Page 46 of The Beast's Betrayed Mate
Peter was still staring, but then the teeth clamped down on the spot they’d been vying for, biting into his fur and the flesh beneath.
He tilted his head back and howled in protest.
He attempted to reach back, his jaws snapping to get at the wolf hanging off his side. To his satisfaction, his teeth caught in soft fur, and he bit back as hard as he’d been bitten. The other wolf let go of his hold on him, whimpering in pain. Peter wouldn’t have let go if not for the taste of blood on his tongue taking him off guard. The violence suddenly stark, and he let the other wolf go.
It had red fur, making it look like an overgrown fox, but the fury in its yellow eyes was unmistakable as it turned right back around and clamped its jaws around Peter’s hindleg. He yelped but had expected a counterattack. He would have to let his wolf take over completely if he was going to have any hope of getting out of this with most of his bones intact. He could hear his lower femur cracking between the wolf’s teeth.
So, he brought his wolf forward. All its instincts rushing through him. And he turned sharply, jaws opened wide, biting down hard around the other wolf’s tail. The wolf growled, tightening its own bite, but when he sharply tugged on its tail, it let go with a howl.
He did as well, rushing it and tackling it to the ground, but the wolf was done. It was smaller than him and was cowering away from him, admitting defeat.
He turned his head to see Mason and Michael in combat with the alpha. Alpha against Alpha, something of legends.
The rest of the pack was hovering, but it appeared the alpha wanted the brothers for itself. It was snapping its jaws at them, showing its teeth, but it wasn’t biting them. It wasn’t trying to hurt them.
Peter turned his focus on Olive, who had gotten her arms trapped underneath Cora’s muscular thighs, Cora’s fingers digging at Olive’s closed left hand. It was fisted shut and Olive was making noises of strong protest.
“Give it… here,” Cora was saying just as Peter slammed into her back, sending them both tumbling down the corridor.
Chapter 14 - Olive
Olive spun around, getting herself on her stomach, pushing herself onto her feet with her eyes following the wolf and the snake. She hadn’t seen any fangs protrude out of Cora’s mouth, and there had been no attempts at poisoning her, but she didn’t know what else to call her. Then Cora suddenly breathed fire, and Olive’s eyes grew round.
Dragon.
“She’s got to be a dragon!” Olive yelled.
No kidding, Peter returned, as if he’d known all along.
Olive gave him a look, but he was preoccupied with another round of fire.
Olive opened her hand, looking at the USB with soft longing, but knowing that it was more important that they got out of there alive.
Live to fight another day.
“Hey!” she yelled to Cora, who stopped her fire-breathing to turn those glowing red eyes on Olive. “This is what you want, right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I want,” Cora replied.
“Let him pass,” Olive said.
Cora cocked an eyebrow, but took a step to the side, letting Peter walk past her down the hallway to join at Olive’s side. Olive reached up a hand, running it through his silky fur, wanting to bump her forehead with his and rest there for a moment. But now was not the time.
“Well?” Cora asked. “Are you going to honor your end of the bargain?”
“I will leave this in the middle of the helicopter pad,” Olive said. “If you let us go.”
Cora heaved a sigh, hanging her head before she looked past Olive to the alpha wolf beyond her. It seemed they had a wordless exchange, and Cora nodded slowly, turning her eyes back onto Olives.
“Fine,” Cora said. “Middle of the helicopter pad.” Then her mouth turned up in that devilish smirk again as she added, “Good luck.”
They’ll hunt us, Peter said and Olive nodded.
But at least we’ll be out of here, she said.
She rested her gaze on Cora’s for a moment longer, the memory of her weight as it crushed down on her chest and the chill of her skin against hers like something half-forgotten and yet overwhelming. It had been like having a boulder on top of her, unrelenting and unyielding, and yet she hadn’t been crushed.
Cora looked right back, the smile dying on her face.
