Trusting Zion had been a mistake. The bastard had opened a portal and taken Nola away. Therefore, the bastard would die.

Bane increased his pace, sprinting through a tangle of trees. Sunlight glared over a long stretch of farmland, a smattering of homes spaced out between different animal-laden pastures. The animals sensed him and panicked, bucking around. Understandable. With adrenaline plumping his muscles, Bane already partially transformed, his teeth longer and sharper than usual. The beast rammed his skull, demanding blood.

Boom! The ground shook, trees swaying, limbs clapping.

About a mile up ahead, something had exploded.

“Erik,” he snarled. Smoke wafted through the air, carrying a strange, sweet scent. Vale’s scent. The one she’d acquired after killing a female combatant. Nola was with Vale. If his princess had been hurt...

A roar barreled from Bane. The more he inhaled the scent, the more his blood burned with lust. Focus. Different sounds caught his attention. Grunts and groans. Clangs. Curses. As he shot past another tangle of trees, he caught sight of at least twenty armed men in the midst of violent combat with Vale and Zion. Knox, too, though he fought on the other side of a scorched field.

Deal with Zion later. The armed men had been snared by Vale’s scent. They were more interested in screwing the combatants than killing them.

Nola, where was Nola? No sign of her.

Guess he’d be dealing with Zion now. Bane plowed through the mortal army, tossing soldiers out of his way—after ripping off their limbs, of course. “Girl,” he snarled at the male, half-man, half-beast. “Give. Her. To. Me.”

“Removed her from your vicinity for your own good. Want to live? Stay away from her.” Zion tossed a mortal his way then darted off, disappearing in the trees. Going after Nola?

Frantic, Bane gave chase. He didn’t bother tossing people out of his way, just slammed into them, knocking them down. But Knox stepped into his path, and he wasn’t so easy to dispatch.

For some reason, the male was just as frantic, frenzied and wild; he threw a punch, and Bane ducked, scraping his claws over Knox’s torso, drawing blood. His go-to move.

Rather than strike with his fists, Knox aimed a revolver and hammered at the trigger. Pop, pop, pop. Sharp pain and blistering heat exploded through different parts of Bane’s body.

Drogo roared and rammed at his skull, and it was then, that moment that Bane realized the beast had been helping him all along, giving him the tools he needed to survive. Claws. Wings. Superior strength. Teaching him to battle through pain and distraction. And, when things looked grim, taking over to ensure their survival. They were one and the same.

Bane charged at Knox. More bullets. More pain. He slammed into the other man, who planted his feet and didn’t budge. No matter. Bane gripped his collar and shook. “Where. Is. Nola?”