Page 7 of The Wolf and the Chimera
“It’s me,” Elle promised. She stood on shaky legs, and when I reached to steady her, she pulled away.
Of course, she did.
When I had forced her off the burning ship and abandoned her parents, I’d been willing to deal with her wrath later. I’d done what I needed to do to save her life.
It was too bad I’d damned us in the process.
I wondered if Elle would ever forgive me, but I couldn’t accept a fate in which she didn’t. I would simply have to work harder to earn her trust and affection. Not to mention, I would have to keep her out of the hands of the High Witch and the sorceress too. My father’s favorite saying rang in my ears.
Nothing worth having is easy.
No words had ever been truer.
Gloria pulled me from my thoughts.
“Wolf,” she addressed, though she knew my name. “We can’t be sure how long our spell will keep the sorceress at bay. Get your mate somewhere safe and keep her out of the High Witch’s hands.”
“Cordelia’s Handmaidens could arrive at any minute,” Lyra agreed. “Go.”
I grabbed Elle’s hand and decided to worry about winning her heart later. For now, I needed to keep her alive.
Chapter Three
Elle
I adjusted the too-tight sleeve of the blouse Cady had loaned me, though I was grateful she’d talked me into taking her deceased mother’s clothes. They fit poorly but were far less flimsy than the towel.
“You want me towhat?”I repeated.
Ryder sighed and crossed his muscular arms. “You heard me.”
“Surely, there’s a car or something we can take instead—”
In seconds, Ryder shifted into a giant, black wolf whose back reached my shoulders. Though we stood in the open pasture outside Walker’s house, Ryder’s hulking frame overwhelmed me. The breeze ruffled his midnight black fur, and the knee-high grass tickled my legs. The sun sank near the horizon, and I squinted against its shine.
At least you’re outside,I thought.
Anything was better than being underground.
“I really don’t want to be carried,” I argued and wrapped my arms around myself. “Can’t we just walk?”
Ryder shook his giant head and growled. Anyone else would’ve feared the menacing wolf, but he wouldn’t hurt me. Though we had our issues, he’d proven my safety was his priority.
Ryder laid on his belly and stared at me, but I bypassed him and walked directly toward the woods. With quickreflexes, he stood and lunged in front of me. I tried to get past him again, and he blocked meagain.When he let me pass, I smiled. For once, I had worn the obstinate werewolf down. As I neared the towering trees, something crunched and snarled behind me, and I turned back.
Human and very naked, Ryder glared at me. Startling, I realized hisboneshad crunched when he shifted back into human form, but the thought was quickly eclipsed by the miles of tan skin and rippling muscles and dusting of dark hair that trailed down his torso—
My gaze dipped south before I could stop it, and I spun away from Ryder. Mortification heated my face.
“Get your fill?” he taunted.
Gods, he’s arrogant.
It wasn’t fair that someone so pushy and full of himself was also the most beautiful man I had ever seen.
“You’re the one who flashed me,” I argued.
“Because you’re being stubborn,” he shot back.
