Chapter 124 When Gods Interfere
Chapter 124 When Gods Interfere
POV Una:
And yet, Declan remains still, even though his injuries are, in a way, manageable.
Has exhaustion taken over him? Or has he accepted that he has no way to win?
I watch the shifter lying there, his body curled, breathing heavily, looking more defeated than he should be. He doesn’t smell like fear, though. Nor surrender.
He smells like satisfaction.
Something is wrong. Very wrong.
I lean forward, trying to understand why the old bear seems so pleased in the face of his own death. That’s when I notice: the circle of salt is no longer intact like before.
A small section is broken, as if something had dragged the line inward, destroying the barrier. And it’s right where Declan threw himself.
“THERAK!” My scream shatters the silence of the room, drawing everyone’s attention—including my mate’s, who turns toward me, frowning in confusion.
Only then do I realize I’ve left him more vulnerable than before when I see Declan smile as he suddenly rises, gripping in his deformed paws what looks like a blade glowing with a vibrant purple hue.
The object that was thrown inside the circle.
When he aims the knife at my bear’s jugular, the shift takes over me—instinctive and unavoidable.
My bones reshape rapidly into the form of the small, agile fox, who easily slips free from Asher’s and Begay’s hands and leaps into the useless barrier.
Only I can hurt my mates!
I launch myself at the exposed ankle of the bear and sink my teeth deep into the flesh, trying to cause as much damage as possible—just as he intended to do to my male.
I feel his tendon give beneath my bite as the metallic taste of blood floods my mouth, filling me with deep disgust.
My mate tastes much better!
Declan’s roar makes my mind spin, and I can’t hold on when he shakes his leg violently, throwing me against the wall. The impact knocks the air from my lungs and spreads a deep pain along my side, and for a moment, I think I won’t survive.
A chorus of shouts erupts in the room when I return to my human form, but all I can focus on is the warmth of Begay’s fingers on me and how terrified Asher looks as he says words I can’t understand.
I want to ask if Therak is okay, if I managed to stop Declan from driving the blade into our mate’s neck. But my mouth doesn’t respond to my brain’s commands, and all I can do is whimper as I force my eyes to stay open, searching for the predator who hunted me for so many years—not to devour me, but to protect me.
Time stops, and the voices pounding in my head are drowned out by the furious roar of the great polar bear that emerges in the center of the basement, thirsty for blood and flesh.
Therak radiates savagery and destruction.
From where I lie, with Asher and Begay over me, I can’t see clearly what’s happening in the center of the arena. Even so, Declan’s screams, echoing through the deafening silence that has taken over the room in anticipation of the massacre, give me a clear idea of the end awaiting him.
Wait! You can’t kill him without trading the soul first.
I try to push the thought into Therak’s mind—or the boys’—but I don’t know if I succeed, because with every passing second, the fog of pain consumes me more.
My vision begins to darken, and sleep becomes so strong that it’s hard to resist, even as a voice inside me screams to keep my eyes open and keep looking at our mates.
“Hold on, Una. You can’t die after all the work Asher, Begay, and Therak went through to find you!” Felícia’s melodic voice echoes in my ears, along with the comforting warmth of her hands over my injured ribs.
I cry out in pain, even though her touch is gentle, and try to pull away—which only makes it worse.
I don’t know what she’s doing to me, but after some truly terrible moments, the throbbing in my ribs becomes a strong, but bearable ache.
I open my eyes and swallow hard when I see the furious faces of my three mates.
“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, WOMAN?”
I can’t tell which one of them shouted. Maybe all three at once, given the force of the words, which drown out even the chaos of the other raised voices in the room.
Someone broke the salt circle and threw a knife to Declan. He was going to cheat to win, I say through the bond, still unable to control my mouth.
“You can’t interfere in a fight! He could’ve killed you!” Asher runs a hand through his beard, breathing hard, as if he were the one thrown across the room.
But he was going to kill my mate! I reply, not understanding why they all seem so angry.
Therak is alive. I’m alive—despite the pain—and Declan is dead.
Everything was resolved.
Now we can go back to the cabin and—
“Therak Nunuk cheated!” The roar of the Alpha who glared at Therak with contempt throughout the trial interrupts my thoughts.
“The Blood Law requires that the Alpha win without anyone’s help, but that’s not what happened. The female interfered, broke the barrier, and must pay the price. Let them both die!”
I didn’t break the barrier. It was broken by whoever threw the knife to Declan, I try to explain, attempting to sit up, but I’m still too weak. Unable to move.
Despair fills my veins when I see most of the Lykae, dressed in red, advancing toward us. Surrounding us.
Felícia’s eyes widen, and she places a hand over her belly, protecting it as if she fears being attacked as well. Judging by the hatred in their gazes, I don’t doubt they would.
The warning growl of my mates, who step in front of us, is drowned out by an even louder roar—so intense it shakes the walls and makes the animal in my chest want to shrink.
I’m surprised when I look to the side and realize the sound came from Orion, who pushes the Council members aside like insects, clearing a path to us. He and his Beta position themselves in front of his wife, radiating pure threat.
“You’re about to start a fight you can’t win, so think very carefully about your next move,” the feline says through clenched teeth, fearlessly facing the other Alphas, who begin to laugh loudly.
“I’ve heard about you, Orion,” the greasy-haired Alpha says, his words dripping with disdain. “The lunatic who thinks he has the Goddess’s blessing.”