Page 30 of Samuel
“Oh no…” Blake murmured, his voice barely a whisper.
He looked as though he’d been struck, his face sheet white. I could only hazard a guess at what had happened here.
Judging by the bloodied state of the man’s clothes back there, they’d likely been hiking when the beast had attacked them.
To protect his daughter, he must have ordered her to hide while he attempted to fend off the wolf.
My heart twisted, though I tried to remain focused.
Blake looked horrified, and for a moment, I questioned his resolve. Was he as hardened as he claimed?
But there was no time to ponder that now. Our first priority was the child, and we could deal with the rogue wolf right after.
“Blake—” I began, preparing to tell him I’d handle the wolf while he took the child to safety.
But the beast, perhaps sensing it was outnumbered and backed into a corner, shifted its attention.
Its eyes locked on the girl, and in a swift, vicious motion, it lunged.
“No!” Blake shouted, moving like a flash.
He threw himself between the girl and the wolf, his body a shield.
I watched as the wolf’s jaws clamped onto Blake’s arm, its teeth sinking deep, tearing into muscle.
A sharp spike of pain lanced through my own arm, a side effect of our bond. Fury washed over me, hot and all-consuming.
In an instant, I was on the wolf, my hands transforming, claws emerging from my fingertips.
I grabbed the wolf by the scruff, yanking it backward, forcing it to release Blake.
The beast snarled, struggling against me, but I wasn’t about to let it win.
“Get the girl out of here!” I shouted over my shoulder.
Blake, holding his bleeding arm, nodded, quickly scooping the little girl into his arms and backing away.
The wolf thrashed, twisting in my grip, its teeth snapping dangerously close to my face.
I leaned back, feeling the power of the dragon roiling beneath my skin, the heat building in my chest.
I wanted to let the flames loose, to turn this rogue to ash, but I couldn’t risk hitting Blake or the girl.
Instead, I dug my claws into the wolf’s hide, and with a surge of strength, I threw it to the ground.
The wolf was up in a heartbeat, circling me, its eyes burning with defiance.
We stared each other down, and I could see the madness in its gaze. There was no salvation for this feral beast.
I bared my teeth, matching its snarl with one of my own.
It lunged again, and I met it head-on, our bodies colliding with bone-jarring force.
I felt its claws rake across my side, but I ignored the pain, focusing instead on its exposed throat.
I managed to grab it by the neck, but it writhed, snapping at my arm.
The pain was sharp, blinding, but I held on, tightening my grip.
