Page 81 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride

My body goes rigid with fear as we see the enemy creeping around the back of the warehouse.

Gunfire breaks out, and I stand, wanting to run towards it.

Ulyana grabs me and tugs me back to the car. “Don’t you dare,” she yells, holding me back as we watch the chaos erupt below us.

Every moment is agony.

Benedikt and Ardalion spring to action, pulling their weapons and joining the fight.

Ulyana keeps a tight grip on my hand, holding me close to her side. She’s barely breathing. Neither am I.

It’s obvious that our side was well prepared, but there is so much bloodshed that it’s hard to tell who is where and what is going on.

Benedikt is creeping around the side of the warehouse towards the bulk of the gunfire.

Someone comes from the other side and lifts a gun towards him.

“Benedikt!” Ulyana screams in terror as the enemy fires, shooting at my brother.

The entire world shifts into slow motion. I feel Ulyana’s nails digging into my hand painfully, and I sense the agony of her scream, still hanging in the air. Benedikt spins towards the sound of her voice, even though she’s so far away.

We watch the bullet spinning towards him—

But Ardalion leaps into the path of that bullet.

He jumps between the enemy’s gun and my brother.

The bullet slams into his stomach, just below his Kevlar vest. The only reason I know it didn’t hit the vest is because of the spray of blood that erupts around him like a mist.

Now it’s me screaming.

Benedikt fires two shots, taking down the man who fired at him and hitting Ardalion instead.

Within minutes, the entire thing is over.

The shooting stops. The enemy is defeated.

But Ardalion is lying unconscious on the ground, a massive pool of blood growing around him.

I pull free of Ulyana’s grasp and run down the hill.

She screams my name, but I ignore her, rushing towards the man I love, skidding to a halt as I kneel beside him.

Benedikt says nothing to me as Ulyana arrives at his side and wraps her arms around him.

“What are you doing here?” he asks her.

She doesn’t reply, just holds him tighter.

“Is he dead?” I ask, flooded with fear.

“No, Belle, but you need to give them space to help him,” Benedikt says, trying to pull me away.

I refuse, needing to stay at his side.

“Ardalion. It’s me. Please be okay,” I beg.

“Belle, we need to get him out of here.”