Page 60 of The Wolf and the Chimera
Without waiting for him, I jogged toward the eastern part of the estate and stripped my shirt along the way. Passing wolves eyed me curiously, but I ignored them. The closer I got to the gravel-lined path, the stronger Elle’s scent became. Kieran caught up to me and ran by my side.
“Wait up!” Bo yelled.
Kieran turned back, but I didn’t stop.
“We brought it!” Melanie yelled.
I stopped but only so I could ditch the rest of my clothes and shift. While I tugged my socks off, the others caught up to me. Melanie flashed a shot of chemical-smelling liquid in front of my face.
The sedative.
“Why did you bring that?” I growled.
“If the sorceress has possessed Elle,” Kieran said and gasped for breath. “How do you plan on stopping her?”
“I’ve brought her back before.”Kind of.“I’m not injecting her with that shit.”
The length of the needle alone made me shiver.
“Not even to stop her from jumping through a portal to the gods know where?” Melanie argued.
I growled, and she shrank.
“We will bring it,” Bo said, “but only as a back-up plan.”
“Fine,” I spat.
I didn’t waste any more time arguing. With a thought and a flash of pain, I shifted into my wolf form. As soon as my paws hit the ground, I chased Elle’s scent deeper into the woods. The others transformed and followed me.
As we weaved through trees and leaped over rocks, Elle’s sweet scent became stronger and stronger. More desperate than ever to reach her, I ran faster. My muscles burned and my heart raced, but I welcomed the sensations. They grounded me in the moment, as did the single thought circling in my mind.
Elle.
Elle.
Elle.
When we reached the crystal-clear creek, magic buzzed in the air, and water boomed. I ran so quickly pebbles flew in my wake. The huge waterfall and the pool of water finally came into view, but the figure approaching them captured my attention. Mid-stride, I shifted forms.
“Elle!” I yelled.
She faced me, and her eyes glowed red with magic. I didn’t balk.
“Elle,” I repeated.
As I grew closer, she stumbled back, toward the waterfall. With ten feet separating us, I forced myself to stop.
“I’m sorry,” I said between ragged breaths. “I should’ve believed you. Hell, even if I didn’t, I should’ve supported you. If it were me, I would do anything for my family.”
I took a step closer. Elle didn’t move. Light protruded from her skin like she was her own sun, and her arms were lined with fur. Her claws tore into the thick coat she gripped, but she didn’t wear the hateful expression of the sorceress.
“I want to help you, Ellie,” I promised. “Please let me.”
Elle walked toward me, and hope brimmed in my chest, but her body went rigid. Pain and confusion lined her face.
“He wants to help,” she whispered. “You said you wouldn’t hurt him.”
She wasn’t talking to me.
