Page 30 of A Reign of Malice (Wolves of Lunara #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

SLOANE

T he process moves faster than I expect, a rhythmic cycle of blood and teeth, of the gods teleporting in, receiving our energy, and stepping back with newfound power crackling through their veins.

Some of them stay to watch, most of them disappear quickly, and a few even try to demand more than their share.

Thankfully, Aurora surprises us all when she shuts that down quickly.

She takes only enough blood from the queens so that each god can have one drink of the powerful crimson.

Something I appreciate so that we’re not left weak when we return to Lunara.

Even my wolf doesn’t reject the help we’re offering, but something tells me that’s only because this goddess gave us our mate.

Julian offers me a reassuring glance as he finishes with another god, then his eyes cast down to my wrist as if he’s asking if I’m okay.

There’s a thin, pink-tinged line there from the cuts, but it’s nothing that will bother me later and won’t even leave a scar. I offer him a smile in return as he starts to walk toward me .

Isla and Estee stand with their mates and I think we’re finally done after having repeated the same process with over a hundred gods.

Each time, their eyes shifting to gold, their forms flickering as the surge of wolf magic collides with their celestial essence.

Even now, the air is thick with the energy, the scent of iron and divinity mingling into something potent, something unnatural.

But there’s still only one left.

Aurora.

She eyes Asher first, her smirk slow and knowing, as if she enjoys stoking the fire of Isla’s rage. But then, in a move as deliberate as it is calculated, she shifts her gaze to Julian.

“You. Come.”

Julian doesn’t hesitate. He steps forward, his expression unreadable, and I swear I hear Isla suck in a breath beside me.

The goddess lifts her wrist, extending it toward him like an offering. “Be a good boy and finish the job.”

I almost ask why she chose Julian over Asher, but the words never leave my mouth. It doesn’t matter. If anything, it’s easier this way. One less thing for Isla to hate Aurora for.

Plus, this means we’re almost out of here.

As Julian’s teeth slice into Aurora’s skin, the golden runes along her arm flare to life, shimmering like blazing stars, and something in the air shifts.

The very fabric of this place seems to pulse, bending toward the moment as if the god realm itself recognizes the final piece falling into place as she tilts a bowl with my blood in it to her ruby lips.

And then it’s done.

I almost expect some sort of jealousy, but there’s only relief, even from my wolf.

Aurora pulls back, her gaze no longer violet but still just as wicked as she turns toward us. “Well, that was fun,” she drawls. “Now, let’s discuss your departure.”

I straighten, instinctively reaching for Julian’s hand. “So, you’re holding up your end of the bargain?”

She rolls her eyes. “What kind of goddess do you take me for?”

Isla snorts. “Do you want an honest answer?”

Aurora winks. “I’m well aware of your opinions, Queen Isla .

” She flicks a hand, the space around us shimmering.

“You fulfilled your end, so I’ll fulfill mine.

You’ll all be going home, and we are officially even.

No debts. No obligations. None of you will be calling on me again. Our worlds have entangled enough.”

I exhale, relief loosening my muscles, but there’s still a lingering discomfort crawling beneath my skin. Something isn’t right, and the sooner we return to Venaris, the better.

Aurora moves to open a portal, but the air shifts again. Heavier and more potent. Worse, even the goddess wears a look of shock on her face.

The ground quakes beneath us, and a sharp, electric pulse surges through the air. The once-still sky splits open like shattered glass, the eerie, endless horizon shifting as a shadowed force tears through the delicate balance of Aurora’s island.

A voice slithers around us, low and insidious.

“Did you really think you could get away with this so easily, Aurora? Such a waste. ”

And then the attack begins.

There’s no warning. No time to prepare.

One moment, we’re standing on the cusp of freedom, and the next, the god realm erupts into chaos.

Figures materialize from the fractured sky, wreathed in ominous, rippling energy that twists and bends unnaturally around them. They’re gods, much like Aurora, yet utterly different. Darker. Older. Their presence alone makes my bones vibrate with unease.

The largest of them steps forward, a towering figure with onyx skin that seems to drink in the light. His eyes are twin voids, endless and devouring. “You gave our enemies a gift,” he sneers at the six of us, “and now you expect to walk away?”

Aurora doesn’t flinch. “Oh, darling, I expect nothing,” she purrs, inspecting her nails. “Though, I was hoping you’d show up.”

But he wasn’t talking to the goddess. His punishment doesn’t seem to be meant for her. At least not right now.

He wants wolf blood.

I barely have time to take a breath as the mayhem presses in on us.

One of the gods lunges toward Isla, his hand outstretched, fingers elongating into piercing tendrils of darkness. Isla dodges, her movements swift, her wolf flashing in her eyes as she rips free from Asher’s grasp and slashes upward with her claws. The god snarls, staggering back.

Julian shoves me behind him, his body coiling like a predator ready to strike. But I don’t stay put.

I can’t.

This is what I was born for.

With a growl, I leap and shift in midair, my wolf exploding to the surface in a blur of sleek fur and snapping teeth. My claws sink into the nearest god’s chest, tearing through celestial flesh that shimmers unnaturally beneath my touch.

