Page 41

“Stop!” she roars, and Trey is thrown back against the doors as if hit with the weight of a force field. Her command sends shock waves through me and if it were directed at me, she would drop me. Her eyes glow brighter than ever, taking on an eerie look, an almost white light. They burn so brightly that it hurts my eyes to look at her.

Trey smashes against the doors, ripping one door off by the hinges completely as it crashes down beneath him. He grunts, and I stare, shocked. I knew the Landeena’s and Azures have power, and have seen the way her father cheated in the trials. His command has the power to kill, and looking at Azalea, she has now just awoken it.

What terrifies me the most is the thought of her realizing what I am hiding from her. Her gaze goes to mine, just as Ester drops to her knees at her feet. I swallow guiltily, and she does not take her eyes from me, not even as Ester begs.

“Please! It’s not his fault! Kill me. Please, let me take his place,” Ester pleads, and Azalea pulls her gaze from me.

She is furious, and her entire body trembles with anger so hot I worry she will set the castle on fire with it.

The history books always told of the Landeena Power, and looking at her, I realize she holds her father’s power and if she also holds her mother’s, she will be a force of nature. No one could contend against a Landeena and she was born of not one gifted bloodline, but two. Both Landeena and Azure.

Azure the powerful, Azure the pure, Azure the great. So the history books read. Azalea is also Landeena. Their history books read similarly. Landeena the blessed, Landeena the beholder of divine power, Landeena our salvation, and now she had awoken it. Now she possesses what was suppressed, and I know without a doubt that I have some answering to do. And now she has awoken it, the entire werewolf, Lycan and Hunter communities would be after her.

But first, I have to take care of Peter before she turns her wrath on me. Shifting, she would struggle to hold power long enough to contain my beast, given she has already used a heap of energy she hasn’t held before, which will wear her down and take a toll on her. So, I give in to it, letting that side take control. My claws slash down Peter’s face. Ester screams, and I move to break his neck. My fingers wrap around his throat when Ester’s words stop me, and so does Azalea’s command.

“He is a Landeena!” Ester screams simultaneously as Azalea orders me to stop. Though, her shock had her dropping the command long enough for me to grip his throat tighter and cut his air off, before I am frozen under it again. My head pounding to the force of it as I try to fight it; she can overthrow me. However, she is using power she has no idea how to wield, and it would be straining on her until she learns to harness it correctly.

I growl, turning to Ester. “He has immunity! He is King Garret’s son!” Ester cries, clutching onto Azalea’s pants.

“Please! He is your brother! He’s your half brother, please!” she begs, and I swallow, looking down at Peter my hands trembling as I squeeze his neck.

“Let him go,” Azalea says, her voice trembles, her eyes flicking toward me. I growl at her and her eyes blaze with anger, and her next words slam against me with the force of a freight train.

“Let him go. I have already lost my child and I will not witness another lose hers! Let. Him. Go!” she commands, with tears trekking down her face. Yet her words are clear and unwavering.

I can feel her betrayal, her sadness, her anger, and her confusion. She is full of every emotion I can think of, but the biggest one is grief as she looks down at Ester, clutching her leg. My hand lets him go, and he gasps for air. Yet I am rendered powerless to kill him by her command when Azalea speaks, drawing my attention to her.

“I would do anything to be able to have my baby. You have a chance to hold yours. I will never get that chance. Your son took it from me. However, I would never wish that on any mother even after what you have both done,” she tells Ester, who sobs. Azalea then looks at Peter.

“Go to your mother, Peter,” Azalea whispers. I grit my teeth as her command overrides mine easily, and he rushes to her, falling at her feet. Ester clutches him tightly when Trey roars, getting to his feet.

Azalea turns to face him. His anger forces his shift as he lunges at his sister and Peter. Ester shifts taking on her brother to stop him from getting to her son. Azalea just stares at them before turning and walking off, looking defeated, and that’s all I feel through the bond too. Her defeat, pain, anguish and grief when Ester tosses Trey aside and snarls. She bares her teeth at her brother before they both lunge at each other, ripping each other apart.

Peter screams for his mother, and I feel Azalea stop and glance at them while Peter sobs on the ground. I try to piece together what is happening and what isn’t happening. She is defending the boy she refused to acknowledge, fighting her own brother for him.

Trey swings at her, his claws slashing her face when she ducks, and she stumbles back. Trey pounces on her, intending to kill her only for her to kick him off.

“All of this is your fault! Your fucking fault because you kept throwing yourself at his feet! You knew you were hurting her! You fucking knew who she was to me,” Trey snarls, getting to his feet and stalking toward her.

