Lucien’s POV
When I saw Ash's sword lifting toward Lena, all goes but the instinct. I never thought about the poison residue on the metal — nor the likelihood I’d survive. I leaped aside, interposing my huge Lycan body between the weapon and my mate.
The dagger plunged into my shoulder and I sensed the poison seeping through me like molten lava. It was created specifically to attack Lycan physiology—as soon as Dorian described the symptoms, I knew I’d seen it before. Burning agony that raced through my veins, homing in on the accelerated recovery that made us so hard to kill.
"Lucien, no!" Lena screamed through the haze of agony.
But I had no regrets about the decision. Not even as the poison set to its work, burning a deadly path for my heart.
I focused on Ash, allowing him to see th
