Page 15

I thrash trying to break free of his grip. “I reject you; I reject you!!” I scream, but his grip doesn’t relent, nor does he seem bothered by my words. Instead Kade tosses me to the ground, and I try to crawl away from him.

“Doesn’t work like that, love. That is not how you reject someone,” he growls behind me, and I can hear his feet crunching the dried leaves and grass as he stomps after me.

My arms and legs feel weak as I claw the ground trying to find the strength to stand, when I hear a visceral scream ring out.

My entire body jolts as I turn my head expecting to see Kade, but my eyes move to Ivy, and the rock clutched in her hand as she rushes at him.

Kade spins and easily deflects her raised hand.

Kade and Ivy crash to the ground. The rock flies from her grip as he lands on top of her. Kade growls, trying to pin her.

“What are you doing here?” He snaps at her, holding her down on her back.

I panic as adrenaline forces me to my feet to snatch the rock.

Ivy struggles against him trying to toss his weight off and I react.

My mind operates on pure instinct screaming ‘not her!’ as I strike him on the top of the head with as much strength as I can muster. Kade abruptly freezes and tenses.

His head cracks open, blood soaking his hair and pain ripples through the bond and I grit my teeth against the now pounding headache his pain is causing me.

Yet still, it isn’t enough because Kade turns to attack me.

I back away when Ivy grabs his ankle, tripping him.

Not losing my chance, I smash him in the head with the rock again, and he seems stunned for a second as he stares at me in horror then goes limp, his body crashing face down and unmoving at my feet.

The rock drops from my hand as Ivy and I rush to her, tears streaming down my face as I help her sit properly.

“Ivy!” I panic, clutching her arms as I haul her upright. A sigh escapes her, and I grab her face in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Only the moment I do, Ivy’s eyes go behind me and I freeze feeling the bond stir to life inside me as he regains consciousness.

“Abbie!” Ivy gasps, and I turn to see Kade stumble on his feet, I shove Ivy behind me.

“Can you shift?” Ivy asks me and I bite back a whimper knowing I can’t and shake my head.

“You?” I ask hopeful. I glance at Ivy only my eyes are drawn to her stomach which is bleeding profusely.

I hadn’t noticed the blood coating her, or the wound it is pouring from.

Ivy gasps and clutches her stomach. She shakes her head, making me whimper, knowing she is hurt because of me.

Suddenly, howls in the distance ring out loudly, sending my blood cold.

An icy shiver slivers up my spine as I glance back toward the forest knowing Kade has called on his pack.

“That’s his pack, he’s called on his pack,” I tell her in panic knowing we need to get out of here.

“We need to get to Dustin! But I can’t shift,” Ivy chokes out, while nodding toward the treeline.

I peer over at the steep incline when I am suddenly tackled.

I scream when Kade sinks his teeth into my neck, re-marking me and reinforcing our bond.

Wolves burst from the trees and across the road, coming out from behind the service station, racing toward us.

He rips his teeth from my neck and turns toward his men.

“You can’t touch the girl!” Kade screams at them while pointing at Ivy before turning his attention back to me. He grips my shoulders, slamming me onto the ground. My head bounces off the ground and I see the stars above, blurring as they twinkle back at me.

“Submit!” Kade screams at me. My body seizes at his command and I blink dazed at him.

I shake my head, trying to fight it off, and Ivy falls on the ground beside me trying to shove him off.

My eyes go wide when I see wolves rushing straight at us, snapping their teeth and snarling at us. I close my eyes, waiting for my death, I reach out and grip Ivy’s fingers, as my head rolls to the side to look at her.

“More than my life,” I whisper, tears filling my eyes as my lips quiver.

“More than my life,” Ivy murmurs, closing her eyes and I do the same waiting for death.

Together we wait for death, like we have before.

Their paws on the earth grow closer when I hear a feral snarl rip through the air, bouncing off the trees, and I hear the wolve’s claws digging into the soft ground as they skid around us.

My eyes fly open to find Dustin stepping over the top of us in his Lycan form.

Dustin kicks Kade in the face as he tries to stand.

Blood drenches him as he moves to block them from us.

Dustin growls, but it comes out with more of a roar.

The wolves jump back, and Kade gets to his feet and staggers backward.

“Kill him,” Ivy murmurs to Dustin. My eyes flicker as I fight to remain conscious.

“If I do, it may kill Abbie,” he growls, and I glance at Ivy, tears glistening in her eyes.

