Bane of Tenebris (Wolfgods Book 2) by Blaise Ramsay (i love reading books txt) 📕

him smelled stagnant but felt cold against his skin. It didn’t take long for him to realize where he’d fallen. The realm of the dark god lie all around, only this time Kain wouldn’t be escaping from it.

Barghast stepped out of the darkness. His large form towering above the lycan who did his best to avoid looking into the searing eyes full of pride. The heat from the ash rising from his thick, black fur caused beads of sweat to form on Kain’s brow. “At last.”

Kain looked back at his family, his eyes saddened to leave them but relieved he’d ended the fight and spared his mate from Barghast’s wrath. He walked towards Barghast and scowled at him through tired eyes.

The god grinned. “There it is, that defiance I adore in you. It will be sweeter when I break you. You look tired, Kain. Let my shadows send you into a deep sleep. My slave for eternity.”

Four months Later

(40 years in the planes of the gods)

“Barghast!” A voice boomed, shattering the black plane like glass. Beams of pure light pierced the void as Solaris walked through the retreating gloom.

Barghast made sure to hide Kain, ordering him to stay silent while he went to deal with the sun goddess. Through shadow-veiled eyes, Kain made out the radiant glow of the goddess who swore to save him from the dark god’s vengeance.

“To what do I owe the visit from the Lady of the Sun?” Barghast presented his best face, most likely to avoid further angering the goddess.

“Return to me what you have stolen, Shadow King. You have no claim to him!”

Barghast hissed through his fangs. “I stole nothing, Sun Queen. He and I made a bargain.”

Solaris chided Barghast, telling him the deal he proposed was undone the moment the dark god asked for the sacrifice of a soul. Surrendering it was an act of the utmost selflessness.

“He shed innocent blood. Blood of his own kind. He blasphemed his gods when he rebelled against a pact made by his family. The Kain line’s honor died the moment he forsook it and fled. You know the time of which I speak!”

Kain flinched at the judgmental words. He remembered screaming at his father, telling him he no longer considered the Kain line his family and refused to offer himself up to be butchered like they did. He’d rebelled against lycan law and slept with vampires.

Solaris reached out her hand, ordering silence. “I have not forgotten. What you fail to recall is who his mother was. Pentacost too defiled lycan law and sired a child from the womb of a vampire.”

The impact of the goddess’ words hit Kain like a ton of bricks.

Solaris continued by illuminating the terms of war and how ludicrous Barghast’s pact was. She ordered him, again, to give her what rightfully belonged to her.

Barghast growled. “I will not relinquish what is rightfully mine. Alexander Kain is mine and none of you will take him from my hands.”

The sun goddess shook her head. Her eyes melancholy. “You have grown so dark. The sun on the lycan’s shoulder brands him as my soldier. Be gone or my light will burn away your darkness.”

Despite his anger, Barghast smirked. He raised his claw, raising Kain’s chained soul from the depths of the shadows, dropping him onto the floor of the plane.

Solaris gasped.

Making her way to Kain she knelt and brushed his long dirty-blonde hair from his face. A scruffy, unkempt beard covered the lycan’s face. His once copper skin now lacked color or firm muscle it once did. She stroked Kain’s face.

“It has been forty of our years, Solaris. Did you think a soul could handle being tormented so long and not be damaged?” Barghast laughed in victory.

Solaris took Kain in her arms. “You will pay for this, Shadow King. I give you my word.”

Tala couldn’t hold them back any longer. The pain of seeing her lover’s body covered by a blanket and laid to rest in the newly built shed behind the house tore at her heart.

It’d been four months since the fight at the Crimson casino in Great Falls. No one told her any details about how Kain was killed until she begged Jill to tell her.

Downstairs, she heard Gabriel screaming at Damien over why they weren’t allowed to give her mate the rest he deserved.

“This is insane, Damien! We should be giving him a proper burial, not leaving him to rot in your dusty shed!” Gabriel yelled.

Damien’s voice was less boisterous but still angry. “Gabriel, I told you, we can’t. I can’t. Dammit, I hate this as much as you do! Don’t you think I want to give Kain the rest he deserves?!”

“What I think is you’re feeling guilty because once again he got hurt saving your stupid ass! I warned him you would be nothing but trouble!” Gabriel retorted.

Unable to take anymore, Tala stormed down the stairs, her hand on the small bump just barely visible beneath her shirt. “Stop it!” She yelled.

Jill was the first to her feet. “Tala, I’m sorry you heard that.”

Tala pushed Jill away. “Damien, please tell me why we can’t we give Alex the burial he deserves? I can’t see him like that anymore!”

Damien lowered his head, his eyes closed tight. “Because I was told not to.”

Everyone in the room gasped.

“The fuck are you saying?” Gabriel snarled.

The younger lycan raised his head, his brow furrowed in frustration as he repeated himself.

“By who?” Tala asked through streaming tears.

“The gods,” Damien replied.

Gabriel growled through extended fangs and grabbed Damien by the shirt. “Fuck them! Kain gave everything for them and they turned their back on him! I’m giving my friend the rest he deserves.”

Damien positioned his body between Gabriel and the back door. His eyes warned Gabriel he wouldn’t let him do what he wanted.

Jill grabbed Tala just as the fight began.

“Damn it, Damien!” Gabriel dropped and gripped Damien around the waist and threw him to the floor. The larger