Blood rushes to my ears until I can't hear anything but white noise. I'm sure I'm screaming- I know August certainly is. The sound pierces through the pounding in my ears, a guttural, gut-wrenching howl that echoes across the field.

He collapses on the platform, his fear of the guns pointed at him long gone. The look on his face is that of a man whose soul was just torn from him and ripped to shreds. The light in his eyes disappears instantly, leaving nothing but anguish in its wake.

He looks crazed. Untethered.

This is someone who just had his mate bond violently severed from him. Thankfully Maddox took the opportunity of all the chaos and distraction to unarm the guards surrounding them both.

He smashes the end of one of their weapons into the skull of the guy next to him, with enough force to crush his face before using it to unload the silver bullets into the remaining wolves, including Donovan and Bryant.

None of the rogues in the audience dare to move as Maddox locks onto Aiden as his next target. Maddox was a true Alpha, one who was fully mated, making him stronger than any other wolf here by far. Having me in such close proximity to him with no more walls between our link, no one would dare try to combat him. Well, no one except his ego-driven brother.

You two take care of Basil. I'll handle my brother.

Maddox and Aiden both shift as they lunge at each other. I nod even though he's not looking at me and crawl my way over to Basil. I press on the wound on his chest, hoping to stop the bleeding.

There's no hint of life in him, not even his magic lingers around him, but I can't give up. I feel myself going numb, but my hands keep working for me.

"August, I need you to come put pressure on this," I yell through my tears.

He doesn't answer, just continues to stare at Basil's lifeless body.

"August!" I snap.

Slowly, he lifts his gaze to me.

"What good is it going to do, Poppy?" He whispers, sounding broken and defeated.

"Fucking nothing if you don't help. Get your ass over here!"

Finally, he drags himself over to me and replaces my hands with his. I don't know exactly what my plan is, but if my magic was going to show itself, now would be the time.

I close my eyes and wrap one of Basil's hands in both of mine, trying to channel any remnants of his magic that might be lingering. If any of it is left, maybe I can pull it forward and use it to keep him alive.

A faint shuffling sound from behind us distracts me. At first I think Maddox is in trouble, but a quick check through our bond tells me he's okay. I whip my head around to look at the source of the noise to see Donovan reaching for a gun. His breathing is haggard and his movements are clumsy and uncoordinated.

I growl furiously at him, knowing that my anger is only further fueled by Maddox's emotions coursing through me right now.

"Why aren't you fucking dead?" I seethe. "Every last one of you rogues deserves to die for what you've done to these witches, and I will spend my last breath making sure you all suffer-"

"Poppy!"

August shakes my shoulder to get my attention. I turn back to see Basil's chest rising and falling in shallow gasps. His heart beat is weak, but it's there and I can feel the warmth of his magic pulsing under his skin.

"What the fuck?" I gasp.

Donovan coughs violently behind me and I look back at him just in time to see him take one last puff of breath. August watches the whole exchange in shock.

"Poppy, what did you just do?" He questions nervously.

"I-I... I don't know," I respond with equal trepidation.

My own magic hums within me, as natural as the blood in my veins. I hadn't even noticed when exactly I tapped into it, but it felt as though it had always been there, just beneath the surface.

"Basil?"

I look down at him in panic as he starts coughing just as Donovan had, but I let out a breath of relief when his eyelids start to flutter.

"What the hell," he moans as he tries to find his bearings.

"Hey, just relax, okay? Don't try to move too much," August tells him lovingly.

With each passing second, Basil looks more and more like himself. His cheeks regain their color, his breathing becomes a little more even and his eyes regain their light under August's gaze. I know he's in good hands now and out of immediate danger- we'll figure out exactly how that is some other time.

"Well, you look a little less like you're on the brink of death. I'm going to go make sure my mate also doesn't die now."

I give them both a kiss on the cheek and stand up, scanning the crowd for Maddox. It doesn't take long to find him and his brother. The crowd had formed around the two brawling wolves, our drama with Basil long since forgotten.

Aiden's wolf is slightly smaller than Maddox's and more copper than his chocolate brown one. They circle each other, occasionally nipping at the other, but neither of them make any real moves to attack.

Maddox clearly has the advantage, why isn't he using it?

Basil is okay. Let's get this over with.

Pain flashes through our bond even though I can see Maddox isn't hurt, accompanied by... regret. Maddox still feels guilt about things ending this way despite everything. He didn't want to have to go home and tell his mother that her oldest son died by his hands.

I'm sorry he ever put you in this position, Maddox. But there's no other choice now.

I know. It's okay.

He lunges at his brother, throwing him onto his back with relative ease. Realization dawns in Aiden's eyes as he thrashes wildly against him, but his efforts are useless. He's trapped under Maddox's superior strength and he knows it.

I scan his face for any sign of remorse, maybe a glimmer of who Aiden used to be before all of this, but all I see is contempt. There's no regret in his final moments and that makes his death that much easier to come to terms with.

You're hesitating, I tell Maddox as he continues to hover over Aiden, baring his teeth at his throat.

I'm not, I just-

You're hesitating.

Maddox pauses for a moment and nods, almost imperceptibly, for my benefit. He's just distracted enough that Aiden is able to twist away from him and bolt in the other direction. The crowd leans in eagerly, their hope alive once again at Aiden's escape.

Fuck.

Maddox lunges after him and manages to grip his tail between his teeth, causing Aiden to let out a yelp, but he still gets away. He almost reaches the platform, but instead of jumping on it, he leaps into the air before crumbling to the ground and curling into a ball of pain.

Clover stands off to the side, staring intently at the wolf at her feet.

Now is your last chance. I can't hold this for long.

Maddox doesn't hesitate this time and barrels towards him, determination set in his jaw. With the finesse and grace of a truly skilled warrior, Maddox lunges at Aiden and rips his throat out with his bare teeth.