Page 56 of Protecting The Gray Wolf
Fuck, she was using magic to try to chain his power in the same way she’d temporarily imprisoned him. Not happening. On a roar, he gave one mighty shove. The gate began to buckle.
Distracted, her magic sputtered and died. Taking advantage of Solange’s inattention, Luna chose that moment to reach through the bars, grab Solange by the hair, and yank her backward, slamming her into the prison door. With the mage’s attention fractured, Kade sucked in a deep breath and gave one final shove. The heavy metal gate crashed to the floor.
Solange grabbed Luna’s wrist and twisted, managing to extricate herself. Face pale, she stared at him, shaking her head in disbelief. “That’s not possible.”
“Sure it is. I’m a lone wolf.” He stalked toward her, determined to bring this to an end once and for all. Solange would never stop coming for them unless she was dead. It was never easy to take a life, but this was no different than any other job he’d done. It was for the good of his fellow lone wolves, but more importantly, it would protect Luna.
Cheeks flushed with rage, she held up her phone. “You think you’ve won, but you’ve done nothing but delay the inevitable.” She activated a button. It was then he caught a faint smell that sent him into a panic—C-4. She was blowing the building. “Tick tock. The countdown is on. Maybe you can save her. Maybe you can’t. But if you come after me, she’s dead. It’s your choice.” Turning on her heel, she raced toward the exit.
“Stand back,” he yelled at Luna. There was no telling if there was ten seconds or ten minutes, but he’d bet on it being long enough for Solange to get outside and away from the blast range.
Muscles already strained to the max flexed as he pulled on the door. Luna rushed forward, adding her weight from the inside. Their gazes met. “It means everything that you came for me, but you can save yourself.”
“Shut up and push.” No way in hell was he leaving her. The ground began to rumble beneath them.
She swallowed hard, and her eyes softened. “You can survive this. I can’t. Please go. For me. There’s no time.” His heart stopped in his chest as her words sank in. It began to pound, swelling until he thought it might burst outward. His wolf howled in rage. Determined, he yanked harder. Metal buckled and snapped. He yanked open the door.
The explosion lifted them both off their feet. Airborne, he reached for her. Their fingers grazed, but she was too far away. He landed hard, the breath knocked from his body. Part of the ceiling collapsed.
“Luna!” he roared, scrambling toward her as the floor buckled and shoved him upward. Luna’s scream was cut off as debris rained down on them. He clambered over the rubble and threw himself over her upper body as the first floor caved in on them.
Everything went black.
Chapter Eighteen
The acrid scent of burned wiring, chemicals, and explosives mingled with blood seeped into his awareness. He raised his head a fraction of an inch, about all he could manage with most of the upper floor piled on top of him. Luna was unconscious beneath him. Listening intently, he caught the faintest heartbeat.
She was alive, but there was no way to ascertain the extent of her injuries until he managed to dig them out.
“Hang on, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’ll get us free.” His wolf whined inside him and then stilled, catching the faintest noise. His ears were still ringing from the explosion, his skull healing from a severe concussion, but there was someone above them. Whether they were there to help or harm was the question. There was no telling what the fallout had been from the explosion. He’d survived because of who and what he was. A normal wolf caught too close might not be so lucky.
“We’re going to get you out.” The voice was muffled, but it was one he recognized. The head of the mercenaries wasn’t a friend, was being paid by the broker to be here, but at least he wasn’t trying to kill Kade. Maybe. Allegiances had been known to change when circumstances did. The broker’s network had already proven to be not 100 percent reliable, although the man had come through in the end.
For now, he’d be grateful to the mercenaries for digging them out. He’d deal with any repercussions once he was free.
The space was cramped and dark, the air thick with dust, but it sure as hell beat the alternative. They were both alive. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over her temple. If he’d been faster, been able to get to Solange, he might have avoided this. Luna was hurt and it was on him.
He’d promised to keep her safe.
His wolf snarled inside him, more than ready to hunt down their enemies. He’d have to wait. Luna’s health and safety came before everything else.
Assuming she lives.He growled at the voice of doubt, banishing it from his thoughts. She’d live. She had to. She was his mate, the woman meant for him. Her presence brought him peace and dispelled the darkness of his soul, filling it with light and hope.
And as long as they were together, she’d never be safe. The explosion had damaged him. The bleak reality facing him threatened to crush him.
He stayed as still as possible, not wanting to jostle any of the debris around them in case it brought more down upon them. A muscle in his left leg knotted in protest. He carefully changed position and hissed in a breath. Reaching down, his hand encountered a metal rod.
Crap, he had a piece of rebar protruding through his thigh. Gritting his teeth, he yanked. Skin ripped, muscles tore, and blood flowed. The power of the lone wolf flowed through him, slowing the bleeding, healing the shattered bones and internal damage. Hurt like hell but it was worth the price. If he was human, he’d be dead.
He lifted slightly and levered himself off Luna, not wanting to crush her. It also allowed him to assess her injuries. His eyes narrowed, adjusting to the lack of light. There was a slight snapping sound in his skull—likely the last bone healing—and all his senses flooded back online with a vengeance.
When he inhaled, the coppery scent of her blood had him swallowing hard. There was a large gash on her head. Part of it was still seeping. With painstaking slowness, he managed to rip away the sleeves of her sweater to create a pad to press against the injury. Not exactly hygienic, but stopping the bleeding was more important. “You’ll be okay.” He blinked hard. It was the dust making them water. It had nothing to do with the fear clawing at his guts. He refused to believe she wouldn’t live.
Angling his head, he looked toward her feet. “Oh fuck.” Fear lent a rasp to his voice. He’d managed to mostly protect her face and upper chest, but a huge chunk of concrete rested on her lower body and upper thighs. The weight had to be crushing fragile bones. He didn’t want to think about internal injuries.
She’d tried to send him away, to protect him. He brushed a damp lock of hair out of the way, leaned down, and touched his lips to her cheek. Her skin was chilled, a sure sign of shock. He eased closer, managing to get an arm around her, trying to lend her his heat. It was his job, his privilege and honor to protect her. He’d failed miserably.
A low growl rumbled in his chest. If it was the last thing he did, Solange would pay for this. Turning his head slightly, he yelled, “How much longer?” Luna didn’t have all night. Each tick of the clock brought her closer to death.
