Page 31 of Alpha Exile

There are more of them. There willalwaysbe more of them. But I find myself grinning, rushing into the fray, my knees bumping against muscular wolves and my nose filling with the scent of blood.

Reaching down, I grab the grip of the dagger at my hip and withdraw it. Down here, the blade reflects eerie blue cave light. When I prep a fireball in my free hand, it reflectsthattoo.

The vampire in front of me pounces, fangs out, hissing hungrily. It snaps at my skin—then looks over, sees the blade, and seems to realize what it is too late.

With a smirk on my face, I sweep the dagger through the vampire’s neck and sever its head completely. Then I bring the fireball down on its back, incinerating the middle of its body and leaving a gaping, burning hole behind.

I'm barely able to see the expression in its eyes—or recognize it asAmbrosia,feral beyond belief now—a moment before she falls to a pile of ash at my feet.

Something pushed her to the point of inhumanity.

A little shudder goes through me at the realization. Ifthatcan happen to vampires, I have to wonder why it hasn't happened before, and if Delphine has something to do with it.

But before I can follow that thought much further, or find another vampire to skewer, I spot him through the fray.

He's splattered in blood, but his white fur is glorious, glowing in the light of the cavern as he rips limbs from torsos and tears bloodsuckers in two.

Lance. My beloved. My strength and my rock.

Heart in my throat, I move towards him—with the dagger at the ready, slicing and dicing to get closer to my mate.

Fourteen

Roarke

Ihave to make sure no one attacks them from behind. That's the only thought going through my mind as I hang back, catching a vampire who ran away from the battle only to turn on his heels, fangs at the ready, to pounce on Kieran's unprotected haunches.

Or what hethoughtwere unprotected haunches. I'm there before the feral can take a bite out of him, ripping the bloodsucking creature back and tearing him apart. He screeches and runs away, still alive despite missing half a torso and one arm, so I follow close at his heels.

It's been like that the entire battle. The vampires seem to spook at something up ahead in the tunnel. I keep catching the scent of ash and fire, and wonder if one of the werewolf warriors brought a flamethrower or something, but I'm not able to spot the source.

Something is burning them.

Or someone.

Whoever they are, I wish I could thank their badass ass.

Of course, as soon as the vampires run from the flames, they'll catch their breath, remember their hunger, and head back, targeting my friends at the rear end of the battle. This is where I come in, holding the line behind them, making sure they're not leapt on by a feral bloodsucking vampire and torn to pieces.

Thankfully this time around, the vamps seem to die when we kill them. And the wounds they leave behind heal, though they're deeper and worse than normal vampire wounds, created by longer fangs than normal and impossibly hooked, dirty claws.

I can only guess that during the battle where she captured us, Delphine helped the ferals fight beyond their limits, and infected our wounds with some kind of poison. Now that she's a few hundred feet down a crevasse in the darkness, that won't be happening again. Hopefully for good.

A pair of vampires pull away from the battle ahead of us, and I spot a flame arcing through the crowd. Leaping forward, I tear the first vampire apart with my teeth and claws. It turns to ash at my feet. Spinning around, I attack the second vampire from behind, setting my jaw on the back of its neck and tearing its spine out.

The crunch of flesh beneath my teeth is almost as satisfying as the dusty, musty death.

Then I spin back around, flaked in vampire dust and tarry blood, my lips peeled back and my fangs ready to go another round.

Only to spot something in the battle that takes my breath away.

Pale skin. A flash of fierce green eyes. Maroon hair that whips around in the air, and a determined expression on her face.Delilah.

The sight of her fills me with anguish and freezes me in my tracks. She's still a considerable distance from me, but I canseeher. And as the wind shifts, carrying the scent of battle towards me, I can smell her as well.

Fresh. Clean. Feminine and wonderful.

I'd do anything to throw my arms around her and hold her close to me. Just a few more moments. A few more kills, and I will have made my way through the battlefield towards her.

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