Whatever hope I had drained away as Rage’s words registered. He was preparing to die…

‘Rage—’

He whined with the pain, and still, he dragged his ruined wolf the last few inches to me. As he lifted his head, I saw the light of his soul dimming in the vibrancy of his eyes.

I sucked in a sharp breath and reached for him…

As he dropped his head to the carpet—

And Clive lunged.

‘Now!’

Just then Honor leapt on his hind legs and pushed me down with two paws on my back.

“Ahhh,” I screamed, raising my hands instinctively to break my fall but aiming them right for the wolf before me. My opened palm, shredded and oozing with the spellbreaker mixture filling it, brushed against Clive’s neck as I half fell on him.

The mixture seeped in—a blue searing light flared, and then Justice was pulling me back out of the kill circle.

‘It’s gone!’ I shouted.

Rage pushed off, using his last bit of strength, and clamped his teeth around Clive’s throat.

His teeth sank into Clive’s neck and somehow held.

Both wolves tumbled to the ground, and with one heaving move, Rage tore through Clive’s neck, shaking him like a ragdoll.

Blood sprayed with each of Clive’s final heartbeats, the force waning with each beat until the crimson stream became a trickle.

He was dead.

The crowd burst into thunderous applause as Rage dropped Clive’s limp body. Mallory’s grief-filled screams echoed throughout the space.

I sank to my knees with relief and faced my mate just as Rage’s head hit the carpet—

And he didn’t move.

Terror ripped through me, and I screamed.

Chapter 15

Kneeling on the carpet, I scooped Rage’s head into my lap as tears burned my eyes. I blinked, my mind reeling, but then Justice thrust a bottle of mage wine in front of me.

“Healing elixir,” he snarled, his voice barely human.

Right. I’m glad someone was focused.

While Justice poured the elixir down his brother’s throat, I clung to my mate and let my tears fall unchecked.

‘Don’t you dare die on me,’ I hissed at him.

He groaned, stirring in my arms. ‘No intention of it, love.’

Relief flooded me as Rage sat up. I tackle-hugged him to the ground, bursting into a fresh round of tears.

All around us, a murmur of congratulations filled the air.

My gaze roamed over my mate: his face, neck, arms … all of the wounds were healing.

“You okay?” I clung to him tightly.

“I’d be better if I had a kiss.”

I leaned in, and Rage pressed his lips to mine.

The cheers turned to awws. I pulled away, my entire body feeling like a smile.

Rage pressed his forehead to mine. ‘I love you, Nai Crescent.’

I nodded, pressing my head against his. ‘I love you too. Tonight … we should complete our bond.’

He jerked back like I’d stung him. Then his green eyes went half-lidded. ‘Complete it like…?’

‘I’m ready. So ready.’ V-card was getting cashed in once and for all.

Rage wet his lips. ‘I guess. You don’t have to beg.’

I smacked his shoulder, and he winced.

Oops.

‘Let’s get this show over,’ Rage said, climbing to his feet with a groan. Then, he pulled me up next to him and slid his arm around my waist.

A female wailed, and my gaze bounced to Mallory, losing her mind with grief as well as the rest of Daybreak.

“Now what?” I asked.

He squeezed my waist and then turned to the Daybreak clan. “Who will be your new alpha? Who is next in line?“

To my surprise, John stepped forward. “I’ll take my rightful place if you’ll allow me and my mate to remain together.”

Halle-frickin-leujah.

“Absolutely,” Rage said.

John faced the rest of Daybreak and said, “Unless any of you want to challenge me?”

I silently cheered when the entire clan took a knee and bowed their heads. Even Mallory. I suspected it wouldn’t be long before someone tried to challenge his place.

Then, John faced Rage. Taking a knee, the alpha of Daybreak bowed his head, “As alpha of Daybreak, we pledge fealty to Courage Midnight as alpha king.”

The room exploded into cheers, and I sagged with relief.

It was done. My mate was alpha king. Now we could finally move on.

Someone tapped on my shoulder, and I turned to see Reyna. Her face was ashen, beaded with sweat as she spoke in a shaky whisper. “Master Geoff needs to speak with you now.”

Oh, yes. He’d been trying to tell me something last night in the barn. I’d forgotten.

“I’ll be right back.” I kissed Rage on the cheek and followed Reyna to the stage. As we passed, I noticed Kian speaking hurriedly to a young man, the spitting image of himself. My stomach churned, and then I stumbled as my gaze zeroed in on his robes. Seafoam green.

“Who is that?” I asked, my voice hoarse with shock. Please … somehow, let me be wrong.

Reyna’s attention followed my gaze, and a low growl emanated from her throat. “Julian. Kian’s heir.”

I was about to ask more when she opened a door at the back wall of the stage and went through.

Okay … weird. Apparently, this meeting was super-secret style.

I followed, crossing the threshold, and my gaze fell to the old man crumpled on the floor. Grandpa heaved with each breath, his body curled in a ball as if he’d just fallen.

“Grandpa!” I ran forward and fell to my knees.

“Reyna, fetch the healing wine! Justice has it right out—”

“No.” Grandpa’s voice was strong—much stronger than I imagined it would be, given his state.

“What?” I asked, confused.

Reyna gave him a nod and then left the room.

“Is she going to get something to help…?”

“There is nothing to help what I have…” Propping up on one elbow, he gently grabbed my face. “I hate to ask this—especially of you. To put this pressure, this burden on you,” he wheezed. “If I had any other option…”

My heart beat frantically in my chest, but dread sank into my gut, tethering me to the stone floor. “What is it?”

He sighed. “Sweet Nai … I’m dying.”

“What? No!” I tried to stand, intent on grabbing the healing elixir, but he yanked me back down with surprising force.

“There’s nothing anyone can do about it. I have reached my end. One thousand years old.”

Holy mother! That was … older than I could even contemplate.

“Every high mage comes with the same expiration date. Millennia. As I near my birthday in three more moons, I’ll continue to grow weaker … until I finally expire.”

Oh mage.

Tears filled my eyes, making my vision blurry. “But … I only just met you.”

He brushed the tears away. “I know. And I need every single day of that time to train you.”

My nerves tightened at his words. “Train me?”

He nodded. “When I die, the high spirit magic will seek a new master. If you aren’t strong enough to hold it and bind it to you … it’ll filter out into Kian and the other high mage masters, giving each of them two elements to wield. This cannot happen.”