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Shit, he was close to losing it. Even Solange took a step back as Charles’s fangs dropped and fur rippled over his face.
“Why,” Zoe began, her tone wry, “do the bad guys always feel the need to give ‘the speech?’” She made quotation marks with her fingers. Beaten, choked, and bruised, her spirit still shone brighter than the sun. “Not exactly original.”
Howling, Charles leaped toward her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
With a ragged curse, Zoe threw herself to the side. She wasn’t fast enough. Pointed fangs and razor-sharp claws were going to tear her apart. His hot breath fanned her face. There was nowhere for her to go. No escape.
Devlin rammed into her attacker, sending him careening into the wall. Metal screeched and buckled under the force of the impact. Charles didn’t stay down, immediately rolling to his feet. With a cruel smile, he ripped off his suit jacket and shirt. “I’ve waited years, a lifetime, for this. I’ll take your power and kill your woman.”
Seemingly unfazed by the threat, Devlin stood in front of her, partway between her and the other two. If he went after his opponent, he’d leave her vulnerable to the mage. He was big and strong and smart, but these opponents were unlike any other he’d ever faced. And his focus was split between fighting and protecting her.
Damn it, she hated this. There had to be a way to help. No way was she about to sit here and play the helpless victim. Her wrists were already bruised and slippery with blood from where the metal cuffs had cut into her skin. Steeling herself—because this was going to hurt like a son of a bitch—she yanked as hard as she could. Stars exploded behind her eyes. She bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming while watching the scene unfold before her.
“Stop, Charles. This is not the plan.” He growled and took a step forward, ignoring Solange’s plea. Her green eyes narrowed, and her lips flattened into a thin line. Gripping the pendant in her hand, she began to chant.
Zoe braced herself for pain, but the mage wasn’t focused on her this time. The floor began to glow, as if illuminated by some internal source. Strange symbols were etched on every surface—floor, walls, and ceiling. This was so not good.
“Will you fight, wolf?” Charles taunted. He stripped off the remainder of his clothes. “Or will you accept your fate?” Brown and gray fur rippled over his skin. He fell forward, his body transformed into that of a large wolf.
White fur rippled over Devlin’s back. “No!” she yelled. “Don’t shift.” Maybe she’d seen too many paranormal television shows and movies, but this entire setup was staged. “It’s a trap. They want to trap you in your wolf form.” She pushed to her feet, ignoring the way the room spun around her. Would he listen? He was a primal beast at heart, a combination of angry male and alpha wolf. Backing down was a foreign concept. He didn’t retreat, he attacked.
Every muscle in his upper body stood out in stark relief. She inched along the wall until she could see him better while maintaining distance from the others. His chest rose and fell. Sweat gleamed on his skin. His face might as well have been carved from stone. Cold and emotionless. The white wolf. Bringer of justice to all werewolves. The bogeyman in their closets and under their bed. A power both feared and coveted.
But he was so much more. Beneath the exterior lay pure molten heat and a heart as wide as the ocean. He was the man she loved.I made her especially for you.The mage’s words echoed in her ears. She carried a drop of his blood in her body.
Screw it, none of that mattered. She trusted her heart.
White fur rippled and again disappeared, leaving the man behind. He was fighting his natural inclination. Because she’d asked. They were at a stalemate, all four of them facing off. The symbols came alive and began to pulse and spin. Solange, eyes closed, kept chanting.
Uncaring about the consequences, Zoe ran toward her, locked her bound hands together, and swung. At the last second, the mage’s eyes popped open, and she jerked back, but not far enough. Zoe’s fisted hands struck the other woman in the jaw, sending her flying backward. She landed hard, her ass skidding across the floor. “Take that, bitch!”
“Zoe!” Devlin roared.
Shit, she was too close to the wolf. She ducked and tried to retreat, but the beast rammed into her. The impact was hard. A bone snapped in her arm. She screamed—the pain so sharp and hard she almost passed out. Her vision dimmed as the black edges threatened to close in.
A howl ripped through the air. Devlin!
Sucking air into her lungs, she cradled her arm against her body and struggled to stand. Growling and snarling, the two men were locked in combat—one wolf and one man. Fangs and claws ripped at skin and fur. Blood flowed, but it didn’t slow them down. Devlin hadn’t shifted beyond claws and fangs. She gave a prayer of thanks even as she struggled to breathe.
Solange was back on her feet and chanting again. One of the high heels on her shoes had snapped so she was limping and disheveled. The button on her jacket was gone, leaving it open and exposing her bare breasts. Her flaming hair fell around her shoulders. Her voice was hard and determined.
I have to stop her.
You can’t win.Ignoring the voice of doom in her head, she limped forward. Devlin couldn’t fight them both at the same time. Staggering, she raised her bound hands once more.
An agonizing howl stopped her in her tracks. The scene unfolded in slow motion.
Devlin’s clawed fist slammed into the chest of the wolf.
“Charles!” Solange screamed. “Stop or I’ll kill her.”
Devlin froze. Blood poured out of the wolf’s open chest.
The mage tore the chain from her neck and held the pendant high. “Let him go or the woman dies.”
“Don’t do it,” Zoe cried. She dropped to her knees as pain gripped her chest. “Kill him,” she whispered as she toppled over.