“And then you decide to keep his bastard!” Trey snarls.

“I loved him!” Ester screams back at him only to receive a kick to the stomach that sends her hurtling toward the gate with a crash.

“He used you, and you nearly killed her for it! You nearly killed my fucking mate!” Trey says, grabbing her throat. He slams her Lycan form on the ground, her head crashing into the ground. Peter jumps on his back, only to be swatted away like a fly by Trey. Yet, once again, I am left feeling confused.

“She didn’t want you, you idiot! She married the prick. Then you let him sire you to their daughter just to stay near her. You did the same thing, Trey! How is loving him any different from you loving Tatiana?” Ester screams back at him.

“I was her mate! You were his whore!” Trey screams when Azalea’s voice reaches my ears.

“Enough,” she says softly and everyone freezes. I watch as she sways on her feet. Liam grips her arm holding her steady, but her legs go out from under her as exhaustion takes her from using too much power too soon. Trey tosses his sister to get to her, just as I reach her.

“You awoke it, and you burned yourself out,” Trey tells her, clutching her face as I scoop her up in my arms.

Whispering softly, her voice strained with pain, she rubs her temples, trying to alleviate the throbbing ache in her head. Trey moves towards her, concern etched on his face, but I instinctively growl, warning him to keep his distance. My attention shifts, scanning the surroundings for Ester, only to find her gone, vanished along with Peter.

However, as my gaze lands on the gate through which they escaped, a chilling sight meets my eyes. Countless faces peer in at us, their presence making me gulp nervously. They must have sensed her power, though I had not anticipated their arrival so swiftly. Armored and armed with Landeena swords, they have come prepared to fight for her.

“Find them. Bring them back,” I command Trey and Liam firmly, my voice laced with urgency. Cedric, adorned in the Landeena crest upon his armor, walks through the gates, drawing wary glances from Liam and my men. He extends his hands towards Trey, offering the Royal Landeena sword. Kneeling before Azalea in my arms, Trey gazes down at her tenderly. Cedric is tethered to me, and the rest of the Landeena Lycans are tethered to him and have been since Landeena fell. I know what he desires, and a snarl escapes me at the thought. However, Azalea must sense their intentions too because she nods to Trey, signaling him to accept the blade. As he runs the cold steel across her palm, her eyes blaze like beacons.

“You won’t harm them, any of them,” Azalea whispers determinedly, fighting to remain conscious within my embrace. “You do, and I won’t forgive…” Her words trail off abruptly as she collapses in my arms, her body limp. Trey grips her wrist tightly, bringing her bleeding palm to my lips in an attempt to staunch the flow. Swiftly, I run my tongue over the deep gash, seeking to heal her wound. Trey then takes her hand and presses it against my chest.

“Bring them to the castle,” I command Liam, frustration evident in my voice. He nods in understanding, but I curse inwardly at the realization that I forgot to specify they must be brought back alive. Frustration turns to anger, and a low growl rumbles through me as I redirect my attention towards Cedric and the others. They all kneel before me, swords held firmly in their hands looking so out of place in today’s world, sure my men used swords but modern times there are easier ways to kill a man, and we don’t need weapons to do so. With Cedric’s blade now stained crimson with Azalea’s blood.

Cedric locks eyes with me, unflinching in the face of my snarl. He was her father’s former Beta, though age has rendered him unfit for that title now knowing Garret was as old Lycan bloodlines began. I know Cedric must be too, though he barely looks older than 50, yet it takes centuries to look his age. Eventually, Azalea will have to choose another successor.

“We renounce our allegiance to Valkyrie Kingdom and pledge ourselves to Landeena Kingdom!” they declare in unison, their voices resonating with unwavering determination.

Cedric rises, lifting his sword high, and the others follow suit. Gripping the hilt with one hand while grasping the blade with the other, they all trace their hands along its edge, crimson liquid drenching their skin before making their solemn pledge.

“We pledge our allegiance to Azalea Ivy Landeena, the Landeena Empress, the true Empress of the Kingdoms. I bleed for Landeena, I fight for Landeena, I die for Landeena, we are Landeena and our Empress has risen and so has the Landeena Guard. We pledge to serve and protect the rightful heir of Landeena.” they drop their arms and fall to one knee, swords at their front before continuing.

“When the Empress rises, we rise with her, and when she falls, we too shall fall.” Their words echo with unwavering loyalty as they pledge their lives to protect her. Suddenly, I jolt as their tethers to me snap, and Azalea inhales deeply, her connection with them now established.

And all I can think is now her bloodline has awoken, how am I going to keep her safe from the rest of the world, all while keeping her safe from herself.