The burn was worse than fire.
Silver eats slowly when it's shallow. This one was deep. Every step sent it scraping bone. My wolf was pacing inside me, furious, trying to keep me moving when my body wanted to give.
But Elara's scream cut through the haze.
It ripped me back from the edge. She was out there. Somewhere in the crush of bodies, my mate was exposed. My pup was exposed.
I pushed forward, forcing my legs to work. Tarin appeared at my side, blocking a strike meant for my head.
"You need to fall back," he said.
"Not happening."
"You'll drop in the middle of the yard"
"I'll drop when they're all dead."
We cut through three of them together. The night was a blur of teeth, claws, and steel. Every sound, every scent, every shadow was a threat. And under all of it was her, I could feel her, smell her, moving closer instead of staying hidden like I told her to.
I saw her before she saw me.
She was breaking from the inner hall, blade in hand, hair wild, eyes locked on the fight ahead. Her stance was wrong for defense but perfect for attack.
A snarl tore from my throat. The sight of her like that was a curse and a blessing. Reckless. Fierce. Mine.
I cut through the wolves between us, taking hits I shouldn't have taken, just to reach her. When I grabbed her arm, she spun on me like she was ready to fight me too.
"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded.
"Saving your stubborn ass."
"You're supposed to be…"
"Locked in a room? No. I'm not letting you bleed out while I hide."
Her defiance made my jaw clench. Even now, even here, she refused to bend.
A Blackclaw wolf lunged for her side. I stepped into it, taking the impact against my ribs instead of hers. The pain was white-hot, but it didn't matter.
We ended up back-to-back. Her breathing matched mine, quick and sharp. I could feel the heat of her body through the chaos. Every time she moved, my arm brushed hers. Every time she struck, I caught the scent of her skin.
We fought like we'd done it a hundred times, even though we never had. My blade dropped an enemy trying to flank her. She blocked a strike meant for my head.
It wasn't enough.
The need to feel her, to know she was alive, overpowered every rational thought.
I caught her wrist, spun her toward me, and kissed her.
It was fast, hard, a collision of breath and heat. She gasped against my mouth, but she didn't pull away. The taste of her cut through the metallic tang of blood. For a second, the battle was nothing but her.
When I broke it, my forehead rested against hers.
"You're mine," I told her. "Even if I have to fight the whole damn world to keep you."
Her eyes were wide, but before she could speak, another wave hit. I pushed her behind me, my body the wall between her and the threat.
The silver's poison was getting worse. My grip on my blade felt heavier. My breath came harder.
I couldn't let her see it.
I pushed her toward the defensive line, barking orders at the warriors nearby. "Keep her safe. No one lets her out of sight."
She caught my arm. "Kael…"
"Go," I said. "If you want to help me, stay alive."
Her fingers tightened for a second before she let go. The loss of her touch made something in me ache.
Blackclaw's leader was still watching me. I could feel his eyes through the smoke and chaos. He wanted me worn down.
Fine. I'd give him a fight he wouldn't forget.
We clashed near the treeline. His wolf was massive, black as pitch, stronger than most I'd faced. He moved like he'd been waiting years for this.
I met every strike with one of my own, even as my side screamed with each movement. His claws raked my shoulder, tearing deep, but I didn't back up. I slammed him into a tree hard enough to split the bark.
"You think you can take what's mine?" I growled.
He laughed in low, taunting sound. "I already have. You're bleeding out in your own yard, Alpha."
I drove my claws into his side. "Not yet."
We broke apart for half a breath, circling. That was when I saw it.
Elara.
She'd broken from the defensive line again, cutting down two wolves to get closer.
My gut turned cold. "No. Stay back."
She ignored me, her eyes locked on where I was bleeding.
The leader saw her too. His smile widened.
He went for her.
I moved, silver tearing deeper into me with every step. My body was slower than my will. I caught him before he reached her, but the effort dropped me to one knee.
Pain blurred my vision. My wolf was howling inside, demanding I stand, demanding I keep her safe.
"Elara, get out of here!" I shouted.
She didn't.
She stepped in front of me, blade raised, her body between me and the killing blow the Blackclaw leader was winding up for.
I reached for her arm, but she didn't move. Her voice was steady, fierce. "You're not dying tonight."
The sight of her there — defending me when I was supposed to be the one protecting her — lit something deep in my chest.
The leader swung. She met it head-on, steel clashing with claw. Sparks lit the air between them.
And for the first time all night, my wolf went silent. Not in fear. In pride.
The fight around us slowed as our warriors saw what was happening. Tarin shouted for cover. I forced myself to stand, my blade in hand again, even if my legs threatened to give out.
I was not going to watch her fight alone.
I came up beside her, our shoulders brushing. The contact sent a jolt through me, even in the middle of battle.
"Ready?" I asked, my voice low.
Her eyes flicked to mine for a split second. "Always."
We moved together.
The leader was strong, but he wasn't expecting both of us to hit him at once. I slashed across his chest while she drove her blade into his side. He howled, twisting away, but we pressed forward, forcing him toward the trees.
Every strike cost me more strength, but I didn't stop. Couldn't stop.
When he finally broke and retreated into the shadows, dragging his wounded side, the remaining Blackclaw wolves pulled back with him.
The yard went quiet except for the sound of our breathing.
I turned to her.
Her hair was tangled, her lips swollen from where I'd kissed her earlier, her eyes still bright from the fight. She looked like victory and danger and temptation all at once.
I stepped in close, my hand cupping her cheek.
"You're going to kill me one day," I said.
"Only if you deserve it," she shot back.
Even now, even here, she could make me want to kiss her again.
But the ground tilted under my feet. The silver's poison was pulling me down fast now that the fight was over.
Tarin's voice was somewhere in the background, calling for a healer. Elara's hands caught my arms, trying to keep me upright.
"Kael…"
I met her eyes, holding them as long as I could. "Don't let them near Liam."
Then the darkness pulled me under.