Then there was no more talking.
Hunter pulled her to him, his mouth finding hers in a kiss that was equal parts desperation and devotion.She melted between them, her body trembling with need and power.Lennox’s hands slid down her back, steady and sure, grounding her even as Hunter deepened the kiss.When she gasped, Hunter swallowed the sound, tasting her magic on his tongue.
He pressed her against him, feeling her heartbeat sync with his.“Look at me,” he whispered.
She did.Gods, she did—and he swore the stars dimmed in comparison.
Lennox moved behind her, his breath hot against her neck.“She said it needs to be fast.You ready for this, baby?”
Brielle nodded once.“Do it.”
Hunter lowered himself to lie on his back on the rooftop, taking her with him to sit astride him, the illusion flickering around them like a cocoon of light.His body slid against hers, heat meeting heat, magic meeting power.When he pushed inside her, she cried out—not in pain, but in pleasure.The bond pulsed between them, glowing brighter, wild and alive.Lennox’s hands steadied her hips, his touch firm but reverent as he prepared her for him, too.
She looked over her shoulder at him, voice trembling.“Now.”
He entered her slowly, a growl tearing from his chest as she gasped.“Gods, you feel like fire,” Lennox rasped, his rhythm syncing to Hunter’s.Every thrust, every breath, every heartbeat built the connection higher until it felt like the entire world spun around them.
Hunter’s voice was raw.“Almost there, sweetheart.Just hold on.”
Her nails dug into his shoulders, and he felt her body tense, magic spilling into him like liquid sunlight.Lennox groaned behind her, the air filling with the sounds of them—their gasps, their curses, their need.When she came, it was with a cry that echoed through their bones.Her power ignited, a shockwave of gold light exploding outward.
Hunter bit into her left shoulder at the same instant Lennox’s teeth sank into the soft flesh at her neck on her right side.The taste of her blood hit like lightning—pure, ancient, divine.She gasped and bit them both back, sealing the bond.
Magic roared through them, flooding every nerve.Hunter’s vision filled with golden light, the tether between them locking tight.He felt her—her strength, her love, her fury—and knew they were one.Three souls bound as one.
The shield around them shattered like glass, light cascading into the sky.
They stumbled to their feet together, still glowing faintly from the bond.The rooftop was a battlefield—demons swarming, the witches holding their line.Colt and Braydon were down, unconscious.Ursula and Landon fought back-to-back, both bloodied and gasping but unbroken.Liam, Nolan, Jacob, and Isaac formed a perimeter, barely holding against the endless tide.
In the center, Caleb stood before the altar, chanting in a guttural language that made the air vibrate.The Druid Stone hovered over his hands, black energy spiraling toward the sky.
Brielle’s eyes hardened.“He’s opening the gates.”
Hunter stepped in front of her instinctively.“He needs your blood to finish it.”
She touched his arm, steady and sure.“Then I’ll give him exactly what he’s asking for.”
Lennox swore.“Brielle—”
But she was already moving.“Trust me.”
Before she reached him, a surge of dark energy struck the roof, throwing Hunter and Lennox backward.They hit the ground hard, instincts taking over as their bodies twisted and grew, fur bursting through skin.In seconds, two massive bears stood where the men had been—black and gold, roaring in unison.The shift crushed the lounge furniture beneath their paws, wood splintering and metal screeching.They fought like a storm unleashed, tearing through demons that tried to flank the coven, their sheer size turning the tide of battle.One swipe sent a creature flying over the roof edge, another crumpled into smoke under Lennox’s weight.Later, Hunter would mourn the demolished patio couch, but for now, all he saw was Brielle blazing like a goddess ahead of them, and nothing else mattered.
Still in bear form, Hunter watched her walk toward Caleb, her steps slow, deliberate, predatory.Power radiated from her skin like heat.The witch and the lioness were one now.
Caleb’s laughter cut through the chaos.“Ah, my beautiful creation.You can’t fight fate.You were made for me.You were born to feed my reign.”
He lifted one hand, and an invisible force slammed into Brielle.She gasped as the magic struck, dropping her to her knees.The air around her crackled, her skin sparking gold against the black energy holding her down.Hunter and Lennox roared in fury, surging forward, but an unseen shield slammed into them, repelling them back.They clawed and snarled, throwing their full weight against it, but the barrier held firm.
“Let her go!”Hunter bellowed, voice half-human, half-beast, the sound shaking the roof.
Caleb only smirked, twisting his hand as Brielle cried out, tears streaking down her face.“Please,” she choked, trembling.“Please, don’t hurt me.I’ll do anything—just stop.”
Lennox’s claws gouged the concrete as he tried to break through, desperation turning feral.Hunter froze mid-roar, something in her tone pricking through his rage.That didn’t sound like fear.
She sounded ...angry.Controlled.
Caleb leaned close, his grin stretching cruelly.“That’s better.Beg, little witch.Show me what you were meant to be.”