Page 108 of Beyond the Temptation: Vol 2

“The signing in blood didn’t tell you I was serious?” I asked with an arched brow.

“Just thought you were strange,” he countered.

I chuckled darkly. “Oh, I’m definitely strange, but I don’t play around when it comes to souls. You’ve had twenty years of youth, vitality, and wealth. Did I not uphold my end of the bargain?”

“Yes, but?—”

“But nothing,” I interrupted. “How did you think you remained that way for so long? Did you think you discovered some secret magic of eternal youth? Have the best luck known to mankind?”

Then I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “However, I’m feeling… generous.”

He immediately brightened as hope sprang to light in him.

The corners of my lips slowly lifted in a smile as I slid my silver dagger from its scabbard. “I’ll make it quick and painless.”

His face fell and I threw the blade. Before he could so much as think to run, it lodged in his skull, protruding from his eye socket. He fell backwards and landed with a thud.

A wisp of white light escaped from his chest and slowly turned dark as it rose. Then it darted back down. It made his body jolt as it tore through him in its descent to the underworld.

“A deal’s a deal,” I said with a sigh and crouched to pull my weapon from him. The force it had hit him with nearly sent the cross-guard into his orbital socket. “Huh, guess I don’t know my own strength sometimes.”

I derived a perverse pleasure in the sound it made as I removed it. Using his tunic, I wiped the blade off, then re-sheathed it. Without a backwards glance, I walked off whistling.

As I neared the entrance to the alleyway, there was a slight scraping sound before a force slammed into my back. I was thrown forward, and I twisted to grab at whatever had hit me. My fingers sunk into thick fur as I fell back, slamming into the cobbled ground.

“What the—” was all I got out before I was jerking my head to the side to avoid the snapping teeth. It took all of my strength to hold the beast at bay. Hot, fetid breath hit my face as I strained against its rabid, violent attempts to rip out my throat.

Spittle flew from its gaping maw and hit my face and neck. My skin sizzled and burned where it landed, and I roared in pain. Incredulous, I allowed myself a split-second pause.

A werewolf?

Impossible.

Yet, the facts were hard to deny. The strength this creature had as it fought to tear me apart was nearly matched with my own. Then the sheer size and stature of the half-man, half-wolf being was daunting, even for myself. Its nails cut into my bicep and my chest as we wrestled for supremacy. The burning pain of that injury was almost enough to make my hold slip.

I dug my fingers into its throat and squeezed. It was enough to get it to release my arm, but it then clawed at my hand. Teeth gritted and muscles straining against the absolute agony its actions were causing, I fumbled for my dagger.

After nearly three attempts, I got it free and drove the silver blade into the wolf’s side. It gave a shrieking yelp, and I twisted the weapon buried in its hide. Thick and hot, the wolf’s blood coated my hand, but I held firm to the hilt. Then I jerked it free and drove it in again. Finally, the slobbering, snarling thing hurled itself away from me, but not before I got one last good swipe at it, filleting its upper chest open.

It staggered backward and then ran off into the night. A howling sounded in the distance, and I frowned.

Heaving several ragged breaths, I dropped my head to the cobbled stones. My arm fell to my side, the beveled hilt still clutched tightly in my bloody fist. I groaned.

“Fuck,” I huffed. It hurt to breathe.

Then, I rolled to my side and to my knees. If the thing came back, I was probably screwed, but I couldn’t do much more. It had done some significant damage to me, and I needed to get back to get myself cleaned up.

When I got to my feet, I had to lean against the side of the building to get my bearings for a moment. I brought my cloak around my shoulders and lifted my hood. Bracing myself, I shuffled to the alley entrance.

A bit turned around and unable to concentrate, I tried to decide on which direction I needed to go. I was too weak to summon my shadows to transport me.

Then something odd happened. This little kernel within me pulsed, drawing me home. In my mind, I saw eyes the color of faceted amber—deep gold, sparkling, and rare.

With the way I was staggering, I likely passed for a drunk headed home after an evening of imbibing. I could’ve called for Haidyn, but that would result in him leaving Aurora alone. I should’ve had him bring a member of the inner circle with him so he could’ve sent them, but I never anticipated the recent event.

A werewolf.

Fucking hell.

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