“No, I’m fine.” I glance over his shoulder. “Where is Devon?” I grin teasingly at Finn. “Did you two crowd him out?”
Finn’s eyes are serious as they stare across at me, and he shakes his head. “He left, Ella.”
Small tendrils of fear begin to unfurl deep inside me as dread settles in my gut. I turn to look at Cash. “Where did he go?”
“To free the prince.”
I jerk up. “Devon went by himself?” I ask alarmed.
“No,” Cash says. “Nyx went with him.”
“But I thought we were all supposed to go. Why did they leave by themselves?”
Kai walks into the bedroom. “They are simply going to scout it out to determine if it is a trap.”
“It’s too dangerous,” I counter. “How could you just let them go alone like that?”
Kai stares at me, his eyes full of guilt. “Forgive us, Ella. We are merely trying to protect you.”
“I don’t care about myself,” I protest. “I care about all of you! I don’t want to lose you! Any of you!”
He takes my hand. “And that is how we all feel about you, my Ella. We are your guards. We would die to keep you safe.”
“I don’t want you to die,” I snap.
I get out of bed and move to the closet, grab some clothes, and quickly pull them on.
“Ella,” Finn says. “They should be back soon. Do not—”
“Don’t tell me not to worry,” I say quickly. “We need to go find them. Now.”
They each stare at me, pity visible behind their eyes. I turn and rush down the stairs. I’m not sure how I’ll cross the veil, but I will. I’ll find a way. I can’t just stay here while Nyx and Devon put their lives at risk to save the prince. I promised the king and queen we would save him, and I won’t let them die for a vow that I made.
Kai, Finn, and Cash storm down the stairs after me.
“Ella, wait!” Cash calls out.
I spin to face them.
A loud boom splits the air behind me, and the door flies inward. Kai, Cash, and Finn rush toward me, pulling me quickly behind them as a wolf steps inside.
It shifts into a beautiful woman with deep red eyes. Although I’ve never seen her before, I’m sure this is the wolf queen.
A moment later, my suspicions are confirmed when two men walk in behind her. “My queen,” one of them says. “Let us handle this for you.”
“No,” she growls. Her lips pull back in a feral snarl as she stares across at me. “I must be the one to do it. I will rip her throat out myself. The prophecy ends today.”
Ice fills my veins as she stalks toward us. As she moves closer, more of her men come in from outside.
“How did you find us?” Kai asks.
She gives him an evil grin. “Are you referring to that pitiful magical barrier?” She huffs. “This is my kingdom. Did you really believe you could hide yourselves from me?”
There are too many. Kai, Cash, and Finn will die trying to protect me, and I cannot allow that to happen. I’m dead anyway; I don’t want them to die too.
I meet the queen’s eyes evenly, tipping up my chin to appear unafraid. The slight tremble of my hands betrays me, so I curl them into fists at my side to still their shaking. “Don’t hurt them! It’s me you want. Not them.”
She narrows her eyes. “You offer yourself as sacrifice in their stead?”
“Yes,” I state firmly. “I do.”
Finn growls low in his throat. “If any of you dare try to harm my mate, I will end you,” he grits through his teeth.
The queen’s eyes widen slightly in surprise. “You are her mate?”
He looks at her but says nothing. Her gaze shifts to me. “A human took a shifter as her mate?” she asks, and I note the hint of skepticism in her voice.
“I love them,” I tell her. “All of them. And yes, they are mine, and I am theirs.”
She throws her head back and laughs. It’s an evil, guttural sound that sends fear skittering up my spine. She looks back at me, a smirk twisting her lips. “You really have mated them all, haven’t you? Oh, this is completely unexpected.” She tips her head to the side in an almost thoughtful look. “It seems I’m saving the prince from much heartache and grief. He would not have wanted to share you, my dear.”
“I don’t want the prince,” I tell her. “I never did.”
She shrugs. “Well, then I suppose I’m doing you a favor by sparing you from completing the prophecy.”
A loud cry draws our attention back to the door. Two of the queen’s men turn toward it and rush outside. The sounds of fighting ring out a moment before Devon, Nyx, and the prince rush through the door. Each of them covered in blood.
The queen growls low in her throat. “How dare you kill my pack!”
Devon narrows his eyes. “They are not all dead. Some are merely unconscious. If you want to live to see them, you will leave here. Now,” he grinds out.
Without warning, she rushes toward me. Her movements so fast, her image is a blur as she crosses the room. I’ve been around it enough to recognize magic when I see it. This must be her particular skill. I blink and then I’m staring at a mirror image of myself.
My jaw drops as her eyes meet mine.
Chapter 37
Finn
I’ve heard how powerful the queen’s magic is, but I have never seen her use it before. Lightning fast, she races past us, and when we spin, we find two versions of Ella.
But which one is real, and which one is the queen?
We don’t have time to find out. Together, we rush
