Intertwined Bloodlines (Blood Moon Book 3)

21: Finale

Her father moved closer to Celestine, wisps of smoke rising from the earth with each of his steps.

Ryder stood in front of his child. "Mason, stop. That arrow wasn't meant for your mate."

Her father grabbed Ryder by the neck and jerked him closer. Ryder swung his weapon, but her father caught it with his free hand with ease. A weapon said to be one of the most powerful, unbreakable ones in existence

One hit and that was it.

Yet, as her father's eyes shone amber with black electricity flowing through them, cracks spread through the weapon, wisps of black smoke rising from within. Then it shattered into a million pieces.

When mist rose around her, Annika whirled around to find Devyn on the verge of losing control as well. "Devyn." He glanced at her, his bright electric blue eyes flickering obsidian. "Please, mother wouldn't want this."

Tears trickled down his cheeks. "It's my fault she's dead, Ann."

She choked on her words when she tried to speak. A peek over her shoulder had her heart dropping to the ground. Bird-shifters moved to aid their leader. Her father raised his free hand in their direction and closed his fingers into a fist. Cracks of bones filled the air as a mist consumed them, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

Ryder managed to shove her father away as Celestine conjured a sword that glowed golden. She plunged it into the side of her father's chest. Annika lurched to her feet but froze wide-eyed.

With a malice grin on his lips, her father wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the sword and yanked it out.

At screams, Annika realized a couple of bird-shifters restrained Abigail. "Mason stop!" Please! I beg you."

Her father tossed the sword to the ground before snarling, clearly on the verge of shifting to his wolf form. When Ryder attempted to use his wing as a weapon, her father seized it, his wolf claws digging into the feathers. Her father moved with the speed of light and slammed Ryder against the bark of a tree.

Abigail managed to get loose from the bird-shifters grasp and before anyone could stop her, she rushed to her mate's aid. Her father released Ryder, and crumbled to his knees, blood dripping from his wing.

"Mason, please stop this."

Her father seized her by the neck, a snarl escaping his lips. "I should take her life. It's only fair."

Ryder struggled to get to his feet. "Don't you dare harm her!"

Abigail struggled against him, but her father didn't release her, all emotion gone from his expression. "Why did you even own such a weapon?"

Ryder said nothing as he glared at her father.

"M--Mason."

Annika watched as her mother struggled to stand. She held a hand over the laceration and took a hesitant step forward. Annika fought to not shatter into a million shards when her mother placed a hand on her shoulder, a faint smile on her face, before walking toward her father, each step less steady than the previous.

Her father tossed Abigail aside and Ryder caught her. As he turned to her mother, black mist emanated from his body. He parted his lips, flaunting a mouth of razor-sharp teeth. This was more the beast than the human. Fear gripped Annika, aware of madness consuming old wolves when pushed over the edge.

"You... You really need to control this temper of yours, my love." Her mother stumbled forward and her father caught her with a cry that tore Annika's heart to pieces. As her father's pain spilled out, his appearance returned to normal, more human-like.