Chapter 518

Isaac didn't respond to my question. He set the ruby down and turned to face me.

“The ritual requires a sacrifice. A Luna, someone with power in their blood, would be ideal. Given your Bloodmoon ability and your crimes against our cause, you would be perfect. The demons will have no choice but to accept my offering and grant me the Lord's blessing."

This was insanity. I pulled at the ropes again. My wrists were starting to become slick with blood now, but the knots wouldn't give. "You won't get away with this. My pack will find me. Andrei will—"

"Your husband is too busy losing his mind to help you." Isaac smiled. "I'm the only one who can handle the demons' voices. He's too weak."

Demons? Was he seriously implying that Andrei was talking to demons, too? Those visions—it couldn't be like that. It was impossible. Andrei was just... struggling. Not communing with dark forces. They didn't even exist!

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. It had a small ruby embedded in the hilt, sort of like the one I used to have. I loathed to think about what this one could do. "Don't worry. It'll be over quickly."

No. No, I wasn't going to die like this. Not tied up on the floor of a random cabin in the middle of nowhere. Not when my children were waiting for me.

I reached for my Bloodmoon ability. The power that had saved me before. The power that gave me a burst of strength when the twins were in danger.

Nothing happened.

Because they weren't in danger. They were safe with Damon and Grace. The ability wouldn't activate unless they needed me.

Damn it.

Isaac knelt beside me again with the knife in his hand. "Any last words?"

"Yeah. Fuck you." I spat in his face.

He recoiled, wiping the spit from his cheek. His expression darkened, but he said nothing. Just raised the knife high, blade glinting. The ruby pulsed, and the knife came down with preternatural speed.

I twisted my body just before the knife could hit me and kicked out with my bound legs. My feet connected with his stomach, and he stumbled backward. The knife clattered to the floor.

I rolled onto my side and started working at the knots around my wrists with my teeth. But Isaac recovered faster than I expected. He grabbed my ankle and yanked me

back My chim hit the floor

Rain

barked through my lip, and I tasted

blood.

"Stop fighting!" he growled. He picked up the knife and pressed the blade against

my throat. "You're only making this harder on yourself."

I struggled, but it was no use without

my wolf. That damn ruby had weakened her, made her tired, sluggish. And with my wrists bound, Lhad to way to fight back without her, Isaac easily pinned me down with one knee on my chest, forcing the air from my lungs. The knife pressed harder against my throat. I felt a thin line of blood trickle down my neck.

"I wanted to make this painless,” Isaac said. “But you just had to be difficult."

The ruby's glow filled my vision, pulsing faster and faster. As the blade dug into my skin, drawing blood I felt a coldness wash over me. My body began to betray me. My limbs froze. My heart slowed.

Whatever was in that knife-it was paralyzing me.

This was it. This was how I was going to die. I screwed my eyes shut, filling my mind with visions of the twins. Of Hope. Of Andrei and the look on his face when we held our children between us.

But then the door exploded inward.

I snapped my eyes open to see wood splintering everywhere. Isaac jerked his head up, the knife lifting slightly from my throat. Just enough to let me twist away, gasping for air.

A moment later, a massive wolf burst into the room. I thought it might be Damon, but then I saw black fur. Yellow eyes. Fangs bared and foaming at the mouth.

It was Andrei.

His gaze was haunted, full of hate, and completely unlike anything I'd seen in his eyes before.

But this time, he leapt at Isaac, and I didn't stop him.