Wild Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary Book 4)

My back collided with the wall, a curse spilling from my lips as I forged an iron sword in my fist and tightened my grip on it.

The beast which had once been Gustard lunged at me but Cain shot between us, throwing up a wall of fire that forced the monster back.

“Here!” I yelled, tossing the sword to Cain who caught it neatly before speeding away again.

The smoke which had been seeping into the space was getting thicker and as I forged another blade for myself, I choked back a cough. It was getting hotter in here too and despite the massive, monstrous form of Gustard taking up most of my attention, I spared a glance in the direction we’d come from.

My heart leapt as I took in the flames racing towards us, spiralling through the empty cages and moving at a speed which had to equal magic.

“Roary!” I yelled, hurling myself away from the fire and he looked my way as he leapt out of reach of one of Gustard’s flailing arms.

His eyes widened in alarm, his hands going up and hurling a wall of ice out between me and the raging inferno that was headed our way.

I threw myself towards him, raising a hand to send a row of wooden spears straight at Gustard and force him back towards the flames.

The door where Vard had disappeared was wide open, its emptiness looming and taunting.

I shouted a command for the others to aim for it and broke into a sprint myself.

“He’s getting away!” I yelled.

Roary’s head snapped around, his body going rigid with tension, a sound of pure grief spilling from his lips before he shot away from us.

Cain collided with me as I called out for Roary to wait, lifting me off of my feet and shooting after him at Vampire speed.

Gustard roared behind us, the sound of the roof caving in meeting with his furious bellows and for a fleeting heartbeat I gave in to the call of hope that he had met with his end.

But of course the nasty bastardo wouldn’t go down so easily and as I looked back over Cain’s shoulder, my red hair tumbling around me, I found him lurching from the heaped rubble and taking chase with the flames of the burning compound at his back.

Cain cursed as he ran and I turned in his arms, hunting for a sign of Roary ahead of us.

“He’s given in to the hunt,” Cain grunted as we turned sharply and started up a set of stairs, Gustard falling out of sight behind us though his howls of fury followed on. “He doesn’t know how to stop himself. If I can catch him then I can try to get him to come back to his senses but if he’s lost to it…”

“Put me down,” I demanded.

“What? No. I’m not just going to-”

I punched him in the jaw, snarling furiously as we sped from the stairwell and back into the ramshackle marketplace where so many Fae had been congregated with illicit intent what seemed like moments ago.

“You swore not to get in my way, Cain. Now put me down before I make you.”

Cain skidded to a halt, fury etched into every piece of his face but I ignored him, shoving out of his arms and looking around wildly in search of Roary or Vard.

A wild giggle drew my attention to our left where flames burned bright and Sin Wilder was clearly having the time of his damn life.

Hesitation halted me. This place was done for and we needed to get out. Sin and Ethan didn’t know we were here but I could make up for that.

“Catch up to Roary and help him get his fucking Lion back,” I commanded, stepping right up to Cain and meeting his glare with one of my own. “You’re faster without me and I need to find the others. We’ll be right behind you.”

Cain hesitated, his word and his wants clearly at war.

I pushed up onto my tiptoes and kissed him hard, my hand fisting in his shirt, and a groan of pure need escaped him before I shoved him away forcefully.

“I’m right behind you. Go,” I commanded and with one last, furious look at me he finally conceded, shooting away in a blur of motion in hunt of Roary and the man who had stolen his Lion from him.

Smoke stung my eyes and the heat in this place was near suffocating but I held my ground, tipping back my head and howling in call of my mate.

Ethan’s reply sounded in the distance within moments but even as my heart soared with relief, it spilled away again just as fast. Because at that precise moment, the floor collapsed beneath me and Gustard leapt from the rubble, intent on delivering me to my death.