“Are you okay?” Tyla asks, throwing her arms around me.
Tears fall down my cheeks. “Not in the least. Where are the babies?”
She moves behind me and touches the spot where I had the gash on my head; it’s already healed over. Laila stands in front of me and looks down at my red-stained hands. “They’re with Bailey. We didn’t want to take the chance of something going wrong.” She meets my gaze. “Did you kill Kara?”
I shake my head. “No. She’s still alive. I left her in my room, but I don’t know how long she’ll be out. We need to keep her contained.”
Kami raises a hand. “I volunteer to go. I know exactly what to do with her.”
Laila nods at her, and she takes off through the woods, leaving me alone with Tyla and Laila. My heart stops when I look over at the bonfire and see Knox preparing for the fight, looking lethal. It’s as if he’s an entirely different person. Zayne has his back to me, talking to Sebastian and Colin. He takes off his shirt, and Sebastian grabs it. I want to talk to him, but I know he needs to focus.
The ground starts to spin, and I sway on my feet. “Whoa,” Tyla says, steadying me.
Closing my eyes, I slowly take in a breath. “I don’t know what’s going on. The same thing happened earlier, and I passed out.” Laila clutches my face and gasps the second her skin touches mine. She closes her eyes, and a smile lights up her face. I look over at Tyla, and she’s just as confused as I am. “What is it?”
Laila grabs my hand and pulls me away from the crowd. “I need to see something.” When we get far enough away from everyone, she stands in front of me and closes her eyes while slowly running her hands down my body. She stops over my stomach, and her eyes flash open.
Tears spring to her eyes, and she slaps a hand over her mouth. “Amelie, you’re pregnant.”
Those are the last words I expect to hear, but it makes perfect sense. It’s why I’ve been sick the past couple of days. Placing a hand over my stomach, I look over at Zayne, wishing I could tell him he has more than just me to fight for.
Laila lowers her voice, but her smile is radiant. “It’s not just one baby, Amelie. You’re going to have twin boys.”
Tyla squeals under her breath. “Holy shit. This is unheard of. You’re not even mated yet.”
Laila glances down at my stomach. “Those little ones might be why you were able to fight off Kara. Their royal blood mixed with yours makes you stronger.”
“How is this even possible?” I wonder.
Laila shrugs. “I’m not sure. With my mother, she was fae, so the rule book goes out the window, but with you, it’s something new altogether.”
Tyla snorts. “Face it, Laila. Your father has super sperm. This hasn’t happened with any other shifter besides him.”
Laila holds up a hand. “I’m sure we’ll be able to laugh about this later, but right now isn’t the time.”
Knox turns to us and walks over with his head held high. Laila and Tyla give me a warning look and stand out of the way when he stops in front of me, not even acknowledging them. “This will be over soon,” he says matter-of-factly.
I shake my head. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
His solemn gaze bores into mine. “Yes, it does,” he says before walking back to the circle.
Everyone gathers around, giving Knox and Zayne a wide berth. I don’t want to watch the fight, but I have no choice. Ryker stands in the middle with both men as they strip out of their clothes. Zayne glances over at me, and I mouth the words I love you to him.
Laila takes my hand and squeezes it. “Everything will be fine.”
Tyla holds my other hand. “We’re right here with you.”
Ryker moves out of the circle while Zayne and Knox shift into their magnificent white wolves. They’re the same in size, but Knox has a gray patch under his neck, and Zayne doesn’t. Zayne’s fur is exceptionally white, which makes it look as if it glows. The tension is high, and I can barely breathe as I watch both stalk each other. Out of the corner of my eye, Colin rushes over and stands behind us.
He leans in close and lowers his voice. “Zayne wants Amelie out of here if he loses. He doesn’t want Knox taking her.”
“Don’t worry,” Laila whispers, keeping her face forward, “Amelie’s not going anywhere.”
Zayne and Knox growl and snap at each other, but neither one makes a move. The crowd is silent, their eyes wary about the coming fight. Death looms over the circle, waiting to take its victim. Who will it be?
