And that’s when I see her.
Our eyes meet across the ship.
She swings her emerald sword, cutting through the wraith that’s attacking her and leaps through the dissolving shadow, sprinting right for me.
All I can do is watch in awe.
She’s stunning. She’s magnificent. And I still can’t believe it, but she’s all mine.
Calista comes charging over at full speed, leaping onto crates with her sword out. Her long blonde hair is braided behind her, her eyes full of determination, her jaw set with a fierce focus that is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
She’s so gorgeous, I forget to fight back. All I can do is stare at her.
I’m completely and utterly mesmerized.
She leaps off the crate and bounds up the steps in a smooth graceful motion like she’s practiced it thousands of times. She runs up Valther’s outstretched body without hesitation, without breaking stride—planting one foot on his calf, the next on his back, the next on his shoulder and then leaps with a savage beautiful roar.
The emerald sword catches the moonlight as it comes up and around in a single vicious arc.
The wraith’s head leaves its shoulders.
It doesn’t even have time to screech before it dissolves into a black cloud. It’s just gone. The cold releases. The grip on my shoulders vanish.
And I fall.
The deck comes up fast and I hit it hard. The impact shuddering through my shoulder is so excruciating I nearly pass out. My legs give out and I’m flattened on my back, breathing hard and quick as I watch the remaining Sea Wraiths retreating into the dark sky.
Emerald arrows whistle as they fly at the horrible creatures, making sure they stay gone.
They do.
The pain is unbearable. It’s all-consuming. It takes over my body and mind like a violent fever.
I touch my chest and feel wetness. I look at my hand and my fingers are coated in blood.
I close my eyes with a wince, and when I open them, she’s standing over me, flushed and bright-eyed, gripping that long emerald sword like the warrior goddess she is.
“Are you okay?” she asks, breathing hard.
I can feel my wolf radiating happiness as I stare up at her. It mixes with my own, giving me a euphoric feeling.
My wounds have reopened. My chest is bleeding. My shoulder is wrecked. My back feels like it’s been torn apart. My consciousness is beginning to loosen—the edges of my vision getting blurry and weak like it did in the river.
I’m about to fall into the darkness again, but this time, I don’t care.
My mate is here. And she’s spectacular.
“Kieran,” she says, dropping her sword as she crouches down. “Are you hurt?”
Her savory scent fills my lungs and the pain disappears. Bliss floods my veins.
“Kieran,” she says, looking worried. “Can you talk?”
It hurts, but I force out the only words that I can think to say.
“You’re incredible,” I whisper.
Her smile is the last thing I see before I pass out.
