Page 83 of Claiming His Rejected Mate

And I will again.

Always.

Chapter 26

Hazel

The battlefield is a nightmare of blood and chaos. I’ve never witnessed such carnage in my life. Other than petty battles the NIghtclaws fought, I haven’t fought any of the large-scale battles. And to be honest, I didn’t know that Eldon had this many men.

No wonder it was easy to convince Damon and Nina.

I move through the bodies, blade in hand, cutting down anyone who stands in my way, but it’s not enough.

We are losing.

Eldon’s forces are relentless, their numbers greater than we predicted. The rogues fight with a wild brutality, but it’s the trained warriors—the ones Damon sent against Kieran, that must have helped him escape the Moonfang estate and probably left with him—that tip the balance.

Traitors.

They’re the real traitors. Not me!

My breath comes fast, my limbs burning with exhaustion, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop.

Because if we fall, Moonfang falls. And I have failed.

And I refuse to let that happen.

My wolf is restless, clawing beneath my skin, begging to be freed. But the seal blocks her.

Only rage drives me now. Living with this seal has been the bane of my existence, has been the only thing holding me back from being my true and free self. And now, on the battlefield, I rue it even more.

I grit my teeth, fury and desperation colliding inside me. I am stuck in this form, fighting like a human when I was born to be more.

Ahead of me, my Omegas are struggling with the swarm of rogues. They hold their own as best as they can, but they are out-manned.

Damn it.

I take a step toward them, about to give the order to retreat—to regroup—when a rogue lunges from my left.

I pivot too late.

A flash of claws and teeth. A burning pain.

I stumble back, my hand flying to my side where I’ve been cut through my armor. It’s not as deep as I thought.

The leopard shifter rogue grins, fangs bared. “Weak,” he sneers.

My vision turns red as rage erupts in me.

I move fast, my blade slicing through his throat before he can react. He gurgles, blood spilling from his lips, and I shove him aside.

Then I turn to my warriors.

“Hold the damn line,” I order, my voice sharp, unyielding. “No more protecting me. Your duty is to keep Eldon’s men away from the estate.”

They hesitate. How do they keep the line when their leader hasn’t fully shifted once in battle?

I step forward, gripping Gina by the arm, my fingers digging into her. “You follow my orders, or you die.”