Page 152 of The Wolf and the Chimera
Beyond Bo, Ryder gasped in pain, and my heart squeezed again. My chimera mirrored my worry.
How long could my mate hold out against a Sovereign injected with an extra boost of power?
The others heard that gasp too, and the friend group shifted back into a trio of warriors.
“Lyall is dosed with Elle’s magic,” Bo said, confirming what I knew. “It’s the only reason he’s facing Ryder—so far, it’s given wolves longer endurance, more strength, and deadlier speed, plus immunity to silver. We don’t have much time.”
“We need to tell Ryder,” I said. “It’s not a fair fight—”
“There’s no stopping two Sovereigns going head-to-head,” Melanie countered, “fair or not.”
I bristled. “I don’t care about ancient wolf nonsense—”
“All we can do is clear a path for escape,” Kieran said.
He wasn’t entirely wrong. Even if Ryder won, we would still need to escape—Lyall had spoon-fed lies about us to his pack. They believed me to be capable of attacking Kalli, and Ryder was nothing more than an outsider to them. He was Kalli’s bastard son, whose strings were pulled by his mate bond to a monster.
Ryder wouldn’t possess the dominance to force them all to concede, not after he defeated Lyall.
If he defeats Lyall.
Already, Ryder’s lip was split, and blood seeped from the tattered remains of his shirt. Though he moved swiftly, Lyall remained grinning. Where blood stained his skin, no wounds lingered. With every breath he took, my magic healed him.
If we needed to clear a path for escape, we would, but I wasn’t leaving my mate behind. I didn’t care what wolfish social decorum forbade interference.
Lyall had stolen my power to harm my mate.
He would die by any rules I saw fit.
With the silver blade in my hand, I lunged around my friends and raced toward the fight.
As a thick arm banded across my waist, Ryder’s eyes widened in horror, and Lyall landed a brutal kick to his leg. Ryder tumbled to the ground but righted himself before Lyall could pounce on him. I clawed at the arm that held me and kicked at the towering form to no avail. When I pressed the silver blade against Bo’s tan arm, he hissed.
“The lab,” Bo pleaded, “we have to get into the lab—we can’t leave Lyall with your stolen magic.”
Flesh sizzled and popped. I lifted the blade from Bo’s arm and grimaced at the hideous, blistered burn I had left.
Lyall and Ryder fought like true animals. More and moreguards slipped around them. Ryder was too occupied with Lyall’s attacks to stop them or even slow them down.
“Incoming,” Kieran muttered.
Bo released me, and I stood frozen by indecision.
Not indecision,I realized.
I just couldn’t accept what needed to be done.
My mate needed me, but…
Micah and Kowan’s ravenous gazes flashed in my mind. Their strength had been impossible to overcome. The more power they gained, the deadlier they would become.
The more people they can hurt.
I studied my mate. Though wounds marred his beautiful form, he fought like it was an art. He moved with fluid grace and untampered determination.
He had learned to put his faith in me, so I would put my faith in him.
My chimera didn't want to take her eyes off her mate, but I sensed her agreement.
