Chapter 123 Crushing grip
Ruel’s POV
I don’t think before jumping.
The moment my feet hit the floor, instinct kicks in and a loud growl rips out my throat but before I can shift, a hefty wolf crashes into my back, knocking me down.
It snarls in my face, the white stripes against its golden fur quickly gives it away.
Omar.
I twist, kicking him off me as my eyes frantically search for Ira, my brain unwilling to register the reality..
Ahead of me, Ira’s white hair flashes wild and bright against the sun. My heart burns when I notice how Bukasvad has an arm locked tight around her waist, pulling her across the frozen grass toward the trees.
Ignoring Omar's warning snarl, I charge after them.
My legs take long, angry steps, each one hitting the ground harder than the previous. My breath comes fast and hot, my lungs burning more from wrath than anything else.
Several wolves charge after them, warriors aiming to take them down rather than attack me.
Omar runs close behind, his heavy steps loud. But I don’t look back, keeping my eyes on Ira’s white hair as they disappear into the woods.
A groan rumbles deep in my throat when a brown wolf clamps down on my forearm. The force of the bite rattles my bones, and the curse shakes hard, trying to rip my flesh off.
I hiss through my teeth, grab its muzzle with my free hand, and wrench its head sideways until its jaw cracks loose.
With a whimper it stumbles away, but there’s no time to breathe because Omar and another wolf slam into me from behind, knocking me sideways.
My back slams into a stone, the air punched from my lungs as a fourth wolf lunges for my throat.
I don't shift because I cannot. If I shift now the wound in my chest will tear wide open and I might bleed out before I make three steps, so I fight as hard as I can with my human form.
I jerk my head away just in time to avoid the jaws that snap only inches from my throat.
With a growl I jam my elbow into the neck of the rabid wolf. A pained groan escapes me when I feel another's teeth grind deep into my thigh.
Bending over, I hit it again and again until it chokes and lets go.
Yet another wolf lunges for my face and I shove my hand straight into its mouth before it can close, hot saliva flooding over my skin while its fangs slice into my palm. I push deeper anyway, grab its tongue and twist with everything I have.
I stop when I feel its jaw jerk sideways with a sickening pop before it drops with a whine then scrambles away.
It'll heal, I remind myself. It might take some weeks but it'll heal.
But before I can get myself running again Omar barrels into my side. We crash together, his wolf’s weight crushing my ribs and pressing against the wound in my chest until white bursts behind my eyes.
I slam my forehead into his skull once and the both of us groan. My vision gets blurry for a while. But I use the opportunity to get back on my feet.
Claws grip my foot, yanking hard until I hit the floor again. I hit the ground shoulder first, the impact ripping a cry from my throat as my body shivers in agony.
Something tears open in my chest as warm liquid spreads under my arm.
Omar growls and this time when I look, I see the message in his eyes.
“I can't let her go!” I yell at him, feeling that burning need to get to Ira.
Omar rolls over me, shifting back to his human form. His eyes are furious, his waist covered with the usual elastic material worn by the Vahl guards.
Without hesitating, his fist slams into my jaw, snapping my head sideways before he grabs my injured arm and twists. Pain detonates through me so violently it feels like my bone is being ripped straight out of my shoulder.
My fingers go numb while what I realize is fresh blood runs down my side.
I feel so exhausted.
Krist growls inside me, the sound vibrates in my bones carrying his fury.
Omar leans close, his breath harsh on my face. “Stay down, Ruel.”
“YOU DON'T FUCKING TELL ME WHAT TO DO!” I snap.
One moment his hand is on my arm, the next my fingers are around his throat and tightening.
His eyes widen as his hands claw at my hand. But without needing my wounded arm, I lift him as though he weighs nothing.
The sudden urge to break his neck swell in my bones and I press harder, watching him go limp.
“Krist, No!” Elric’s shout cuts through the haze and for one sharp second I see terror and pain reflect in his gaze.
I fling Omar aside and run, remembering what matters the most.
Krist surges forward, taking the lead. I allow him take control from my hands, moving my body with brutal precision through the wolves between us and the trees.
A warrior charges and my sword flashes, steel sinking into flesh as he falls, another rushing in only to be cut down.
“You can’t do that!” I shout hoarsely at Krist.
“I can and I just did,” Krist roars through my mouth, while my arm swings again. “If I keep being merciful like you, we will never reach that bastard before he disappears with our mate.”
His words finish off with a groan as he slits the chest of a wolf, moving faster towards Ira when we spot three wolves closing in on them.
A warrior reaches Bukasvad first and fear swells in my heart, considering Ira is right next to him but that fear instantly perishes when Bukasvad claps, producing a large terrifying blue flame.
He thrusts his arms out and the flame moves with the speed of lighting, striking into the chest of his attacker.
The wolf cries as his furs catch up in flames. He rolls in the snow but the fire doesn't go out…
“A wizard!” Someone screams in terror as Bukasvad throws more flames till there's no one around them anymore.
I shove past the last guard but my leg trembles as the strength Krist forced into me falters. Without him holding my body together the pain becomes unbearable, my chest throbbing excruciatingly, while my injured arm hangs heavy beside me.
Krist hesitates because he feels it too, and then swiftly control floods back to me as he retreats, pouring his energy into healing my wounds.
Ira stands behind Bukasvad, looking small. Her blue eyes look so striking against her white hair. Her scared eyes lock on mine as she trembles.
“Let her go!” I shout, authority ripping from my throat.
Bukasvad only smiles coldly. “So you can kill her?!”
A sphere of fire blooms in his palm but I slam into him before he throws it, knocking the breath from us both while the fireball flies wild and scorches the ground.
With my good arm, I throw a fist into his face. My knuckles meet bone repeatedly until he bleeds from several cuts. Still I don't stop, desperately needing him dead.
“STOP!” Ira screams from beside us, but before I understand, I feel cold air blast into me.
The world flips over for a moment, only stabilizing a bit when I crash into the ground, the rough floor peeling the cloth off my skin in patches as I skid across stones and sticks.
I crash into a tree hard enough to knock me out for a second or two.
I wouldn't know as pain floods my skull. I can hear the tiniest ringing in my ears. My lungs refuse to fill and within five seconds, a side of my face is drenched in blood from a cut on my forehead.
When the world finally swims back into focus I see Ira fearfully running toward me… or maybe I imagine it because the moment I blink, she's disappearing deeper through the trees with Bukasvad dragging her along and a hundred warriors chasing after them.
I can still smell her fear wrapping around me sharp and desperate, and suddenly I understand she was never afraid of Bukasvad.
She was afraid of me.
Footsteps pound closer and someone drops beside me, lifting my head gently. I groan, tasting blood. My head feels too heavy to belong to me anymore.
“Someone call Rita! Move back, all of you,” Elric shouts, his voice shaking with fury and fear… mostly fear.
“Give him space!”
“Commander Ruel,” someone cries.
“She wouldn't have attacked him if he knew about this. It's obviously a set up for her to eliminate him!” A female's voice strikes through the noise.
“Breathe, please, stay with me.” Elric's voice breaks.
I try but the air scrapes into my lungs like sharp pieces of a broken glass.
I close my eyes, feeling better when I don't try to stay awake.
“Ruel,” Elric whispers angrily, “don't you dare leave.” He says so faintly that I barely hear him.
I think he speaks again but he doesn't talk out so I don't get what he's saying before succumbing to the darkness… his crushing grip around my fingers being the last thing I feel.