Page 53 of The Wolf's Captive
My heart thumped loudly as the door started to close behind him. I just managed to see past his bulk to the woman who stood on the steps, her hand extended towards his head. He was moving against his will. And the woman… she was the fucking witch who had done this in the first place.
“Malone!” I shouted, jumping up.
The chord that was dug in the ground tugged me, stopping me from moving. Releasing it with my mind, I shoved out of the circle, ignoring the shouts from Victor and Nigel. There was no way I would let the witch hurt Malone, regardless of what it would cost me.
The strength of my magic withering away didn’t stop me from propelling across the room and yanking open the door. Once I was through it, I ran up the steps and followed the ice blue thread that still connected me to Malone.
The corridor was empty, but the thread was waving gently, going straight through the door. I went with it, turning when I reached the bottom of the stairs. It was a medieval house with no grand staircase. Instead, the small steps led me to the balcony above the ballroom.
“Stop, you bitch!” I heard Malone push through gritted teeth.
Sweat lined every inch of me and my breath was short as I raced after them, heading down the corridor to the bedroom I’d stayed in when Kieran had first captured me.
The door slammed shut, hiding the witch and my mate inside. What did she have planned for the alpha? Whatever it was, I didn’t trust that it would be good. Kieran had wanted him dead in order to mate with me. She must’ve been carrying out his request.
I braced myself as I approached and thrust myself at the door. The wooden rock-solid fucker didn’t budge, instead sending pain jolting down my arm. Shit.
Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and concentrated.
“Kill him!” I heard the witch screech from inside.
Fuck that.
Swiping my hands in a circle, I shifted them into my wolf paws, extending the claws into the length of swords. My magic would be pulling on Kieran, but I didn’t give a shit.
My insides fired up, the heat pouring from me as I thrashed at the door handle, slicing away the wood that surrounded it until the iron dropped away.
Kicking the door open, I shoved inside. A werewolf came at me from the right, his eyes glowing yellow and his teeth bared. I ran at him, slashing my arms in arcs and hoping for the best. I wasn’t the best fighter, but when my mate was in danger, I wasn’t going to stop until I had him back.
Once the squirts of blood disappeared, I searched for Malone, who was standing by the wall, his arms pressed tight either side of him.
The witch was nearby, still holding her arm towards his head. She whispered a spell, holding him frozen so he couldn’t move. Why was she doing that?
Another wolf appeared out from behind the wooden four poster bed, wielding a long silver blade.
“Noooo!” I screamed as he went for Malone.
Getting closer, I sliced my extortionately long claws across the witch’s back before diving in front of Malone, my arms extended. She fell to the floor with a screaming thud.
“Bitch!” the wolf exclaimed, throwing the dagger.
A thump made me grunt as the blade embedded into my stomach, the shock of it causing me to stand motionless. Malone was out from behind my back, wrestling with the remaining wolf. I breathed rapidly as my hands turned back to normal and I fell to my knees, cradling the handle of the blade. The pain was blinding, so fucking blinding.
“Della.” Malone was beside me, lowering me to the ground.
He had blood on his mouth, dripping from the corners. He must have shifted his snout and ripped the wolf’s throat out. What a man.
“Don’t take it out,” he said quietly, removing my hand from the blade.
Shuddering, I nodded, clenching my eyes shut against the pain. It vibrated from my womb and out into every nerve in my body. Shit, the blade was silver. I was going to bleed out and die.
“Don’t say that,” Malone muttered.
“Say what?” I could barely speak, my breath was so harsh.
“You’re not going to die,” he barked, grabbing me up into his arms and getting unsteadily to his feet. “If I have to die in your place, I will. I told you, I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
Chapter Seventeen