Ethan’s POV

Victor’s blade presses against Isabella’s throat, her pulse hammering under his grip, and my wolf roars, clawing to break free. The rink’s a blood-soaked mess, ice cracked, neons flickering like a dying heart.

My mate’s scent jasmine and sharp, sweet blood drives me wild, my cock hardening despite the chaos. I want to rip Victor apart, to claim her right here, but new figures spill from the SUV, their eyes glowing in the dark. Vampires. Wolves. A mix. Not my pack, not Victor’s clan. Something worse.

“Let her go, Draven!” I snarl, my body tensing, ready to shift. Blood drips from my wounds, but the pain’s nothing compared to the fire in my veins, screaming to protect her, to fuck her, to make her mine.

Victor laughs, his blade nicking Isabella’s skin. A bead of blood trails down her neck, and my wolf howls, vision red. “You’re too late, Wolfe,” he sneers. “She’s the key, and they want her too.”

“Who’s they?” Isabella snaps, her voice fierce despite the blade. Her eyes, glowing vampiric blue, lock on mine, and fuck, she’s gorgeous, all fire and defiance. My body aches, imagining her under me, her fangs on my skin.

“Shut up,” Victor hisses, tightening his grip. She winces, and I lunge, claws sprouting, but a new voice stops me cold.

“Enough.” A woman steps forward, tall, cloaked, her presence heavy. Her eyes gold, not red mark her as something ancient, something other. “Victor, release her.”

Victor’s face twists. “Mira? You’re with them?”

Mira’s lips curl, sharp and cold. “The Order doesn’t answer to you. Or your petty war.” She gestures, and the figures hybrids, I realize, vampire-wolf mixes fan out, weapons gleaming. My pack, Lucas and Elena, freeze, outnumbered.

“Ethan, what’s the Order?” Isabella whispers, her voice steady despite Victor’s blade. Her scent hits me, and I’m dizzy, wanting to bury myself in her, to forget this fight.

“Bad news,” I mutter, stepping closer, my hand grazing her arm. Her skin’s electric, sending heat straight to my groin. Focus, damn it. “They’re enforcers. Keep the supernatural world hidden.”

Mira’s eyes lock on Isabella. “You’re the prophecy, girl. Vampire and wolf blood united. Come with us, or this ends in blood.”

“No way in hell,” I growl, pulling Isabella behind me. Her body presses against mine, curves fitting perfectly, and I bite back a groan, my wolf begging to claim her. “She’s mine.”

“Yours?” Mira laughs, sharp. “She’s a weapon. And you’re a liability.”

Victor snarls, shoving Isabella forward. She stumbles into me, her hands gripping my chest, and fuck, I want to kiss her, to tear her clothes off right here. Her eyes flicker, hungry, mirroring my need. “Ethan, we need a plan,” she whispers, her breath hot on my jaw.

“Working on it,” I say, my hand sliding to her waist, possessive. My pack’s circling, but the Order’s hybrids are too many, their weapons silver-tipped. Lucas catches my eye, nodding—he’s ready to fight.

“Enough talk,” Marcus growls, stepping forward, his rogue wolves snarling. “Hand her over, or we burn this place down.”

“Try it,” Elena snaps, her claws out, standing by Lucas. My sister’s fierce, but her eyes flick to me, questioning. She knows about the mate bond, and it’s tearing her apart.

Mira raises a hand. “Last chance. The girl comes with us, or we take her.”

Isabella’s hand tightens on mine, her fangs glinting. “I’m not going anywhere,” she says, voice like steel. Her strength, her fire, makes me want to pin her to the ice and fuck her until she screams my name.

“Then you die,” Mira says, and the hybrids move, fast and lethal. I shift, tackling one, my jaws snapping. Blood sprays, but another’s on me, silver burning my side. Isabella fights beside me, her speed unreal, fangs sinking into a hybrid’s arm. She’s a blur, all grace and fury, and my wolf howls, proud and horny as hell.

“Stay close!” I shout, human again, pulling her to me. Her body’s warm, blood-streaked, and I want to lick every inch of her. A hybrid lunges, and I take the hit, claws raking my chest. Pain flares, but Isabella’s there, slamming her fist into its face.

“You okay?” she pants, her eyes on my blood. Her tongue darts out, and I’m done, imagining her mouth on me, tasting me.

“Barely,” I growl, my hand cupping her neck, pulling her close. Her lips are inches away, and I’m losing it, the mate bond screaming to claim her.

“Focus, Wolfe,” she says, but her voice is husky, her body pressing into mine. We’re fighting for our lives, and all I can think about is her.

Lucas shouts, “Ethan, we’re getting slaughtered!” He’s bleeding, fending off two hybrids. Elena’s holding her own, but Marcus is circling, waiting for an opening.

Mira’s voice cuts through. “Enough games. Take the girl.”

A hybrid grabs Isabella, and my wolf takes over, ripping through my skin. I tear the hybrid off, my claws shredding flesh, but more come, relentless. Isabella fights, her fangs flashing, but a silver dart hits her shoulder, and she staggers, eyes wide with pain.

“Isabella!” I roar, catching her as she falls. Her blood’s on my hands, and my wolf’s screaming, the need to protect her, to claim her, overwhelming. I kiss her, hard and desperate, her lips soft, yielding. She moans, her hands gripping my hair, and I’m lost, wanting to fuck her right here, blood and all.

“Ethan,” she gasps, pulling back, her eyes glowing. “I’m okay. Fight.”

I nod, but Mira’s on us, her gold eyes cold. “You can’t win this, Wolfe. She’s ours.”

“Never,” I snarl, but a new sound stops me a low hum, like a pulse. The air shifts, and Sofia’s voice screams from the SUV, “Isabella, now!”

Sofia’s there, eyes glowing white, hands raised. Psychic energy crackles, knocking hybrids back. She’s not just human, she's something more. Isabella grabs my hand, pulling me toward the SUV, but Marcus lunges, his claws aimed at her back.

I tackle him, our bodies crashing, blood spraying. “Stay away from her!” I roar, my teeth sinking into his shoulder. He howls, but a hybrid’s dart hits my arm, silver burning. My vision blurs, but I hold on, protecting Isabella.

“Ethan, get up!” Isabella shouts, dragging me toward the SUV. Sofia’s holding the hybrids at bay, her power unreal, but it’s fading fast.

Mira’s voice is calm, deadly. “You can’t run forever. The prophecy’s coming, and she’s the spark.”

“What prophecy?” Isabella demands, her voice shaking but fierce. Her hands on my chest, grounding me, and I want to kiss her again, to lose myself in her.

“Later,” I pant, pulling her into the SUV. Lucas and Elena pile in, Sofia slamming the gas. The rink fades, but Mira’s hybrids are on our tail, their eyes glowing in the dark.

“We’re not safe,” Sofia says, her voice tight. “They’re tracking her blood.”

“Whose blood?” I snap, my arm around Isabella, her body warm against mine. My wolf’s screaming, wanting to claim her, to protect her.

“Mine,” Isabella whispers, her eyes meeting mine, fear and desire mixing. Her fangs are out, and fuck, I want them on me, sinking into my skin.

The SUV swerves, tires screeching, as a hybrid leaps onto the hood, claws shattering the windshield. Sofia screams, and Isabella’s grip tightens, her blood singing to mine.

“Hold on!” I shout, but a new figure lands on the road ahead, eyes glowing gold, blocking our path. Mira.

“We’re fucked,” Lucas mutters, and my heart stops as Mira raises her hand, power crackling.