Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
I can’t find my smile as I focus on him. Thick, hot tears blind me, and I bury my face in his chest and hug him as hard as I can.
“Please don’t die, Caz,” I whisper.
“If I die, you die too. I won’t let that happen.” He cups the back of my head with one of his large hands, planting a kiss on top of it. Then he collects my face and tilts my head up. “Oi, look at me.”
I do.
“You’ll be safe. And no matter what happens, you must remember that I love you. If neither of us makes it out of this life, I’ll find you in the next. We’ll always be together. You understand?”
I suck in a breath, trying desperately to bite back the tears. My eyes are burning, my throat is raw and it hurts. When the tears fall, Caz rubs them away with the pads of his thumbs.
“Go on,” he whispers, bobbing his head in Juniper’s direction. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
I lean up to kiss him, to feel his warm lips, his hands on my waist, his body, his racing heartbeat. All of him.
“Make sure you beat her ass,” I say when our lips part.
He cracks a smile. “Trust me, I plan to fucking obliterate her.”
Cerberus appears, sniffing at Caz and whining. Caz takes a short step back and squats. “No, no. Not this fight,” he murmurs to Cerberus. Cerberus licks at his chin then presses his face deeper into Caz’s chest.
“Go on with your Mum. I’ll be back for you too.” With one more scratch behind Cerberus’s ears, Caz stands upright again and takes my hand.
He places a kiss on it while holding my eyes. My other half. I love you more than anything.
This time I can’t help the sob that breaks out of me. I can’t believe any of this is happening. It’s now that I realize the gravity of our situation.
All the lives going to that battlefield.
All the people who will be lost.
All the blood that will be shed, the fear, the anguish.
Caz squeezes my hand, and I draw in a breath, trying to pull my shit together as I swipe at the tears with the back of my arm.
When Caz and I part, our fingers linger, and it takes everything in me to walk away from him. The only reason I do is because Juniper has my other hand and is leading the way to the manor.
Silvera and Cerberus join my side, whimpering along the way. Cerberus stops in the middle of the field and whines, like he’s begging Caz to change his mind.
Caz shakes his head, pointing toward the manor. I don’t miss the way his eyes sadden as he does it.
With a reluctant spirit, Cerberus follows us.
Separating wasn’t so bad for us before, but knowing this could be the last time I look at Caz and the last time I feel him, well…my heart is aching, and I’m sure our wolves sense that. Our pain is theirs and theirs is ours.
But I have hope.
I saw him in that meadow. Even Hassha was stunned by how quickly he’d gotten a hold of his power.
He will come out on top.
I just hope he doesn’t lose too many of the people he loves in the process.
SEVENTY-EIGHT
THE REGALS
When the twins are situated in the bunker along with the remainder of her tribe, Hassha drifts through the barrier with Korah.
They soar beneath the floating rock Selah has created, a rock streaming with lava and wafting with smoke.
They land on top with a solid thud, taking in the red soil beneath their feet. They couldn’t see it before, but the sky is a hazy red with hordes of Trenchmites and unknown creatures flying.
The Regals waste no time marching ahead where Selah hovers above a flaming throne, her eyes like fire and her hair floating around her. Selah’s feet touch the ground as a wicked smirk is carved onto her face. She’s donned in red armor that glints from the flames in her eyes.
“The war does not begin now,” Hassha says, stopping several steps short of the throne. “We still have two days to prepare.”
“Do you blame me for being tired of waiting?” Selah’s teeth glint from her throne of flames. “Three is enough. It begins today.”
Hassha and Korah glance at each other.
“This is your last chance to back out, Selah. Surrender, and we will spare you.” Hassha’s fists clench, and Korah’s shoulders tense as her hands spark to life.
“Absolutely not.” Selah’s smirk transitions to a grimace, and with a snap of her fingers, the creatures in the sky come barreling down, screeching and shrieking.
They stand behind her in unison, made of all sizes and ranging in color from black to muddy gray. Most have waxy skin, and a few have oversized wings.
Then there’s a rumble from a distance.