Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(97)

“You want to know why,” Briggs mocked.

“No, I know why. You’re an amoral, spineless son of a bitch who would willingly destroy your own people rather than accept the fact that you weren’t worthy of being their leader.”

An icy burst of pain exploded through him, reminding Salvatore that while Briggs might look like a corpse, he wasn’t in his grave.

Not yet.

“I’m more worthy than you’ll ever be,” the pureblood hissed.

Salvatore’s humorless laugh echoed through the empty shell of a cabin.

“Not even in your sick and twisted brain can you still believe your own lies.”

“Without you…”

“Without me the Weres would have become extinct. I’m not only their chosen king, but their savior,” Salvatore deliberately prodded. “My name will become legend among the purebloods.”

Briggs’s composure cracked, his eyes flashing with an insane fury. Reaching up, he smacked Salvatore across the face with enough force to split his lip.

“Bloody bastard.”

Salvatore calmly turned to spit the blood from his mouth. “What I want to know is, was it worth it?”

“Worth what?”

“Was it worth sacrificing your pack, your loyalty, your sense of honor for a futile attempt to sit on a throne never intended for you?”

There was another blast of icy pain, and Briggs’s face twisted with insane hatred.

“It will be worth every sacrifice once you’re dead.”

Salvatore’s muscles clenched at the arctic assault, but through the pain he sensed Briggs’s magic beginning to falter. The bonds holding him against the wall were deteriorating, and the chill biting into his flesh lessening.

Thankfully, the bastard was too distracted by his own anger to realize the danger.

“It’s a shame really,” Salvatore drawled, quite happy to stir the bastard’s temper. “The Weres’ ancient powers are on the cusp of returning, and you won’t be around to appreciate our glory.”

The stark truth of his words was the last nudge needed to send the maniac over the edge.

“Enough,” Briggs roared, throwing off his cloak to reveal his skeleton body. “Hell’s waiting for you, Giuliani. Give my regards to Mackenzie.”

Salvatore braced himself as Briggs shifted, the sound of his low growls and popping bones unnaturally loud in the isolated cabin. The candlelight flickered as his face elongated, his fangs lengthening to deadly daggers and his eyes flashing with crimson fire.

Crazy or not, he was still a lethal predator.

Which he was swift to prove as he launched his attack, using Salvatore’s immobility to strike straight at his throat.

Dio.

Straining against the invisible bonds, Salvatore barely managed to avoid the death blow, instead taking the violent impact on his shoulder. He felt his collarbone snap and the fangs rip deep into his flesh, but he survived.

This time.

Hot blood gushed from his wounds and the clinging magic made every movement a lesson in torture, but gritting his teeth, he managed to force himself from the wall and confront the Were as he once again pounced.

Plowing directly into Salvatore’s chest, Briggs’s attack sent them both rolling across the uneven wooden floor, his fangs once again biting deep into Salvatore’s shoulder. Agonizing pain jolted through him, but Salvatore barely noticed. He was intent on forcing his awkward body to obey his commands.

With a merciless growl, Briggs scrambled to regain his balance, his fangs dripping blood, and his eyes smoldering with a deadly promise.

Sucking in a deep breath, Salvatore prepared to shift. It was much easier to call on the power of his pack in werewolf form. Not to mention the fact that he was more than ready to rip out Briggs’s throat.

Reaching for his beast, he abruptly growled in disbelief, stunned to discover that his powers lurked just out of reach. His wolf snarled, but remained frustratingly leashed by Briggs’s magic, as if trapped behind an invisible barrier.

Just as his connection to his pack was cut off.

His gut twisted with dread as he shoved against the unseen wall, searching for a means to break through.

Dio.

Briggs’s spell had not only affected his muscles, but it had stolen his wolf.

Ignoring the urge to howl in frustration, Salvatore instead forcibly calmed his racing heart and stopped his futile struggles against the black magic. His wolf was currently impotent, but as his mind cleared, he realized there was something else inside him…

An unwavering power that had nothing to do with his position as king. Or even his strength as an alpha werewolf. This force came directly from his heart, and had everything to do with Harley.

The sound of Briggs’s claws scraping against the wooden planks was the only warning as the Were charged forward, his fangs snapping just over Salvatore’s head as he called on Harley’s powers and managed to throw himself to the side.

He rolled toward the sagging sofa, cursing as he heard Briggs’s howl of rage echoing through the cabin. The bastard wasn’t going to be satisfied until he’d ripped out Salvatore’s heart, and Salvatore couldn’t depend on dumb luck to keep him alive.

Time to do something.

A pity he didn’t know what the hell that was.

Harley had been horrified when she’d entered the shed.