Reclaiming Her Heart

Chapter 82 - Unlikely Savior

Song Inspo: Gungnir Throatfire (Viking Music) by Freya Dakkar

Jadea

The night was clear. The moon shining brightly in the night sky, casting everything in a silvery glow.

Enemy wolves clashed with hell-hounds on the terrace just past the gardens.

My pack was just about to enter the fray when another set of wolves emerged from the treeline.

I prayed someone let Constance know we were under attack. I prayed reinforcements would come. This was going to be a hard battle otherwise, and I worried about who wouldn't make it out at the end of this.

"Get your head in the game," Garret snapped.

Snarling in response, I refocused, knowing what I needed to do. If I could take out the alpha, I could bring the rest to heel.

My gaze landed on Keb, who was sprinting across the field in his primitive form, sword in hand, making a bee-line for me. Without hesitation, I engaged him, shooting orders to the rest of my pack to keep Keb's wolves off my back.

Our swords clashed, sparks flying as we crashed into each other. The jarring impact didn't deter us. With snarls, we threw devastating strikes that made our arms ache or barely missed taking off a limb. Around me, my pack rallied, taking on each of Keb's wolves as they lunged for us. Trying to help Keb gain the upper hand to take me down.

Lance's howl echoed on the wind as he and his pack finally made an appearance—

"It didn't take me that long," he grumbled, his wolves descending into the masses like a giant wave. Giving us some respite.

The unease in Keb's gaze said it all when Lance's pack joined the fray. He hadn't expected such powerful reinforcements to be so readily available.

Good!

"Don't let him escape! Close him off on all sides," I ordered, as my sword slashed a long gash across Keb's chest, blood oozing from the wound. Garret quickly led the pack to the left, while Lance took the right. For a moment, it looked like we had the upper hand. Caden and Adam stayed by my side, protecting my blind sides.

Swinging with added force, I struck hard enough to make Keb lose his balance. Reaching for the earth, I manipulated her powers and made it so the earth shifted under his feet. Keeping him off balance. He lost his sword when he braced himself, trying to keep from falling. Because if he fell... it was all over.

Picking up his sword, my focus shifted once more.

It was time to end this.

The earth quieted as I lunged for Keb, both swords aimed to inflict the maximum amount of damage, when his assault on my mind struck fast and hard. Dragging me into his dark fantasies where I caught more glimpses of the kind of deplorable, sadistic things he wanted to do to me. They were flashes, lasting only seconds, dragging me into heart-wrenching fright.

That's all it took.

Keb struck, his foot catching me on the chest, launching me away, where I landed hard on my back, both swords flung somewhere out of reach. As Adam and Caden tried to converge on me, they were cut off by more of Keb's wolves. Adam's panic reared. Caden's fear consuming. Both unable to come to my aid, caught in deadly battles with wolves who were surprisingly talented and vicious.

I was on my own.

Which wouldn't have been a problem had Keb not shoved a syringe full of demon's blood straight into my heart.

I felt the immediate effects of the poison coursing through my body. My mind instantly cut off from everyone, body heavy, brain foggy. Powers lost. I was slower to react.

When I tried pushing Keb off my chest, to relieve the searing pain from his knee in my sternum, it felt like I was wading through quicksand. As much as I didn't want it to, fear sank its sharp and ugly talons into my chest. Keb had administered enough of the poison, I would black out fairly quickly. Unless I was given the antidote.

As my gaze searched frantically for Garret, my mind reeling, trying to figure out my next move, Keb's fingers dug into my cheeks forcing me to look at him. It was then, I realized, he had come for me. He didn't care about anyone else. And it wasn't to outright kill me, like I'd initially thought.

Shit!

He clicked an enchanted cuff onto one wrist, securing the other to his own, so I was shackled to him. There was no escaping him this time. Latching a hand around my neck, he yanked me onto my feet. My gaze sought out anyone or anything that could help while the demon's blood tried to drag me under.

Picking up his sword, Keb started pulling me through the battlefield. I dug in my heels, knowing this was the fight of my life. Beyond the line of wolves, he had to have a demon waiting to teleport us away from here. If he got me there.... I was gone. There would be no return.

My continued resistance annoyed Keb. He swung around, fist landing a solid punch to my temple, making my world spin precariously. My footsteps faltered. Dazed, fighting the darkness trying to consume me, I lunged blindly, catching him by surprise as we once again fell to the ground. I was on top momentarily, and landed a few sloppy punches. I just had to delay long enough for help to come—

Keb's upper cut to my jaw sent me reeling back and had me seeing stars as the coppery taste of blood filled my mouth. He was on top of me, wrapping the loose chain around my neck before using it to drag me across the field. The chain tightening so much, it cut off my airway and damaged soft tissue. Spots dotted my vision, panic sinking its claws in deep. My fingers raked over the chains so hard, they broke and bled.

No!

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

My mind was consumed with terror. My heart breaking for my mate and pack once more. Knowing they wouldn't survive intact if they lost me again.

As we approached the line behind his wolves, I heard a familiar snarl right before a white blur came shooting out from the right and crash landing into Keb. The chain went slack. As I drug air into my lungs, my vision swimming, I heard a sickening sound of bones snapping. Keb's anguished screams filled the air. And then Silas's wolf face hung before me, Keb's hand, chain intact, caught in his bloody jaws.

Confusion clouded my mind.

Why was he here?

We stared at each other for a heartbeat, his gaze steady. Strong. He leaned over, urgently nudged me, as if trying to say run. Then he dropped Keb's hand and shot back into the night.

Not losing any time thinking about what just happened, I regained my shaky legs and lunged for the safety of my pack. They'd overcome most of the wolves now and were on their way to me. Caden's large grey wolf rose at my left, intercepting a demon who appeared from the darkness. His snarl—as I fumbled, wanting to help him—an order to keep running. For once, I heeded his silent order, my gaze frantically searching for Garret. I needed the antidote to this poison!

Through the throng of wolves bodies, I found Garret and Blade as they took down and killed Keb's beta.

Just then, a piercing wolf's cry echoed in the night and Keb's wolves retreated back into the forest. Agamenon and Lance took chase to ensure they left and didn't circle back around. My pack surrounded me, everyone looking haggard, shaken. Numb.

It nearly happened again.

Keb had me dead to rights. Until Silas—

Adam's arms pulled me fiercely into his chest, his breathing ragged. Heart racing. What resolve I had broke. Shaking, I felt the damn breaking. Garret couldn't administer the antidote fast enough. The needle pierced my neck and I hissed as it burned. Moments later, most of the fog cleared. My body wasn't feeling as heavy. I was able to shift into my human form. The instant I shifted, Adam lifted me and carried me inside.