Azriel knelt on the battlefield, his arms wrapped tightly around Lora’s lifeless form, shaking her gently, as if trying to will her back to consciousness. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath ragged as tears blurred his vision. Blood, sweat, and the dust of the battlefield coated him, but he didn’t care. His entire world had come crashing down the moment Lora had collapsed in his arms.
“Lora, please…” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Wake up. Don’t leave me like that. Not after everything.”
Inside him, Thunder, his beast, was roaring in anguish, clawing at his chest, trying to break free. The primal, uncontrollable urge to shift and tear everything apart surged within Azriel, but he held it back. He had to. For Lora.
Markus rushed over, his eyes wide with concern as he saw the
