Page 32 of A Reign of Malice (Wolves of Lunara #3)

Aurora steps forward, her bright aura stretching outward, the dim light of her home bending toward her as if the entire house breathes in anticipation. Elyn follows, her movements fluid, almost eerily calm, like she’s done this before.

Still, no one speaks as Aurora stops before Estee’s and Theo’s covered bodies.

“This is your last warning,” she murmurs, her voice almost too eager. “What comes next isn’t gentle or kind in any way.”

The truth of her words settles over us. Isla flinches but doesn’t look away. Asher’s grip on her shoulder tightens, his knuckles paling.

Sloane shifts closer to me, her body rigid, and even though neither of us speaks, I feel her tension in the mate bond.

Aurora lifts her hands, and the entire room changes, the floor vibrating.

A golden light snakes through, creating cracks in the pristine white stone beneath our feet, branching out like veins in a living body. A gust of wind swirls and power crackles, hot and electric, lifting Aurora’s hair from her shoulders in long waves of liquid fire.

She breathes out, slow and measured, then moves her hands in deliberate, circular motions, her fingers glowing at the tips, leaving behind trails of golden embers in the air.

The runes on her skin ignite, spreading like molten metal along her arms, glowing brighter until the very air trembles beneath the weight of her magic.

And then the first sound breaks through the room.

A deep, resonant hum, low and elemental, like the voice of something long forgotten that’s stirring awake.

It echoes through the walls, rattling the very bones in my body, sending a pulse of energy into my chest. Sloane inhales, clutching my wrist as the tune deepens, vibrating through the floor.

Then Aurora slams her hands against Estee’s and Theo’s chests, kneeling over them with her head bowed.

A violent blast of energy explodes outward, so fierce that my vision whites out.

Sloane stumbles against me, Isla lets out a strangled cry, but none of us move. We can’t.

When I can see again, my eyes focus on the golden light seeping into Estee’s and Theo’s bodies. The magic burrows beneath their skin, tracing their veins like liquid fire. Their bodies jerk—once, twice, each more violently than the last.

Elyn steps in then.

She settles herself next to Aurora, her white hair glowing like an electric charge, eyes dark with something deeper than power. She presses a palm to the goddess’s back, steadying her, anchoring her.

A new color seeps into the magic swirling around us, a deep, rich violet, likely Elyn’s magic. It wraps around Aurora’s, tightening the golden tendrils as if holding them in place, keeping the balance as the goddess works.

The runes on Aurora’s skin darken, shifting, twisting into new shapes, something older, rawer, dangerous.

And just when I was beginning to think this wasn’t so bad, it becomes the nightmare Aurora warned us about.

Theo and Estee scream. A raw, agonized sound, not of the living but of something dragged back through the veil of death itself.

The floor quakes beneath them, more cracks form beneath the table, spider-webbing outward as if the entire god realm is resisting what’s happening.

Isla shrieks, reaching for her sister, but Sloane and I lunge forward, grabbing both her and Asher, holding them back .

“Don’t let them go!” Aurora barks, sweat glistening on her brow.

“Let me hold my mate,” Asher demands, his body coiled with tension.

I look at his face, searching for his control. I don’t know this man, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see the agony pulsing through him as he watches his mate fall apart, knowing there’s nothing he can do to stop what pains her.

Without needing to think twice, I release him as Sloane carefully passes Isla over to him.

Her breath is ragged, her body thrashing against his hold while the screams continue, louder by the second. “Please forgive me, Estee. I can’t lose you yet.”

Isla’s eyes spill over with more tears as we all stand there, helpless to do anything other than watch. Minutes pass, and when the torturous sounds finally cease, I think the worst is over, but then the bodies begin to smoke, their skin darkening.

This time, it takes all three of us to hold Isla back as she roars. “What are you doing to them?”

Aurora, of course, doesn’t answer. Nor does Elyn. If I didn’t believe we could all die, I’d help Isla kill this goddess, but before I can further wonder if it might be worth it, the power thrumming through the room eases.

The four of us watch, my chest tightening with anticipation as I hold Sloane’s hand, hoping like hell this will work.

First, Theo’s back arches, his lips parting on a ragged, soundless gasp, his fingers twitching above the sheets.

Estee’s body shudders violently, her chest rising too quickly, too erratically, as if her lungs aren’t sure how to breathe again.

Then everything stops .

The energy collapses inward, slamming back into their bodies in a final burst of gold and violet light. The hum fades. The trembling walls still and cracks in the floors fade.

