Page 78 of Plus-Size Sold Mate
“He doesn’t have to die,” she says, sounding more urgent now. “But if my father falls…”
Her voice wavers enough for me to catch, and while the demand surprises me, I immediately see it. I see the fear in her eyes. I see the way she’s drowning under the weight of everything her father’s leadership has brought down on her. But she doesn’t know how to keep going without him, and she’s terrified beneath the hard exterior.
“I don’t control him,” I tell her, finding myself in a strange position now as a piece of me wants to empathize with her.
Naia makes an incredulous sound as she tightens her grip again. “He’s fighting because of you. For you.”
She’s right, but that doesn’t mean I have any reason to call him off, if he’d even listen in the first place.
The fight only grows louder, and I flinch at the snarl and yelp that follows. Their massive forms slam again, and my heart feels like it’s being crushed from both sides.
I can’t protect them both. I can’t inject myself without risking more harm.
Before I can stop it, those old thoughts come creeping in again. The ones that used to always remind me of how useless I am. How no matter what, I always make everything worse.
This is happening because of me. I crossed Luke’s path that day, all because I was trying to run. Now, he’s risking his life after he has already spent long enough risking his status. And now, with Eve…if I’m not careful, I could ruin that too.
No. I can’t think like that. I’m done with that.
Magic flares beneath my skin again, and Naia sees it. The blade presses a little closer as she braces herself. “Don’t.”
The moment the knife cuts into Eve’s skin enough to draw a thin line of blood, my vision narrows, and before I can stop it, something clicks inside me.
I have to protect them. The pack, my mate, and our child. I have to do something.
The connection with Luke burns bright in my chest now, and while I feel his pain from the wounds he endures, his determination is louder. He’s refusing to back down regardlessof what it costs, and without meaning to, something similar in me answers it.
Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, the surge of power hits without warning. It explodes, bursting out from inside me in a blinding wave. None of it is controlled, and none of it bends to command.
It tears outward in a shockwave that shakes the trees, and the ground tremors while the air hums with power so thick that it surprises even me.
I hear Naia gasp, and the blade in her hand vibrates before she loses her grip, only for it to hit the dirt like something useless now.
Eve drops instantly, not wasting a moment as she rolls out of the way, ducking behind me.
Stunned, Naia doesn’t move until her body forces her to react, shifting abruptly until grey and black fur blankets her body, and she snaps her jaws at me.
The others in the clearing stop to look as my powers surround me in near-blinding light, poised but ready. Even Luke and Dawson hesitate long enough to see what’s happening before resuming.
“Backoff,” I demand of Naia, watching how her body language becomes more defensive. I don’t even recognize my own voice.
But when she chooses to lunge instead of run, I let my magic move for me.
Sending out another wall of raw energy, this time more concentrated than before, I watch as it hits her with full force, sending her crashing sideways. She recovers quickly as her claws dig into the earth and she charges again.
With a twist of my hand, I force the power through a nearby tree and hurl it in her direction. She falters initially, but with increased speed, she closes the distance anyway.
Unable to channel my magic in time, Naia’s teeth snap an inch away from my throat, causing me to stagger back. But before she can find purchase, Eve crashes into her mid-shift, slamming into her side with an impossibly vicious sound from her.
They roll in the grass as Eve puts the pressure on her, but Naia manages to break free. Again, she shoots toward me, aiming to take me out regardless of what it might do to her.
But when I lift my hand this time, the power surges harder, and with a tunnel of compressed air, it shoves her to the ground and holds her there.
Naia’s wolf form thrashes in confusion and fear, unable to understand what’s happening to her.
I don’t even know…I’ve never done this before. Still, it happens so naturally that I can’t stop it. Not when so much is at stake.
Regardless of how much energy I have expended so far, I don’t feel drained while it surrounds me like a protective shield. Right now, it feels like it might never end, and I think she can sense it.
