Page 65 of Titan’s Mate

And then, “Oh, fuck,” as he took in what was going on.

Brock forced the words through numb lips. “Toxin… thinning… out…” he said. “Enough people… crew bond… might… save… you…”

He saw Colt dive on his brother without hesitation, Callie right behind him. He heard her lynx say, If we go, we go together. Through his healer’s vision, he saw the toxin spread to them, saw it dissipate further, even as it filled him to the brim.

Damien and Lila piled on. Was it enough? Where was Brandon? Brock had to hold on. He had to make his death mean something.

Then he felt Brandon’s arms close around him from behind. It’s time, brother, he whispered in Brock’s mind. You’re one of us, and there’s no fucking dying on my watch. Submit.

He felt the power of Brandon’s alpha energy, the wild protectiveness of his panther, speaking to his wolf.

You’ve been alone long enough. It’s time to come home. Submit.

Behind Brandon, he felt Kitty’s wolf as she joined the group, and beyond that, her alter ego, Monster Wolf—the baddest, craziest, wildest wolf, who trusted only one person. Her alpha. Trust him, it growled. SUBMIT.

Brock and his wolf looked death in the face one last time, and turned away. They said together, We submit to you as our alpha.

And the crew bond reached out and enveloped him. Strength and healing surged through him, pushing back the dark, and then radiated out, carrying his healing power to the rest of the crew.

The power of the crew bond merged with Titan and Mari’s mating bond like an explosion.

Titan had felt the lessening of his pain as some of the demon’s curse spilled into Brock. But he wanted it back, because he didn’t want Brock to die with him.

But then he felt more hands, more arms holding him and Mari.

With each addition to the circle, Titan felt the demon losing power. He could see them all in the spirit world—the whole crew—the blue light of their bond crackling between them. The curse followed the lines of power like a spiderweb of dark streaks.

The demon fought like a wild thing, growing more arms, sinking its talons into them.

But there were too many of them, he realized, and their bond was too powerful—more powerful than a sorcerers’ coven, more powerful even than dragons.

Love. Family. A loyalty that made them throw themselves into the flames, because they belonged together, and they wouldn’t let any one of them go down alone.

It couldn’t kill them all. Not while they were connected.

It couldn’t kill any of them.

Titan reached his spirit hand right into Mari’s head, and ripped the demon’s claws out of her brain.

Chapter 29

Mari felt the demon leave her brain, the curse disintegrating. The pain didn’t completely go away, but it became bearable, shared by her mate and her entire crew.

She opened her eyes.

They were in the spirit world, the demon standing before them. Mari’s bear was at her side, solid and comforting, and Titan’s bear stood at his right shoulder.

With them was their whole crew, and their animals, who’d risked everything to save them.

She slipped her hand into Titan’s, and he looked down at her. “You did it,” she said. “You saved me.”

He shook his head, his eyes still sad, still determined. “Not yet.”

The demon still withstood their power. Sharp teeth and bulging eyes, multiple clawed hands and hideous bat wings, flames licking around them.

In its hands were strings of darkness, leading to the crew, leading to Mari and Titan.

It gave a low, chilling laugh. “You think you’ve won?” It gazed at Mari, licking its lips with a forked black tongue. “I have been trapped in your mind for years, growing ever stronger. Now you have bound yourselves together, and given yourselves to me. You cannot cast me out.”