Page 36 of Her Fierce Dragon
“We’ve come for the witch,” Feno snapped. His skin prickled; his animal pushed forth again. He shoved his beast back.
Not now.
He didn’t want to shift and risk setting the entire area on fire. That would make it harder to retrieve Delia.
“Oh no. You don’t get to come here and snatch her from me. She’s mine. I was paid good money for her.” The leader stood by one of the growling wolves. The wolf bared its sharp fangs that were dripping with saliva.
“Who paid you?” Willow demanded, moving to stand by Feno’s side.
Feno placed his arm in front of her to keep her from moving forward.
“Delia’s granddaughter. Isn’t that nice of you to try to rescue your grandmother. I’m sure I could get double for taking you both.” The shifter chuckled.
“You’d have to get through me first,” Feno growled.
The leader of the rogues would die before Feno allowed them to take Willow.
His chest rose; he fought his beast who demanded to be set free. Their mate was being threatened, and it wanted to destroy the shifter who stood before them.
“Kill him and take the girl,” the shifter commanded, his eyes narrowed on Willow.
Feno pushed Willow behind him. The two wolves converged on him. They both jumped, and he braced his body to be hit by both, but only one connected with him. The wolf’s body slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He caught sight of the other one frozen in the air.
Willow.
His eyes flew to her and found her manipulating the wolf before casting its body through the air and slamming it into the stone wall of the cave.
“Willow, run!” he hollered and kept the wolf from sinking its teeth into his shoulder.
He twisted his body around to where he landed on top of the wolf and shifted his hand into his sharp talons. He sank his talons into the throat of the wolf, ripping the flesh out. The wolf bucked, blood gushing from the wounds. It flailed around, trying to draw breath, but instead, the sounds of gurgling filled the air.
Feno looked up, finding Vander and Jodos in control of their situations with the other wolves, and found no sign of Willow or the rogue leader.
A curse flew from his lips, and he stood to his feet and took off into the cave.
Willow ran as fastas she could into the cave. Feno would be able to handle the wolves.
The dark shadows of the cave surrounded her, and she made her way farther into it. A light glowed up ahead; she would find Delia there.
The growls grew closer, and she pushed herself faster. She cried out, her foot catching on something in the dark that sent her sprawling through the air and crashing to the ground. Her palms and knees burned, the ground scraping her skin.
The growling appeared right behind her. She turned over, finding a new wolf behind her, slowly approaching her.
The leader.
He must have shifted and come after her. His eyes illuminated in the darkness with the help of the soft glow of the light behind her. His muscles tensed; he prepared to launch himself at her. Letting the energy reach her fingertips, she flung her hands up. He leapt into the air. Her powers flew from the tips of her fingers, freezing him in place. Swinging her arms around, she slammed his body into the wall of the cave.
A yip filled the air. His body slammed to the ground, unmoving. Scrambling, she took off toward the light, forcing away the pain from her palms and knees.
She rounded a corner and released a cry of relief.
Delia sat on the ground, ropes tied around her. Concern lined the familiar face of her grandmother as she rushed to her side.
“Willow,” her grandmother cried out.
Willow fell to her knees, ignoring the stinging from her cuts. She wrapped her arms around her grandmother.
“Grandmother,” she said, squeezing her to her.
