Page 53 of Plus-Size Sold Mate
The others tense, bracing themselves as they watch, fear spiking in response.
Another wolf shifts in response, snapping its jaws before approaching and barreling toward Jonah.
Before it reaches him, I send another surge of magic toward the nearest torch, causing the flame to explode outward in a spray of sparks, catching on its fur and temporarily startling it. The wolf shoves itself into the sand to extinguish the fire, its movements urgent.
More scared now, the kids scream as the others move in closer, directly threatening them.
I grit my teeth, knowing I can’t leave them defenseless while the unshifted wolf locks on me.
As the wolves lunge, I throw up a barrier around them made of raw energy, ignoring how demanding it is on my energy. One collides with the invisible shield, snarling as it hits pure resistance and is thrown back.
The elders try to calm the children, though their eyes are wide as they take in everything happening, but it’s all unraveling so quickly.
When the unshifted wolf runs at me, trying to reach for me, I bolster my movements with my magic, feeling as it lurches in initial protest before complying, and I sidestep him beforeswinging. Reinforcing my fist with hardened energy, I crack across his jaw, sending him reeling as he clutches his face.
Putting some distance between us, I watch as he snaps back, shaking it off as he grits his teeth, eyes blazing with fury now.
Realizing that pursuing the others is pointless now, all the Wraith Peak wolves focus their attention on me, approaching quickly.
“Sera!” Eve shouts, unable to get through the shield to help.
“Don’t move,” I utter through the strain, glancing between the assailants briefly as I try to calculate my chances as fast as I can. But there’s no time to waste.
Despite knowing this will cost much more, I reach as deeply as I can within myself, drawing from my magic reserves with more demand than usual.
Ripping energy from the environment feels like tearing myself apart, but I do it anyway, sending a blast of magic mixed with sand straight toward them like a wall.
Shock sparks in them as they’re all thrown, colliding hard with the ground in time with a loud crack splitting through the air. Jagged chunks of rock from the cliffside come free, and with another concentrated throw, those heavy pieces hurl in their direction, forcing the wolves to scatter, unable to focus on me now.
The backlash hits me without hesitation like a blunt hit to the back of my head. My vision goes blank for a second, and a loud ringing pitches in my ears as my knees buckle.
I’ve overextended…I pushed too far.
The shield flickers as I struggle to keep it up, forced to let it drop in favor of sending both rock and sand barreling toward the wolves in a last-ditch effort to drive them out.
They try to regroup, snarling at me, but even with five against one, it’s too late now.
The bond burns hot with panic from Luke’s end, and in the distance, someone from our pack sees the disturbance.
Sera? What’s going on?he sends down our connection, his tone rushed and riddled with concern.
But I can’t spare the energy to respond when I’m already snuffing myself out.
Dropping the sand, I use what’s left to project the rock shards at the wolves while they scramble, and the unshifted one struggles to run in the sand.
“Retreat!”
The taste of blood fills my mouth, and while they run back the way they came, my magic melts away, and I stagger before dropping to my knees.
“Sera,” Eve says somewhere nearby, and I barely register her hand on my shoulder through the in-between state of consciousness while my heart beat slows to something much weaker.
The drain hits me all at once, well aware that I did too much. It’s like I hollowed myself out, leaving an ache I can’t hide now.
I didn’t anchor myself as I should’ve…I didn’t have time. Now, I have nothing left.
Footsteps sound all around me as others rush in, and voices rise. At first, I assume it’s to scare the wolves off for good,but then I catch the outrage and accusations as they cut through my daze.
“She used magic,” someone utters with a note of disgust.