Silence.

A long, endless silence.

Then…

A single inhale.

A ragged, gasping breath, followed by a second one.

Theo’s fingers curl, his chest rising and falling quickly.

Estee’s eyes snap open.

The room erupts.

Isla breaks free, and this time none of us try to stop her when she launches herself forward. Asher moves with her, nearly colliding with the table as they reach for their family.

Estee blinks rapidly, her expression dazed, confused. “I—” Her voice is hoarse, barely there.

Theo groans, head lolling to the side.

Aurora staggers backward, her glow dimming.

Elyn catches her, pressing a steadying hand to the goddess’s back. “It’s done.”

But Isla isn’t satisfied yet.

She cups Estee’s face, scanning her features, searching. “Say my name,” she orders, desperate, trembling.

Estee’s lips part. “Isla.”

Isla chokes on a sob, pulling her sister into her arms.

Theo blinks, focusing on Asher. “What did we miss?”

Asher lets out a breathless laugh, his hands shaking as he grips Theo’s arm. “You missed everything.”

But then Theo looks past him, his gaze finding Estee.

His mate.

And there it is.

The bond.

I see it ignite between them, their energy twining back together, reforging what had been severed by death. The way they stare at each other, breathless, overwhelmed but whole, is all the confirmation any of us need.

I feel Sloane exhale next to me, a breath of relief so deep it shakes.

It worked.

Aurora lets out a dramatic sigh. “Well, that was emotionally exhausting. Now, it’s time for you all to leave and never return.”

Sloane surprises me when she steps toward the goddess. “How did this even happen? What was the point of us enhancing your gods if they weren’t going to be part of the fight?”

The goddess arches a brow and shakes her head.

“All too often I have regrets about ever allowing your kind to evolve.” Her gaze narrows and darkens.

“What you witnessed was nothing more than a distraction. The real fight is happening elsewhere, where my people are being slaughtered without me there to fight alongside them, because I’m here.

With you. Saving two lives that mean practically nothing in the grand scheme of things. Now, I’m done wasting time here.”

She flicks her fingers, and the air distorts, a portal tearing open before us.

The energy around it shudders, rippling like a wound in reality itself.

Aurora’s knees tremble, barely perceptible, but there before she forces herself still.

She rolls her shoulders back and lifts her chin high, refusing to betray any weakness despite the sheer magnitude of what she’s done.

“Go,” she commands, her voice lacking its usual lilt of arrogance. “All of you.”

Though, she doesn’t mean all of us. Elyn walks toward the back of the house as if she intends on staying.

Theo and Estee move first, their steps slow and uneven almost, their bodies adjusting to life once more. Isla and Asher follow close behind, but before stepping through, Isla halts.

She turns to Aurora, locking gazes with the goddess. Her blue eyes are no longer filled with anger, but something closer to reluctant acceptance. A truce, fragile yet there.

“I misjudged you, Aurora,” Isla says, her voice steady but not without weight. “I apologize for that. Thank you for saving them. We won’t bother you again.”

Aurora’s eyes, violet once more, flash. Whether she intended to respond or not, Isla doesn’t wait to find out. She steps through the rift, disappearing without another word.

I move forward with Sloane at my side, taking in the goddess one last time. Her power still hums in the air, but she’s drained. There’s no doubt she’s not ready for another fight yet.

I meet her gaze. “Do you need me to bite you again?”

Her smile lifts, but it lacks its previous edge. “If you want to touch me again, just say so.”

Sloane shakes her head but stays silent as I take Aurora’s outstretched arm.

My canines extend, sinking into her wrist. Her blood is thick with power, scorching like liquid fire on my tongue. It thrums through me, vibrating with an energy I don’t understand. It latches onto me, taking what it seeks before retreating to the goddess.

When I pull back, her eyes glow with renewed gold, and for the first time since meeting her, Aurora does something unexpected.

She nods appreciatively. “Thank you.”

The words land heavily. Sincere. Real. A rare glimpse of the woman beneath the goddess .

Her gaze drifts between Sloane and me, distant, like she already sees the paths before us.

“Kill your brother and restore your kingdom.” She tilts her head slightly, a flicker of amusement returning. “When you’re Alpha King, everything will be right with your world again.”

Sloane starts to speak, but Aurora lifts a hand, cutting her off as she points toward the portal. “I don’t need more blood. Go. Now.”

We don’t hesitate this time, but when we arrive back in Venaris, I wonder if maybe we should have.