Page 26 of Rejected By a Wolf

Antonio was awestruck. He definitely underestimated her.

When the elf collapsed to the ground Antonio managed to crack a smile.She’s incredible.

But then, right when she gave the elf the killing blow, something happened to her. Somethingwrong.

Her body froze up. He watched as she reached her hands for her neck as if she was choking. No one was near her, so what the hell was happening?

She fell to her knees, hands helplessly scratching at her throat.

Antonio quickened his steps as he scanned the area to find what was killing her, feeling like he couldn’t find that damned source of her pain quick enough!

Sophia wasdying.

Momentarily relief washed over him when he saw a woman with a battle-ready pixie cut twirling her hands in circles with twisting wisps of green light swirling around them. She was the one hurting Sophia. It had to be her.

What was a sorceress even doing here? Sorceresses were a species consisting of only women, each possessing three unique magic abilities. Almost all of them lived on a remote island up in Norway. They didn’t often venture out into the world, and none signed up for public events like this. Seeing one of those heartless women in the flesh was almost as rare as seeing a fey.

And this one was using her magic to kill Sophia.

In that moment, as Antonio watched the sorceress take Sophia’s life, a feeling he had lost centuries ago began coursing through him as if he was awakening from a long slumber. Like a strike of lightning jolting him back to life, the animalistic instincts within him screamed,Save her, save what’s yours!

Antonio snarled, charging for the sorceress at a speed he didn’t know he was capable of.

A split second later he collided with her, the impact sending her sprawling into the mud. The green wisps of light she was wielding faded, her magic interrupted.

Antonio whipped his head Sophia’s way just in time to catch an even more horrifying sight. She laid in the mud, gasping for breath, as a dark haired demon with curled horns set his booted foot over her head, preparing to bash her with it.

Likehellthat was going to happen.

He quickly forgot about the sorceress laying on the ground, knowing she’d need a few seconds before she was ready to wield her magic again. But this demon? He was going to kill Sophia now.

Antonio let out a bellowing roar as he charged for the demon, attacking him before the guy even knew what was coming. Unlike the sorceress, Antoniodidkill this man, snapping his neck as a rage he hadn’t known he had in him consumed him.

When the demon dropped to the ground, the horn that started this battle blared again, signifying the end of the killing.

For tonight.

Minutes had passed.Minutes. And now, over one hundred contestants were already dead.

Antonio didn’t care to look at the carnage around him. Right now there was only one thing he cared about.Sophia,he thought, dropping to her side.She was still trying to catch her breath, struggling to sit upright.

“Are you alright?” He was panicking. Frantically collecting her into his arms he told her, “It’s over now. You made it.” As he spoke, an unsettling realization began settling in his mind.

She coughed a few times. “I…” She started to speak but was interrupted another spurt of coughing.

“Give it some time.” She wasn’t ready to speak yet.

She shook her head, “No, I’m fine.”Stubborn girl.He knew convincing her to remain silent was out of the question. She was far too stubborn. “You didn’t kill me?”

He shook his head, hating the surprise in her voice.

I could never,he thought, accepting what he learned about her on the battlefield. “I gave you my word.”

“I didn’t think…” She looked down at her hands and began to nervously play with her fingers. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Thank you.”

He knew what she wanted to say - that she didn’t believe he’d keep his word. She was right to have believed that. Initially, he didn’t plan to.

But then he realized, against all odds, life had given him a second chance.

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