Page 27 of Rituals & Runes

She shook and righted herself. "Kaden, you must leave or we won't make it to the ceremony."

Indeed, she was right. But I didn't want her to be right.?I wanted her to be dead wrong.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

She clasped her hands and squared her shoulders. “Yes.”

That one word sliced my insides apart but I remained stoic.

The women’s’ gaze flicked between Aila and me in a casual way, and then they continued to prepare my mate. No one batted an eye at our brazen exchange as shifters often walked around nude or some even rutted in front of others. Most of them had been through heat themselves as well.

"It's time. I'll meet you outside." My gaze moved to the group. "Bring her to the altar. The council and pack are waiting."

Pain mixed with anger pierced my chest. Fuck it all. I wouldn't be able to hug and kiss Aila goodbye. Last night had been the last time. If I started to touch her tonight, I wouldn't be able to stop.

Under the bright glow of the moon, set in the middle of the same clearing where I had taken Bane’s life, my pack had gathered around the circle. I scanned the crowd and spotted the three men we had to keep an eye on—Drake, Torin, and Knox.

In the center, the pack had set up a wooden platform altar. Along the edge of the rectangle sat four tall, white candles on each side.

At the head of the altar, something punched the air out of my gut. Before now, the sacrifice had been a distant concept, creeping up on me, but tonight it became a violent nightmare.

An IV stand stood like an ominous symbol waiting to drain Aila's life away.

Every set of eyes turned the focus to someone behind me.

Dan and Hailey guided Aila up the stairs. Behind her, the crew, including Caitlin, joined the crowd to watch my mate end her life for them.

I wanted the same thing as everyone present tonight—to end the curse. I just didn’t want it in this way.

Aila laid down on a cold, raised white bed in the center of the platform and then extended her arms to the sides.?The scent of her heat flooded the clearing but no male dared to make a move.

As one of our pack nurses arranged the IV then directed it to Aila’s side, Hailey lit the candles.

A frigid wind kicked up, fluttering the flames in the air, and sending a shiver down my spine.

My precious courageous Wolfling didn't make a peep while the nurse swabbed the crook of her elbow.

The Seer pronounced some words in the whir of sound that my mind didn’t understand and rejected.

I could not accept them.

Could not allow this.

This sacrifice went against every instinct that existed in my wolf and me.

Heated rage ripped into my face and rushed through my veins until I quivered.

In a sudden hush, everyone fell into an ominous silence. Every hair on my body stood on end as the light of the winter solstice moon poured over Aila's splayed-out body.

My nerves heightened to a state of alarm until my heart pounded and sweat gathered in my palms. My wolf howled a lonely, anguished wail that pierced my soul.

We could not allow our one true mate to die.

I had to stop this.

As I rushed forward, a foreign howl rent the air.

Men and wolves from Firebrand Pack descended on our ceremony, heading straight for Aila.

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