Zari laughs, her voice cold and calculating. “Look at your precious prince now, Astra. Not so glorious when he’s bleeding, is he?”
Lucian’s response is another bone-deep snarl, but I can see the exhaustion in his movements now, the way his powerful frame trembles slightly. The blood loss is getting to him.
The man performing the ritual behind me makes a sound of triumph. “It’s working. The power is transferring beautifully. Soon, we’ll have everything we need.”
My wolf gives one last, desperate surge before something inside me snaps. The connection between us wavers, starts to fray. No! They’re severing the bond between me and my wolf. If they complete this ritual, I’ll lose her forever.
“Please,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “Please stop.”
But Aldric only smiles. “Don’t w