Theo and Estee fight as one. Two figures weaving together, a sword he must have taken from one of the other gods slashing through our opponents while Estee shifts, her inner beast keeping Theo’s back safe from further attacks.

Even with all of us pushing forward, throwing everything we have into the battle, we are outnumbered. Severely .

The gods we’ve just enhanced are nowhere to be seen, and these newcomers fight with an efficiency that tells me this isn’t just a battle—it’s an execution. Our deaths are their sole mission.

A god grabs me from behind, his grip like stone, heat searing through my fur.

I whip my head around, sinking my teeth into his wrist, tasting the acrid burn of divine blood.

He shrieks, throwing me in the opposite direction.

I skid across the earth, my ribs protesting the impact as I collide with the twisted trunk of a tree.

“Sloane!” Julian’s voice roars through the battlefield, and then he’s there, his claws slicing through the god’s throat in a single brutal strike. The body vanishes before it can even hit the ground.

As I stagger back up, I notice Isla and Asher taking down several more of the gods, each vanishing just like the last. Julian stands protectively near me, his gaze already seeking the next target. For the first time, hope sparks. We might be winning .

But then Estee screams.

My head snaps toward her. She’s no longer in her wolf form. Her knees buckle, a dagger protruding from her side, its blade pulsing with fire that licks up the hilt and sears through her flesh. She gasps, her hands trembling as she tries to grasp the weapon buried deep inside her.

Theo is already moving, but he’s too late.

The god responsible steps forward, his presence wrong in every possible way. His skin is almost translucent beneath the shadows that flicker around him, and his eyes are endless voids swirling with disgust as they remain fixed on Estee with nothing but detachment.

He grips the dagger and twists.

Estee’s body jerks. A choked sound escapes her lips as the fire spreads outward, crawling across her skin in glowing embers. The moment he rips the blade free, she collapses.

A shrill cry pierces the battlefield—Theo.

But he doesn’t attack. He stumbles forward, his hands shaking as he reaches for her, as if his touch alone might be enough to pull her back.

The god watches, head inclining. Then, with cold precision, he lifts the dagger and drives it straight into Theo’s chest.

Theo doesn’t cry out. He doesn’t fight. He just falls.

Gone. Both of them.

The world narrows.

No, no, no.

A strangled sound rips from my throat, a cry of denial, of fury, of helplessness so raw it nearly shatters me.

Aurora’s voice cuts through the madness, fierce and unwavering. “Enough.”

A wave of power explodes outward, knocking everyone back—friend and foe alike. The gods recoil, most of them retreating, but it doesn’t stop me. Not when my heart feels as though it might shatter.

Estee was my friend. I may not have known her long, but enough to know that her heart was pure, and she deserved so much better than this.

My wolf is back on all fours, our sights set on the god who took our friends. He reaches for the dagger still in Theo’s heart, but it’s too late.

I’m too close, canines bared and claws at the ready.

I’ve never come face-to-face with a god like this, nor do I know how to kill one, but that doesn’t stop me from acting to honor my friends.

My bite cuts through his neck, tearing away at the skin, spilling black, glowing blood that hisses in the air. My claws swipe at his guts, digging deep until every piece of this bastard has been shredded. I want his head, but by the time I refocus, his form is already vanishing.

Nooo! I scream in my own mind, my wolf’s chest heaving with the desire for justice.

“They will pay for this,” Aurora says next to me, but she’s quickly shoved away.

“ You’ll pay for this,” Isla roars, stepping in front of the goddess, eyes brimming with wrath and devastation. “We never put you in danger. Yet, you brought us here against our will, forced us to give what wasn’t yours to take. Goddess or not, I’ll fucking kill you.”

Asher pulls her against him, his grip firm, but she thrashes in his hold. “It’s okay, my love. Everything is going to?—”

“If you say one more word, Asher, I can’t promise I won’t hurt you.” Her voice shakes with grief, but her glare is unrelenting, still pinned on Aurora.

I shift back to my human form, my own emotions threatening to spill over as I stare down at Theo and Estee. Gods, this can’t be real.

“Bring them back,” Isla demands through her tears.

Aurora wisely keeps her distance. “Those gods will be back. It’s not that simple.”

“I don’t care if it’s the most complicated spell in the world or if it will take every ounce of your power.” Isla’s voice is pure venom. “You will bring my sister back to me. Now.”

“Listen—”

“No, Aurora.” She breaks from Asher’s hold. “ You listen. I’ve tolerated you objectifying my mate and driving me to near madness, but this I won’t stand for. You’re the goddess of creation. You brought our mother back, and now, you’ll do the same for Estee and Theo. No excuses.”

Isla’s strength is admirable. She stands toe-to-toe with the goddess, trembling with emotions I can’t even begin to fathom, but I do know that none of them are fear. This queen knows what she wants, and she’s not going to accept anything less. Not this time.

Silence crashes over the battlefield like a hammer, the weight of it pressing into my ribs. Julian reaches for me, his warmth holding me together, but even his presence can’t soften the ache cutting through my soul.

Because I know right then that none of us are leaving this realm unscathed.