Turn of the Moon (Royal Shifters #1)(53)

“I take that as a compliment, dear brother. I’ll be happy to tell him that once this is all over.”

“Aww . . . no one told you he’s dead?” A fake concerned look splayed across Ryker’s face as visions flashed through his mind of what’d happened. He tutted out loud as he shook his head.

“You lie,” Kade thundered.

One of his wolves shifted and bowed his head. “It’s true, alpha. We found his body on our way out here.”

Kade trembled with rage and he started to shift, his voice a deep growl. “This ends now.”

“Say goodbye, Kade,” Ryker taunted. He looked at me one more time before the shift overtook him and Kade both.

Baring their teeth, they approached each other and stopped in the middle of the field. If Ryker was to win the fight, there was no way we could get out. Not with over a hundred wolves surrounding us. I was about to shift myself when Sebastian came over and growled at the two wolves behind me. They backed up and he shifted.

Flinging my arms around him, I finally let myself break down. “Thank God, you’re okay. What are we going to do?”

He squeezed me quickly and let go. “You are going to stay as you are. When this fight is over, all hell’s going to break loose. I need you out of here.”

“Screw that. I want to fight with you and Ryker.”

“No. We didn’t come all the way out here to save you, just to have you wind up dead. Don’t let this all be in vain.”

Tears fell down my cheeks. “What about Tyla and Micah? The last time I saw them . . .”

“They’re fine,” he promised, nodding at something over my shoulder. “Take a look.”

Glancing back, I watched as both of them approached cautiously, passing the other wolves. Once they were past, Tyla ran up to me and nudged me with her nose. I bent down and wrapped my arms around her neck. Sebastian bent down to her level.

“Tyla, whatever happens, make sure to get Bailey out of here. That goes for you too,” he said to Micah. “You are the only one who can reunite Bailey with her sister. We can’t afford to have anything happen to you.” They stared each other down, but then Micah huffed again and stood by my side.

Ryker and Kade still circled each other. They were similar in build, both twice the size of a normal Arctic wolf. Sebastian tensed and looked over at me. “It’s time.”

Holding my breath, I watched as both wolves attacked, moving around the field like white blurs of lightning. The sound of their feet against the ground rumbled like thunder. They were vicious in their strikes, both snapping at each other and drawing blood. Their white fur coats were stained red. The second I heard Ryker’s howl, my heart dropped. Their blur of movements stopped and all I saw was Kade on Ryker’s back with his teeth sunk into Ryker’s neck.

“No,” I screamed, taking off toward them.

Sebastian chased after me and gripped me around the waist, pulling me back. “There’s nothing you can do. It’s his fight.”

Ryker was on the ground, his body so perfectly still. Kade stood by with his head held high. “Ryker, get up. You have to get up.” The link to his mind shut down and there was nothing but a blank wall. “Ryker? Ryker! Goddammit, you can’t leave me now!” The ground trembled under my feet and I gasped.

“Get out of here, Bailey. Now!”

“I can’t leave him,” I cried, tears falling down my cheeks.

The pain in Sebastian’s eyes only made me cry more. “I know, but you have to. Don’t let this all be in vain.” He pushed me toward Tyla and Micah and they flanked me. “Go!”

When I turned around, I was faced with an army of wolves running at us. There were white, gray, and red wolves, all banded together. It was Ryker’s pack and all of his allies. I glanced at Sebastian one more time before he shifted and disappeared into the battle. My heart felt like it had been torn out of my chest. The pain made it almost too much to bear.

“Bailey, we have to go,” Tyla urged. I was so wrapped up in my despair, I hadn’t even noticed she had shifted. She pulled me in her bare arms and kissed my head. “I’m sorry about Ryker. There will be plenty of time to mourn, but it can’t be now. Our pack will need you after this. We need an alpha.”

How can I be strong without him? Instead of shifting back, Tyla grabbed my hand and we ran the rest of the way out of the woods, with Micah guarding us. By the time we reached the edge of the forest, my body was numb. Seraphina was there with Cedric, waiting by Ryker’s truck. The second I saw it, my soul ripped apart.

“What happened?” Cedric demanded.

He approached me, but Micah shifted and lifted me in his arms. “Not now. I’m getting the women out of here.” Tyla opened the back door and he slid me inside. Seraphina jumped in next and held me while Tyla and Micah took the front.

Cedric passed Micah the keys, his face distraught. “You know where to go. I’m going to join the fight.”

Micah nodded and started the truck. “Be safe, my friend.”

Cedric rushed off and Micah got us out of there. Seraphina murmured something in my ear and I had no clue what she said. Before I could ask, everything faded away. There was only darkness.





Bailey

Light blared through the window, right into my face. When I opened my eyes, I squinted and rolled over. Breathing into the pillow, I laid there as everything came flooding back. The connection with Ryker was gone. I reached out to him, but there was nothing.