Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112089 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 560(@200wpm)___ 448(@250wpm)___ 374(@300wpm)
Niamh smiled to herself.
They, as a collective group, were intrigued. That was always the first step. The curiosity, the interest. Then the gathering of more information. Maybe visiting. Maybe trying a flower or two.
It wouldn’t be right away, and it wouldn’t be all at once, but Niamh would place a very large wager that they’d win many of these basajaun to their side.
She’d better work on her alcohol tolerance…
THIRTY
I pushed higher into the air to watch one of the wolves dash into the trees after a running soldier. Before the wolf reached him, a basandere stepped out from behind a trunk and grabbed the enemy. In a few very heinous movements, he fell to the ground in a somewhat grotesque shape.
Roars went up, followed by Edgar’s shout. Looking back at the field, I saw why.
None of the enemy remained standing. Not one.
My magic still pumped through me, calling for more action. Wanting more blood. It raged and throbbed.
This was it. This was the part I was most scared of.
I found Austin on the other side of the battlefield, up on his hind legs and looking around. He spotted me coming and lowered to all fours, waiting.
I wanted to shift into my human form and drag him into the trees. I wanted to stay as I was and go find more enemies. I wanted to rip and tear and bathe the world in blood. Violent emotions pulled at me. Lustful emotions did, too, as I eyed that alpha gargoyle across the way. I’d never properly appreciated how handsome he was. How strong. Or the alpha gorilla, scarred and broken and safe, hot as hell.
Panic flared within me.
I landed, stumbled, and then hop-flew directly to Austin. He stepped forward to meet me, and I felt his calm assurance through the bonds. I felt him easing out of the darkness and now shifting into a man.
“Shh, shh,” he said softly, standing in front of me now, his gaze rooted to mine. “Come back to me. Let it recede.”
I breathed shallowly, too quickly.
“Shift now, Jess. Shift now and come back to me.”
“Do not listen to him,” the voice whispered. “Do not trust him. He wishes to claim your beast. He wishes to force your humanity away so that he can control you.”
I felt the pain in the words. The haunting loss. The loss of what, I couldn’t be sure. Herself, maybe? The control she spoke of?
Just as I had when I sought the darkness, I ignored it. I did as he said and shifted into my human form. Spots danced in my vision, the effect of hyperventilating. My core throbbed with confusing tightness at the thought of the other alphas in my proximity.
But then my palms met warm skin covering hard, cut muscle. My gaze sank into the familiar cobalt blue. His power and his strength shocked into me.
Mate.
The lustful thoughts dried up immediately, vanished as though they’d never been. The primal part of me, the gargoyle, recognized her home. Nothing else would do. No other alpha could compare to this one.
The violence and the turmoil soothed me as his arms came around me. The surging darkness, the vicious joy of battle, eased into a calm vibration.
“It’s okay, Jess, I’m here,” he murmured, rocking me slightly. “I’m here. You’re safe. Let it go.”
I took a deep breath. Then another, coming back to neutral. My gargoyle was still there, now officially a part of me, but the darkness that Austin himself often kept at bay receded.
He didn’t rush me to step away, even though I knew he was eager to check on his people. I clutched on to him for another moment, continuing to breathe, just to make sure all was well.
“Okay,” I said, finally stepping back. “I’m okay.”
He held my upper arms for a moment, looking down into my eyes, then nodded. “I’m proud of you. You did it.”
I released a shaky breath. “I needed you, though. I didn’t do it on my own.”
“It’s better that you let me walk you into the darkness than to find it through rage like I did. Once you know your way, you’ll be way better off than I am. I still find it through rage. As far as getting out…” He shrugged. “If you find a trick to that, let me know.”
I gave him a little smile. “I’ll ask Nessa. She seems to pop in and out regularly.”
I could feel people through the bonds, but I wanted to assess their hurts and issues with my eyes as well. I needed to pick and choose whom to heal first. I didn’t have the energy to help everyone.
We needed someone other than me who could handle this part of things. Someone whose job was just to heal, kept safe until needed, their energy never depleted through fighting. It would help me focus more during battles and rest after. A magical medic, basically.