had only been long enough for Zale to sit him down to have a talk and this was the result? "What's wrong?" I asked. We didn't have much time now. We needed to leave soon.Javier groaned and sighed at the same time while thumping his chest. "I've made a decision." He grimaced even as he said the words. "I'm staying behind."Bo perked up from the other side of me. "You are?"Javier glowered at him. The man's eyes were almost completely closed. "I am," he agreed with a shrug. "I've got no choice. I'm going to help protect the people here along with Tyler."My latest hound nodded slightly. I hadn't prepared for two of my mates to stay behind, but if I thought about what had happened the last time I had been outside of the magical walls
AmandaDespite the assurances from the others that they would handle it, Bo was not to be denied. The wolf had fully shifted, or whatever you could call this sick analogy. The bones were blackened and his red eyes rolled around his skull, darting back and forth between me and the sky. He took a step forward a low menacing growl gurgling up from somewhere deep inside. I forced my attention away from him, focusing instead on the monsters that had caused this. Really, did they always have to target Bo? "Whatever you did to him, take it away, now," I ordered.The spike-toothed one laughed and the others around him repeated the action. "Mother, you're thralled by these creatures. Don't worry. We'll rip them apart and turn their bodies to the very dust around us. We'll save you."Save me?I stared at Bo as he lunged at Ares. The other wolf was far too quick for the skeleton and when Bo stumbled after his jump he cocked his head and slowly turned before pouncing at the waiting hounds. The
ZaleI twisted in mid-air to get my feet under me again and growling, I turned back to the fight. The black flames leaping into the air gave me pause. There weren't the flames of the hounds anymore, they were as corrupted as my mate was.Why had those creatures targeted Bo in the first place? I was going to have to lock him in a room stuffed with pillows at this point. Ares snapped at me, upset with my mind wandering. I jerked and raced back to the circle of fire that stretched taller than any tree we had. The flames were dark, almost solid in color and blocked out whatever was happening to Amanda in there.I couldn't jump them. I doubted I could bust my way in there too, but that's what I was about to try.The remaining wizards weren't cackling anymore. They were grouped in a pile, the ones that hadn't died yet, and wailed up at the sky. I had hoped that taking them down would have saved Bo from whatever disaster he'd stumbled into this time.Reaching out through the bond was a dea
AmandaI couldn't back away fast enough. My limbs were like heavy weights, and every movement sapped what little energy I had left."Amanda."My name on Rigar's lips made me want to curl into a ball and vomit endlessly. I hated him more and more with every second that ticked by.Hated him but I couldn't get away from him, I couldn't escape those piercing eyes of his or that cruel smirk that played across his lips.Or the memories that threatened to roll over me. It was one thing to be faced by him through the bond, to be forced to bear the insanity of his mind, but having to stare at him in person again was cracking the shell of the woman I had become away from him. The stronger person I thought I was becoming threatened to shatter and fall to the ground in a million pieces.Rigar laughed. "Amanda," he growled my name again and a fresh wave of tears threatened to spill down my cheeks. I hated how weak he made me feel. All the confidence I'd gained was gone in seconds and all because o
AmandaRigar screamed.It wasn't a laugh of victory that had gotten out of hand. It was a blood-curdling scream of pain and agony.Something had hurt him.I dared to look up at him. My little spear still radiated in him, but it was growing bigger, and connecting with a similar spear of ice that went through his stomach. No, that wasn't ice. It was a sword?Staring at the bloodied tip I tilted to the side to investigate and came face to face with a bloody, bruised, and crying Clara."Clara," I whispered her name not believing that she was there."They're all dead," she whispered, jerking on the sword that was buried inside of him. "Everyone back in the pack, he killed them all in front of me."All the connections that I'd still had were snapped in an instant. I focused on the tip of that spear and put every last bit of energy I had into it. The stupid hound continued to hang onto me, her intentions were unclear I was surprised she hadn't went for my throat, but then again she didn't se