Blood of the Wolf: The Crown (Mackenzie Grey Book 11), Karina Espinosa [top 10 ebook reader txt] 📗

He sighed loudly and placed his hands at his hips. “King Dougal spoke in the name of the MacCoinnich family and signed in blood. The contract is final. There’s no going around it. No matter how much you’d like to.”

“You’re not taking my kid away from me,” I growled.

“You don’t have a choice!” he laughed. “A bargain has been struck; a deal signed in blood. Once that baby is born, he will be mine.”

“Why do you want a MacCoinnich with fae blood?” I asked, trying to get as many answers as I possibly could.

“You have no idea what a lycan would be capable of with fae magic, do you?” He tilted his head.

I didn’t have the answer to his question. I’d never thought about it. I pointed a finger to my chest. “I have fae magic in my blood. I’m the first hybrid. Take me instead!” The words tumbled from my mouth before I could think about their validity. I didn’t know what Abaddon wanted, but I’d give myself up for this unborn child.

Abaddon threw his head back and laughed. “You might be the first hybrid, but you’re not the first lycan fae. Although, to give you credit, the child is only this way because of you. If you hadn’t been what you are, they would have been normal.”

I felt my knees go weak, but I locked them to keep myself standing. This was all my fault. I should have taken more precautions against becoming pregnant once they found the fae magic in my blood. There was no way to stop this. I knew how solid blood contracts were. King Dougal screwed us over.

“I won’t let you take my child.” I glared at the demon. “You’ll have to kill me first.” I brought my leg back into a fighting position. I wasn’t in fighting form, but I didn’t give a damn.

Abaddon stepped out from the shadows and the full moon beamed down upon him, giving me a clear view of his face.

I couldn’t contain the gasp that escaped my mouth. He was beautiful.

Sharp jawline, olive skin, piercing blue eyes that glowed in the darkness, and dirty blond hair. He looked almost angelic. It was a sin for something this beautiful to be a demon.

“Not what you expected, huh?” he smirked. He continued to walk toward me, and it took every ounce of my resolve to stay rooted in place and not cower in his presence. “What makes you think I need you alive?”

One heartbeat. Two.

Then I ran like hell.

8

I pumped my arms as I dashed across the hill in the opposite direction of the trail, since he was blocking the exit. I didn’t know if there was another way down, but I knew I had to get away from him. The gleam in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He would kill me right then and there if he had to.

Running was not an easy feat. I was tired. My legs were weak. And the moon was beating down on me like a hammer, sapping my strength. I could hear the blood pumping sluggishly through my veins, sounding muffled in my ears. I pushed forward, running as fast as I could. Not just for me, but for the baby I carried. He was the reason I couldn’t stop. No matter how tired I was. No matter how dim my vision was getting. I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not ever.

Suddenly, Abaddon appeared before me and I skidded to a stop, almost running into him. He came out of nowhere, almost as if he’d appeared out of thin air.

“Thought you could run from me, now did you?” He crouched down to be at eye level with me from where I’d fallen. “We’ll have none of that.”

The demon grabbed me by my hair and stood, dragging me across the hill. My scalp burned from his punishing grip. Even though I couldn’t shift fully, the sensation brought out my wolf, making me go into a half shift. My eyes silvered and I let out a growl so loud, it echoed across the valley in a resounding peal of thunder.

“No one can hear you,” he sang as he dragged me closer to the cliff and dropped me so my head dangled over the edge. “I don’t like those who disobey me. You’ll have to learn that the hard way.”

I snapped my canines and tried to get up, but his hand wrapped around my throat and pushed me back down on the ground. He hovered over me, grinning maniacally. Abaddon’s grip on me tightened with every word he spoke.

“You’re insignificant. You did your part, and now I don’t need you anymore. I don’t like to be threatened, and I hear you’re a queen. How destructive would it be to your people if I killed you right now?” He tilted his head and laughed. “I bet chaos would ensue. I like it.” He squeezed harder and pushed my head further over the cliff. The breeze hit my face and in my upside-down position, I could see how far of a fall it would be if I plummeted over the cliff. I wouldn’t survive, but neither would the baby. How would he get what he wanted if I died?

I choked and gasped, my eyes blinking rapidly as I clawed at his arms for release. I kicked out my legs only to hit air.

“Goodbye, Queen of the Lycan.” He grinned and tossed me over the edge.

I sucked in a deep breath, but I stopped breathing once I realized I was free falling over the cliff to a certain death. My stomach plummeted and I felt lightheaded. I knew I was going to die.

I closed my eyes and tried to position myself to land in the safest way possible. Alexander had taught me how to jump from buildings and cushion my landing, but never from anything this high. It would be impossible to safely land from