Page 11 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

Tears streamed down his cheeks and spit ran out the corners of his mouth as he choked out the words, “No…she’s…she’s yours.”

I dropped him like a sack of bricks, and he landed on the ground with a loud thud.

When I turned around, Trystan had gone, but I heard angry voices upstairs. Adrenaline pumping through me, I rushed up the stairs two steps at a time. Keir stood in front of the canopy bed with a sword drawn. I had no idea where Keir had gotten a sword, but I didn’t care.

“Stand down, Keir,” Trystan growled, the undercurrent of desperation in his voice cutting through the tension. His eyes, usually such a stoic mask of resolve, now betrayed his desperation. “I want the girl.”

It wasn’t just a demand—it was a plea. The Luparion Crystal, the heart of their unity and strength, was also fading, its once-vibrant pulse now a mere echo of its former power. This weakening not only risked the pack’s cohesion but left them vulnerable to the enemies lurking at their borders.

As Trystan stood there, a formidable figure of raw power and barely contained need, the importance of the Nephilim to his cause became abundantly clear. I knew I would have afight on my hands, but when did I ever back down from a fight?

“I bought her, Trystan.” I walked around him. “You can’t have her.”

Trystan whirled around, his golden eyes glowing and his fingernails lengthening. “Only because you threatened Simon.”

I glared at him. “You didn’t even want her until I saved her.”

Trystan laughed menacingly. “I’m a wolf. You actually think I couldn’t smell whether or not she was alive?”

The bedroom was shrouded in darkness, lit only by the faint glow of moonlight filtering in through the curtains. The air crackled with tension as I stood my ground.

I gritted my teeth. “You’ll have to get past me first, cur.”

Trystan broke into a deadly smile. “With pleasure, vampire.” With that, he shed his clothing piece by piece until he stood before me in all his naked glory.

As our gazes locked in a silent challenge, he began to shift. His muscles lengthened and bones cracked, fur sprouting rapidly until he stood before me not as a man, but as a beast of legend—the Wolf King himself. His golden eyes burned with a primal fury that set every killing instinct inside me on fire.

I could shift into a wolf, but he was more experienced at fighting as a wolf, so I stayed as I was.

Keir watched from the sidelines, his expressionless mask of boredom concealing his true thoughts well. I guessed his plan without him saying a word—use the chaos to his advantage and escape with the one capable of saving us all.

Trystan took a step toward me, gnashing his teeth.

My fingernails lengthened and my muscles tensed as Trystan lunged at me, his large wolf form bristling with fury. We collided in a fierce clash of vampire and werewolf, ancient enemies locked in an ancient battle.

The sound of snarls and growls filled the air as we fought, our movements fluid and calculated. I sank my teeth into his neck as he clawed my face, leaving deep gashes. Stinging pain exploded across my cheek. Blood poured from the wound. I could barely breathe.

I could feel Keir’s gaze burning into me from the edge of my vision. Keir stood motionless, arms crossed and lips pressed to a thin line, calmly watching us tear each other apart.

I bit, slashed, and punched Trystan as hard as I could. His fur flew around me in bloody clumps. Waves and waves of vampire strength pumped through me like roaring floodwaters. I would have easily killed any other wolf by now, but this wasn’t any other wolf. This was the Wolf King. He met each strike with equal force—ripping into my flesh, crunching his powerful jaws into my bones, spraying blood across the walls. Agony pulsed through me, but I didn’t back down.

Neither did he.

Exhaustion started to settle into my muscles, and my strikes slowed. Trystan was panting as he backed up from me, weariness and pain flickering in his golden eyes. I gasped for breath, resting my hands on my knees, trying to regain my strength. The stakes were too high for me to give up. Thefate of my people and possibly our very existence depended on the outcome of this fight.

Trystan snarled and lunged again, aiming for my throat. His feverish breath brushed over my sweaty face. I summoned every ounce of strength and smacked his snout as hard as I could. He whimpered, but still he wasn’t done. He circled me as I panted hard.

I followed his movements, preparing for another attack. His hackles stood straight up, and he pulled back his lower lip into a snarl. I glanced over his head to see Keir lifting the Nephilim into his arms.

I locked eyes with Keir and gritted my teeth. “She’s mine.”

Trystan snapped his head around. I drew on every strained muscle and in that split second, when he was distracted, pushed the massive Wolf King, knocking him to the ground.

I leaped over the fallen wolf and raced toward Keir who held the captive girl in his arms.

“Keir,” I roared, the force of the anger raging within me causing my chest to tighten and my body to tremble.

He paused, a flash of panic crossing his features. I punched him square in the jaw. Blood spewed onto his pristine shirt. The impact sent him reeling backward, and in his surprise, he loosened his hold on the girl just enough for me to wrench her from his arms, a jolt of adrenaline bursting through me and lending me strength I scarcely knew I possessed.

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