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Lucien's hand tightens around me, and I can see how hard he's struggling with the situation.Selene's voice cuts through the heavy fog of emotions in my head.

"Aurora. The bond!"

Damon snickers. "No bond can raise a dead man."Selene lets out a battle cry, tearing through the wolf in front of her to lunge at Damon, but is tackled by another wolf from seemingly nowhere. This whole building is brimming with them, and they keep dropping out in numbers. This was a trap.Fears cripples me, freezing me to the spot. The bond between us has been broken for so long, buried beneath hurt and betrayal. I have no idea how I am supposed to bring it back. I didn't do anything to break it in the first place.Panic spreads through every inch of me. Selene is fighting against a wolf that has her backed into a corner, and Liam is still trying to fend off two wolves in front of him. My grip tightens around Ronan, who is trembling with fear, pulling him closer to me. There's no one to help. I'm the only thing standing between Lucien and death. I have no clue what I'm supposed to do.

Selene's voice rings out, urgent and heavy, as she drives a knife into the wolf on top of her and pushes him off. "Do it now!"

"Lucien!" My voice breaks, trembling with desperation, but he doesn't respond. His eyes flicker open for a moment, glazed with pain, his lips struggling to form words. "Stay with me, Lucien! Please, you can't leave me!"

He manages a whisper, his voice as weak as the flickering spark in his eyes." Aurora...I..." The words fail, his strength dissipating like smoke in the wind.

I press my forehead against his, my tears mingling with the blood on his skin. The bond between us hums faintly, a ghost of what it once was, and I feel my wolf clawing inside me, begging me to act. It takes me a moment to understand what she needs me to do. I quickly hand Ronan over to Selene and take in a shaky breath.

My hands press against his chest, over his heart, and I close my eyes, reaching deep within myself to find the remnants of our connection. The magic stirs, hesitant and wary, but I pour every ounce of my love, my pain, and my hope into it.

A surge of warmth spreads from my fingertips, wrapping around me before stretching out. I can't see the gust of energy, but I feel where it's headed. I channel every bit of strength into pushing at the energy around me till I feel it make a connection with something wild yet tender, strong, and bold. It's an energy so strong I feel my knees quiver beneath its dominating presence, causing my wolf to stir and know I've found him.In one quick moment, the bond snaps into place with the force of a tidal wave.

Lucien let out a guttural growl, shaking the walls of the old building and raising the air around us. The following moment is both magnificent and intense as his body shifts, bones realigning, fur sprouting all in a matter of seconds.The massive black wolf that has been missing for years stands before us, eyes glowing, teeth bared.

Damon barely has time to grasp the scene unfolding in front of him before Lucien strikes.

His teeth sink into his throat, tearing out his trachea and entire respiratory tract in one movement. The kill is swift and effortless.

Silence descends in the room, and only then do we feel the silence outside and the few warriors gathered outside the building. The battle is won.

Lucien stands over Damon's corpse, his massive chest rising and falling with ragged breaths before he discards the body with a kick.He turns, his wolf's gaze locking onto me. And then, in a slow, deliberate movement, he shifts back. He is still bleeding, but not as much. He's obviously exhausted from the amount of blood he has lost, but he reaches for Ronan and me, his arms wrapping around us, holding us as if he'd never let go again.I don't fight it.

Selene exhales, surveying the battlefield. "It's over."

We don't get the chance to revel in our victory when a convoy of cars arrives, raising dust at the old estate. With my support, Lucien rises to his feet, and we step out of the building to confront the intruder.

The cars arrange themselves in front of the building, and the dust relaxes to reveal the royal crest stamped onto each car. My breath hitches. It's Queen Alice.

As if summoned by my thoughts, the car in the middle opens to reveal her in all her glory. She takes in the scene in front of her. Her nose scrunches up at the pungent smell of blood clinging to the air. This might as well be a glorified burial ground. We all bow to greet her the moment she walks up to us.

"I was hoping to get this to you in time before a bloodbath, but clearly, you already took the law into your own hands." She holds out a scroll to Lucien, her eyes bouncing from one body to another. "This is the new law. It states that every alpha should maintain their boundaries. There'll be no more unnecessary wars, and Blackwood retains the right over the company and all that has to do with the economy, finance, and politics in this region.

Lucien steps forward, prostrating as far as his injury could let him before taking the scroll. "He took my son. I was not going to sit around and do nothing."

Queen Alice nods in understanding, her eyes finally settling on mine before breaking slightly to look at Ronan. "I understand."

We all hold our breath as Lucien peruses the content of the scroll, each of us hoping the verdict is in our favor.He closes it and gives the queen a nod, and she turns her focus to the Silver Pack warriors who surrendered.