Page 56 of Samuel
Pain radiated through my body as I hit the dirt, my wings pinned beneath me.
The wolves were on me in seconds, their teeth sinking into my tail, my limbs, anywhere they could reach.
I roared, thrashing wildly, but the weight of the pack was overwhelming.
I could feel their teeth tearing into me, their claws raking across my skin. I couldn’t hold them off much longer.
My heart raced, panic clawing at the edges of my mind. Blake. I couldn’t let him down. I couldn’t let him die because of me.
But I was running out of strength.
The rogue dragon stood over me, triumphant, its eyes glowing with malice as it prepared to deliver the final blow.
Then, through the haze of pain and chaos, I felt it—the bond. Blake.
His fear, his desperation, it cut through the fog of the fight like a beacon. He was still alive.
Blake was still fighting, even though he was wounded. And that gave me strength.
With a furious roar, I summoned every last ounce of power I had left.
My muscles burned as I surged to my feet, throwing the wolves off me in a whirlwind of fury.
I launched myself at the rogue dragon, claws extended, teeth bared.
It didn’t expect the sudden attack, and I used that moment to drive my claws deep into its chest.
The rogue let out a high-pitched scream, its wings flailing as I drove it back, away from Blake.
It fought back with everything it had, but I was fueled by something stronger now.
I was fighting for my mate, for the one person who meant everything to me. And I wasn’t going to lose him.
With a final, savage twist, I wrenched my claws free and slashed across the rogue’s throat.
Blood sprayed into the air, and the rogue staggered, its eyes wide with shock.
It collapsed to the ground, convulsing, before finally going still.
The wolves hesitated, their snarls faltering as their leader fell. I bared my teeth, daring them to come closer. But they didn’t.
Without the rogue to guide them, they scattered, retreating back into the trees.
I collapsed to my knees, breathing heavily, blood dripping from my wounds.
The pain was excruciating, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was Blake.
I shifted back to my human form, ignoring the agony of the transformation as I crawled to his side.
He was still breathing, but barely. His chest was a mess of blood and torn flesh, and his face was pale. Too pale.
“Blake,” I whispered, my voice shaking as I gathered him into my arms.
His eyes fluttered open, just barely, and he looked up at me, weak but alive.
“I’m here,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to his. "I'm not leaving you."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
