She knew anger, but nothing like this. Red and hot, pulsing through her veins.
Luna hissed. “This isn’t happening. I won’t let this happen.” Straightening, she spun and ran from the room. Pounding down the stairs.
Her power shifted inside her, strengthening, widening, thickening. She welcomed it, let it loose, let it grow and morph into whatever it was meant to be, whatever Gunner’s blood did to her, to it.
She reached the ground floor, ran into the garage, and hit the door opener. Fists clenched, she stood in front of the wide door as it slowly lifted, and without hesitation, walked out into the dusky morning light.
Azel stood behind the gates. No, she couldn’t see him through the iron, but she could feel him like a black cloud surrounding her. The gates shook, vibrating with his power. He was done waiting. Any moment he would break through.
The distance between her and the gates yawned out between them. She started forward, striding faster, rage pumping through her. How fucking dare he come here. How dare he think he had some claim over her. She didn’t belong to him, not anymore.
Gunner had given himself to her, and she to him freely. He was hers, and she was his, and no one was taking her from him. No one was hurting the people she loved. She broke into a run, throwing up her block, layer after layer, thicker and thicker. The gates shook harder, and she headed straight for them. He wasn’t getting inside. No fucking way.
Suddenly, the gates exploded, iron shrieking as they blew off their hinges. Her block pushed forward, flowing from her as she ran, deflecting the debris, sending it in different directions.
“He’s got Willow!” Grace yelled. “The ward’s down.”
Luna spun around, only now noticing the other females were right behind her. Willow was the witch who created the compound’s wards. Gunner had explained it to her. That’s when she spotted a female with red hair lying motionless on the ground by the gates, only the whites of her eyes showing as she stared blindly ahead.
Azel had found her. He’d hurt her.
Luna’s fury increased when she saw the demons lined up behind him, so many.
“Go back,” Luna yelled at the other females.
“Like hell,” Grace barked as she loaded a bolt into her bow. “This is our home. I’m not letting those fuckers anywhere near it or my people. And he’s sure as fuck not getting you.”
Mia shook her head, her hair flying around her, body shaking, eyes glowing. “We’re in this together.”
James came running out, along with a group of demi from inside, all armed. Azel started toward her, and Luna’s rage engulfed her. She pushed her block higher, wider as she moved toward him.
He smirked at her—
His hand shot up to his head, grabbing the side, and he frowned, gaze darting around the lot. It landed on someone behind her. Luna turned. Eve was focused on him, her blue eyes glowing and swirling from her power, rage lining her face.
Luna widened her shield as far as she could, covering Eve, covering as many as she could.
The demons roared and ran at them, and Mia’s hands came up, balls of fire swirling and growing in her palms. With a scream of rage, she let them fly. They hit their targets, demons screeching, burning. Grace was beside her, firing bolt after bolt into the demons still approaching.
Luna thickened her shields, her power stronger than it had ever been, and kept walking toward Azel. He was struggling now. Eve was in his head. She was hurting him.
He shook himself and kept walking.
“We’ve got him,” Eve said.
Meredith had moved up beside Eve, her hand on Eve’s shoulder, eyes closed and focusing hard. She was using her amplifying power to increase Eve’s. Blood ran from Eve’s eyes, ears, and nose.
Azel's step faltered again, and he roared in anger.
“I need a weapon!” Luna yelled.
Grace kicked a knife toward her, and Luna snatched it up and ran for Azel.
No more.
This ends now.
Azel shook his head like an angry bull, in obvious pain. Luna lifted her hands. He wasn’t going to hurt the people she loved—this monster who had killed her mother, who had snatched her and her brother from their lives, who had tortured her, had nearly broken her—and sent a wave of power at him with everything she had in her.
He roared again and dropped to his knees. Luna prowled toward him, his shock and fear now clear in his eyes.