Natalie's POV
Kade moved fast despite his wound. He tore pages from his grandfather's journal with shaking hands and spread them on the frozen ground. Blood from his side dripped onto the yellowed paper and made the ink run but he did not seem to notice. His gold eyes scanned the words frantically while Xander kept Elara distracted.
Barely distracted. That was the problem.
She was toying with him. Laughing that glass shattering laugh while she froze his left arm solid then thawed it just enough that he could feel the pain. Then froze his leg. Then his shoulder. Playing with him like a cat plays with a mouse before the kill.
"The ritual requires both alphas to bleed into a circle around the target Sovereign." Kade's voice was tight with pain and concentration.
"Then we recite the word
