“I need you to do something for me.” He stopped wearing a path in the roof of the building and looked at me with his complete focus, despite the strain I knew he was in.
“Don’t let them take me.” My voice cracked, and my body shivered.
“I won’t.” His words were a promise, but I was still scared. The Dramens world and Crysia were not safe, until we completed our mission. The princess was the bridge between the two worlds. She was powerful, and somehow, she was going to reverse what had been done. Verin was scared of his niece, so he also believed in the legend that she would defeat him someday.
Hands touched my shoulders. “I promise I won’t let them take you.” Rune leaned down toward my face, his vow caressing me, like it could attach itself to my skin.
Rune’s body moved closer, breathing in my air. “This can’t be real,” he muttered softly, his head slowly descending toward me, or to be more specific, toward my mouth.
But it was real, this thing, this living, breathing force between us.
“Sun’s almost down. We need to gear up.” I cleared my dry throat and took a step back, out of Rune’s reach.
The hurt in his eyes killed me. He didn’t know how to decipher his emotions, but he knew he cared for me. I sensed it in his touch, in the air around him. I was something to him, but he had a mate. He’d known that intense connection, the other half of his soul.
Only one more day, then we’d get this all sorted out and—
Before I could finish my thoughts, Rune’s arms were wrapped around me, holding me flush against his body. His lips clashed against mine, and every thought I’d been having vanished. My eyes widened, staring into his determined gaze as his lips pressed against mine. His arms moved to my back just in time to hold me to his chest as my legs wobbled, then gave out. My whimper echoed against his mouth as I threw myself into the man who consumed my heart with every swipe of his tongue against mine.
“I don’t know what is happening, but whatever comes, I won’t let you go,” he said.
I shook my head, attempting to push away from his warmth, but his arms were locked around me. “You’re not mine, and I’m not yours.” It hurt me to say it when everything in me said it wasn’t true.
“My heart . . . my werewolf thinks differently.” His lips were back on mine, and I was close, so very damn close from disclosing my suspicions of the dangerous truth.
“Rune.” I whispered a plea. My fingers gripped the black shirt that covered his thick arms.
“Hey, guys.” Emrys cleared his throat and Rune growled. His grip stayed on my back, giving me just enough space to turn my head to look at the spider and librarian who averted their gazes. I managed to untangle myself and walked to the bag of weapons.
“Darkness is upon us.” Dris pointed toward the sun, which had almost completely set beyond the flat planes of land behind us. Torches of the palace walls were lit, and the Iron City became the perfect beacon to attack.
“Oh, shit,” Emrys said, and reached over to Dris, pulling her behind him as a barrier. He looked behind me at the general.
Rune bellowed a pain-riddled roar as his flesh burst and fur grew out from the rips in his skin. The echo of bones breaking and growing bounced off the city’s towers around us. It was horrifying to watch. The man who, moments ago declared things he shouldn’t have, was being ripped apart and made into something tall and wild. The beast snarled at the dragon resting on the roof ten yards away, who had both eyes narrowed on the werewolf.
It was time to see if Rune’s gut feelings about the werewolf listening to me were based on truth.
Chapter Fifty-One
Seeing Rune’s werewolf side was as frightening as it was the first time I saw him. He reached nearly ten feet, had black fur, and sharp white teeth. I wasn’t afraid of him, although he looked scary, and I knew what those teeth could do.
Dris gasped and hid behind Emrys with her owl eyes peeking over his shoulder at Rune. The werewolf growled, his muzzle lifting to show a dangerous grin in their direction.
“Rune.” I took a step toward the beast. His head swiftly turned as he took a big step on two legs toward me. His massive furry muscles flexed with the movement. He didn’t blink as he stared at my face.
My heart beat wildly. “Will you follow me? Protect me and my friends? Will you go into the city with me and help me end all this?” His large wolf-like feet inched closer to me.
“Sapphira, be careful,” Dris said.
He was beautiful, in a very savage way, and the raw connection between us was still there . . . even now. Suddenly his large arm and claw-tipped hand shot out and grabbed me by the back of the neck. His grip was strong and hurt slightly. Desmire growled, and I heard the sound of a sword being pulled from the hilt. I motioned behind me for Emrys to lower his weapon. I wasn’t in danger, even now with the werewolf’s grasp around my neck.
“Will you help me?” I breathed, his head leaning down, looking at me eye to eye, like he was trying to see inside me. My heart thumped in my chest and my breaths became labored with his closeness. It wasn’t fear but something else.
The werewolf’s eyes closed, then he brought his forehead to rest against mine. I started to cry. Rune was right. I wanted to hold onto this moment of the werewolf accepting me. A whoosh of breath sounded off behind me and I turned to look at my companions. Their postures were still taut and worrisome. But I hadn’t been eaten, and it was obvious from Rune’s head still resting against mine that he was going to help.
“Thank you, Rune.” I reached up and kissed the side of his muzzle before trying to step away. His massive, furry arms wrapped around me tighter, bringing me flush against his pecs.
“OK, you big brute. You’ve hugged your teddy bear, now let me go so we can kick some ass and rescue a boy in distress.” I patted his arms and squiggled free from his hold. Dris coughed up a laugh of relief.
