Maeve.
The air shook with the force of our clash, my body colliding with Johan’s, his claws sinking into my shoulders, my jaws locked around his throat. Blood poured hot and bitter across my tongue, my chest burning with fire and rage, and for a moment neither of us gave way. We held each other in that grip of death, two wolves caught in a storm of hate and power, and the room spun around us with the weight of it.
My muscles screamed, my body trembling with pain, but the bond pulsed inside me, steady and fierce. Carson’s heartbeat thudded against mine, strong and sure, and it was his strength that poured into me when mine began to fade.
Hold on, Maeve, his voice whispered through the fire. Do not let go.
I tightened my jaws, my claws raking across Johan’s chest, the sound of tearing fl
