Page 156 of The Wolf and the Chimera
I roared, and the wolfsbane-induced lid on my power erupted. As my rage and willpower and sorrow burned through the lingering poison, my dominance surged. My power worked rapidly to heal the worst of my wounds, and strength flooded my body. Whimpers erupted from the onlookers, but I only gazed at Lyall.
His eyes, blazing with Elle’s power, grew round, and the air became thick with the scent of his fear.
For a heartbeat, my dominance wrangled his into total submission.
I ripped his hands off my throat and drove my clawed fingers into his chest. The warmth of his blood and flesh against my fingers made my wolf howl in victory.
“Kalli.” Lyall’s voice was a wet rasp.
As if she will miss you.
I squeezed his heart tighter.
“Micah!” Lyall shouted. “Kowan!”
Didn’t he remember the pack magic?
“They won’t save you now,” I promised.
“No,” Lyall agreed. Unnaturally dark blood leaked from the edge of his mouth. “But will you spare me to save your mother?”
I paused.
The twins broke through the crowd of guards. Like she was nothing more than a sack of feed, they hauled Kalli, bloodied and pale, between them. The twins emanated with power that was impervious to my dominance, and I squeezed Lyall’s heart even tighter.
He gave those monsters part of Elle too.
Lyall’s breath caught, and I relished in his pain. Agony contorted Kalli’s marred face, and her breath caught. Blood trailed from the corners of her lips.
Shock and denial froze me in place.
“You didn’t,” I whispered.
Lyall chuckled, and his dark blood sprayed from his mouth.
“We’re life-bound,” he said, confirming my fears. “Kill me, and you kill her.”
Horror and disgust and shock warred.
“You spineless, cowardlymonster—”
“Do it,”Kalli rasped. “Ryder,do it.”
Suddenly, the heat and stickiness of Lyall’s flesh turned my stomach. My own heartbeat pounded in my ears, and my vision darkened. There was no way out of this. There was no way to win—
I couldn’t kill her. I couldn’t let Lyall live.
I couldn’t save Elle.
Without releasing my grip on Lyall’s heart, I looked over my shoulder, toward my mate. Though her face was wet with tears, her eyes shone with determination.
“Do it!”Kalli screamed.
Beside Elle, Kieran’s face was grave. If I killed Lyall, he wouldn’t lose only one parent.
I gazed down at Lyall’s cold, smug face. He wasproudof how he had trapped me.
Was the only way to kill a monster to become one?
