Page 19 of Fallen
“Lev!” Rowan’s voice is a growl, his eyes slitted as I reach them. I use the horn to slice through their ropes, hoping and praying that it’s enough.
“Had no idea I was there that long. Let’s get out of here!”
We sprint for the trees, the horn heavy against my chest, but Elias’s roar stops us. I can hear his uneven hooves against the forest floor, the wounds my mates dealt still present. “You can’t take that!” he bellows, charging toward us.
I start moving again. We can’t afford him catching us.
Chapter 16
ROWAN
We’re nearing the clearing where our car’s parked when a crack splits the night, and Elias’s scent hits me in the face.He’s here. I hiss, my coils tightening around Lev, and Amand’s fangs flash, ready for a fight. Lev’s magic flickers, his body fading slightly, and I feel his tension through the bond. “Rowan,” he whispers, his voice shaky but defiant, “he’s coming.”
“Let him,” I growl, my voice a deep rumble in my shifted form. I set Lev down, my coils forming a protective barrier, and Amand moves to his other side, our bodies a wall of scales and venom. Lev’s clutching the horn, his green eyes wide, and I know he’s planning something reckless. Our mate’s too damn brave for his own good.
Elias bursts from the trees, his eyes are wild and locked on Lev. My beast surges, rage blinding me. He charges, his horn aimed for Lev’s chest, but Lev’s magic kicks in, shifting his scent to something sharp and unfamiliar—not his own, not Silas’s, but a confusing mix that throws Elias off. The unicorn stumbles, hishorn grazing a tree, and I seize the chance, slamming my coils into his side.
Amand strikes from the other side, his fangs tearing into Elias’s shoulder, the both of us a synchronized storm, our years of partnership honed to a deadly edge. Lev’s fading in and out, dodging Elias’s wild swings, his magic keeping him just out of reach. I’m proud as hell, but I’m also terrified—one wrong move, and that horn could end him.
“Lev, stay back!” I hiss, my voice garbled in my shifted form. Elias bucks, his horn slashing my side as pain sears through me. I tighten my coils, refusing to let go, and Amand’s venom slows Elias down, his movements sluggish.
We’re not stupid enough to let go this time. I need to see him actually transported back to Essence before I can relax.
Headlights flash through the trees, and I catch the scent of magic as the car skids to a stop, Lily and Jace jumping out to help. Jace immediately shifts into his wolf, flanked by two other operatives. They charge into the fray, but my focus is on Elias, who’s still fighting, his horn aimed at Lev again.
Lev fades, his body blending into the underbrush, and the horn misses, splintering a tree. “Missed me, asshole!” he yells, reappearing behind a boulder, a defiant grin on his lips. I’d kiss him if I wasn’t busy trying to crush Elias’s ribs.
Lily reaches the clearing, her eyes locking on the horn in Lev’s hands. “Give it to me!” she shouts, and Lev tosses it, his aim perfect despite his shaking hands. Lily catches it, chanting a spell, and the horn pulses, light flaring off of it. Elias screams, his own magic faltering as the artifact’s power disrupts his enchantments. His horn dims, his form wavering, and I seize the chance, slamming him to the ground.
Amand’s coils wrap around Elias’s legs and pins him to the ground, Jace’s wolf clawing into the unicorn’s side. The unicorn further weakens, blood pooling beneath him, but his eyes burnwith hatred, locked on Lev. “You’re mine,” he rasps, his voice slurred but venomous. “If I die, you all die.”
I freeze, my coils loosening slightly. “What the fuck does that mean?” I growl, shifting back to human form, my side bleeding but ignored. Amand shifts too, his eyes blazing, and we haul Elias up, his body limp but his smirk chilling.
“A bomb,” he says, coughing blood. “Hidden in the city. Shifters, humans—it’ll wipe them out if I don’t make it back. Kill me, and you’re all dead.”
My blood runs cold, and I glance at Lev, clutching the boulder for support. “He’s bluffing,” he says, but his voice shakes, and I know he’s not sure.
Lily steps forward, the horn still glowing in her hands. “He’s not. I can feel it—dark magic, tied to his life force. If we kill him, it triggers the bomb and it’ll go off.”
I snarl, my hand tightening on Elias’s throat. “Where’s the bomb, you bastard?”
He laughs, weak but defiant. “You’ll never find it in time.”
Jace’s growl vibrates through the clearing, but Lev’s voice cuts through. “We’ll find it,” he says, stepping forward. “However, you’re done, Elias. Bomb or no bomb. Fucking hell, I didn’t think I had crazy exes.”
I want to end him, to sink my fangs into his neck and watch him bleed out, but Lily’s right—we can’t risk it. Amand’s hand grips my arm and I nod, stepping back. Jace’s team moves in, binding Elias with enchanted cuffs that nullify his magic, and Lily tucks the horn into a satchel, her expression grim.
Lev moves toward us and I eagerly pull him against me, my arms wrapping around him. Amand’s lips find Lev’s, a fierce kiss that’s all teeth and venom, their magic intertwining, drawing out one of those delicious sounds Lev makes. I join in, my lips brushing Lev’s neck, murmuring, “Our brave mate.”
Their kiss is raw and desperate, a reminder that we’re together and alive. Lev’s hands fist my shirt, Amand’s gripping his hips, and for a moment, the chaos fades, the bond anchoring us.
Lily clears her throat, breaking the moment. “As much as I hate to interrupt,” she smirks, “we’ve got a bomb to find.”
Lev pulls back, his cheeks flushed, his eyes dazed. “Right,” he says, his voice hoarse. “Let’s get this asshole to Essence and figure out his failsafe.”
I nod, my hand lingering on Lev’s waist. “You did good. Saved our asses back there.”
He grins, weak but real. “Yeah, well, someone’s gotta keep you snakes in line.”