“Reject her now!” Dustin tells Kade, speaking through gritted teeth. However, there was no command behind it. Rolling on my side, Ivy grabs Dustin’s leg, and his hand reaches down, gripping her arm to pull her upright.

“Order him!” Ivy chokes out with a gasp as I try to get up.

“I can’t,” Dustin grinds out, and I look at him, not understanding.

“You’re Lycan,” Ivy whispers to him.

“I’m under oath. Being a Royal Guard, I can’t break a mate bond. It is the law and pact sworn to be upheld. I am bound by that oath, Azalea!” he snarls.

Kade laughs, getting to his feet and I glance at him, my entire body trembling.

“Come here, Abbie.” Kade orders, and I feel the command as my eyes glaze over.

My body obeys and forces me to my feet, and I take a step toward him, though I want to run from him.

My heart skips a beat as I dazedly start walking around Ivy toward my mate, tears prick my eyes, a whimper escaping me unable to fight the command.

Dustin grabs my arm, and Kade clicks his tongue.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kade says to him, as his pack of wolves start circling around us. We are severely outnumbered. Dustin glances around nervously. Lycans are lethal, but against fifty plus wolves, I am not sure how we will fare when Dustin is the only one who is shifted.

“You are aware of the repercussions, Dustin! Don’t be foolish!” Kade snarls. Dustin’s grip on my arm is unwavering, preventing me from going to Kade despite the pain the command is causing me. And his other hand holding Ivy against him when she moves behind him her hand locks around my arm.

Ivy rips me backward and away from Kade. Gripping my arms, she shakes me, but my fresh mark seems to have done something because I can’t break the urge to go to him.

“Abbie, reject him!” Ivy murmurs, shaking me.

Kade laughs and steps forward, which makes Dustin growl threateningly.

“You can’t touch me! I am just collecting my mate.

I haven’t injured your queen, only tried to hold her.

Though by law I could! Considering she tried to take my mate from me by force,” Kade says cockily.

“You do anything, and I have a lot of witnesses,” Kade says, motioning around to his pack.

Dustin moves in front of us, but even I know if he attacks Kade, the rest of those wolves would rip us apart.

“Abbie, reject him!” Ivy begs and I try to fight off his command.

Kade laughs louder and claps his hands. “She really doesn’t know, and she is expected to be our queen?

Pathetic! Foolish girl. You would expect the king to have more sense to pick a mate more suited to the position and keep his whore on the side!

She can’t run a pack. Noble blood or not, she isn’t fit for the title,” Kade chuckles.

“Hold your tongue, mutt! You do not know what you speak of!” Dustin snaps at him.

“No? Your oblivious queen isn’t aware of the law. Should I educate her simple mind?” Kade mocks.

Ivy glances at him over her shoulder. “For Abbie to reject me, I have to accept it. Which I won’t. She will never leave me.”

“No! She rejects you, she can come home,” Ivy tells him.

“Wrong. There’s a minor flaw in the king’s law.

Both parties must accept. And if one doesn’t, it is decided by the council.

Only then is it forced. But until then, she is mine!

And I would like to collect her, now!” Kade says, moving toward us.

I peek at Dustin out of the corner of my eye, whose entire body is tensed, and Ivy glances back at me.

She shakes me furiously, her eyes flickering and glowing fluorescent and her teeth turn to points.

“Reject him!” she snaps at me.

“Abbie, reject him!” Ivy yells in my face, the words more of a roar and I am jolted by it. Something she says clicks, and I feel Kade’s command snap and straighten, blinking away the haze of his command, shaking my head.

“I don’t know how. It didn’t work,” I murmur, coming out of whatever stupor I was in.

“He is an Alpha, you have to reject him as your mate and as your Alpha. State your full name and reject him using his title,” Dustin murmurs, not taking his eyes off Kade. “But he is right, Azalea,” Dustin glances at me. “I can’t force him to accept it,” Dustin whispers.

“Reject him,” Ivy tells me, a spark of pure determination glistens in her eyes as she shakes me, her features twisting into a feral snarl of her rage. Kade just laughs evilly. Stepping toward me, his hand goes to wrap around my arm.

“Come, Abbie,” Kade says, clicking his fingers at me when I pull away only to be resized by his command. Ivy swallows, when my body pushes past her and she grabs both my arms, jerking me back to her, her grip tight.

“Reject him!” Ivy growls, and much to my astonishment, I do, feeling her aura wash over me stronger than anything I have ever felt before. My body turns and looks at Kade, the words spilling from my lips clearly.