The electricity in the air intensifies, and I hold my breath as I wait for one of them to attack. Knox lunges first, and Zayne meets him head on, both growling so loud it echoes in the distance. They move so fast across the ground that they look like a white blur. Teeth ripping flesh and the smell of blood permeate the air, making me sick to my stomach. When one rips into the other’s flesh, the other does the same thing right back. Neither one has the upper hand.
Swallowing hard, I look away and close my eyes. The sounds are just as worse as watching it. My wolf wants to jump into the fight and help her mate. The pull to run out there gets stronger every second I hear the men yelp and growl in pain. When I turn back to the fight, their white coats are red, and their fangs are stained with blood.
“It kills me not to use my magic,” Laila says, cringing every time the men rip into each other. “I could end it.”
“Your father wouldn’t want that,” I whisper.
Laila sighs. “I know.”
The fighting goes on for what feels like hours, but it’s only been a few minutes. They’re both beaten and bloody with tears all over their skin. They grapple on the ground, rolling around the snow with their teeth snapping at each other. The second I hear Zayne’s howl, my heart stops. Knox grabs hold of his shoulder and tosses him across the circle, ripping out a mouthful of flesh in the process. Zayne falls to the ground and doesn’t move as blood pours out of his shoulder. Knox spits it out and gives a wolfish grin as he stalks closer to Zayne.
“No, no, no, no,” I cry, trying to break free of Laila and Tyla’s hold.
Colin wraps his arms around my waist. “Amelie, stop.”
Laila and Tyla whisper soothing words, but nothing helps to take the agony away. Finally, Zayne opens his eyes and finds me in the crowd. “Please get up,” I whisper, choking out the words.
His wolf eyes close, and his body gives out as Knox moves closer. A sharp pain explodes in my chest, and I know it’s the breaking of my heart. But instead of sadness, it’s the fury that rocks me to my core. The guttural scream that escapes my lips is a sound I’ve never heard before. All eyes turn to me, and I can feel my wolf about to break free.
Knox lunges for Zayne at the same time I pull away from Colin’s hold. Everything moves in slow motion. Knox jumps in the air to land on top of Zayne, and I run toward them. Zayne’s eyes flash open just as Colin snatches me away. I crumple in his arms and watch as the end draws near. Zayne rolls out of the way and catches Knox off guard, causing him to falter. Zayne latches onto Knox’s neck and bites down with a sickening crack.
Everyone falls silent as Zayne drags Knox to the center of the circle. Knox tries to get out of Zayne’s hold but to no avail. Zayne looks over to me, and Colin loosens his hold. “He doesn’t want to hurt you, Amelie. I think he wants to know you’ll be okay.”
Tears fill my eyes, and I nod. It has to end. “Do it,” I say, knowing he can hear me. He clamps down harder on Knox’s neck, and the life slowly dies out of him. Letting my tears go, I will mourn my friend and former lover, but it’s what had to be done.
Zayne shifts back into his human form and falls to his knees. The crowd cheers and revels in our victory. Colin lets me go, and I race over to Zayne, taking him in my arms. I burst out crying as he holds me tightly against him.
“I love you,” I cry, not wanting to let him go.
“I love you too. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
Shaking my head, I pull away and hold his face in my hands. His eyes are tired, and his body bruised and battered, but it’s nothing a little time won’t heal. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” A small smile stretches across his face, and I can feel his hand on my stomach. I look down at his hand and then into his eyes. “How did you know?”
“I heard what Laila said when she told you. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked. I’ve lived over two hundred years, and things keep changing. There’s no telling what’ll happen next.”
Dropping to my knees, I kiss him gently and rest my forehead to his. “At least we’ll find out together. Only now we’ll have two little boys to share it with us.”
Zayne kisses me again. “It’ll be a new way of life.”
A chuckle escapes my lips. “Feels like I’ve waited an eternity for it. It’s about time we find our happiness.”