Wildfire Griffin (Fire & Rescue Shifters: Wildfire Crew #1)(69)

You wish me keep her alive? the voice asked, dripping malice. Then stop resisting me. Submit to my will, and she will walk free.

“Why are you acting like this?” Edith glanced past him, scanning the sky. He couldn’t waste effort trying to look up himself, but he could tell from the way that her eyes widened that the storm-creature must be getting close. “Rory, you have to release the others. You aren’t in any condition to fight that thing alone. You have to let them help.”

The creature within him surged forward, swelling with eagerness and rage. Yes, yesssss. Tell your shifter pack to attack the guardian. Tell them to kill it. Now!

He bit his tongue to stop it from using his voice. Blood ran down his chin. He had no idea why the alien thing wanted to attack its ally, but— You thought it was my ally? It laughed harder than ever, shaking the foundations of his mind. Oh, foolish, foolish prey. No. Always, the guardians have hunted my kind. But at last, at last, we shall be free. You and your shifter pack will kill the last guardian. No longer will we have to hide under the ground, weak and starving. We shall emerge. And we shall feed.

Its cold glee turned his bones to ice. With the monster coiling through his soul, he could see glimpses of its memories. His mind shuddered away.

He couldn’t let it have its way. He fought harder than ever, reaching for his griffin.

You animal cannot help you, the creature hissed in his mind. You may be able to keep your power from me, but you cannot stop me from using your body as I please. If you do not do as I wish, I will kill your mate. Slowly. If you want to save her, do as I say. Kill the guardian. Now!

He couldn’t let the creature hurt his mate. She was his mate. But he wasn’t strong enough to resist. He couldn’t find his griffin in the utter blackness coiling through his soul.

But in the crushing darkness, one flicker of light remained.

“Rory, I’m your mate.” Though Edith’s expression was confused and hurt, her love shone in his heart. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

Her strength beat through his soul. Stronger than the darkness. Stronger than anything.

He couldn’t save her.

But she could save him.

With the last of his own strength, he gripped her hand.

Edith, he sent down the mate bond, praying that she could hear him. Help me.





Chapter 35





The instant his fingers brushed her, she knew.

Edith snapped her head up, meeting Rory’s eyes. The impact pierced through her—not warm like sunlight, but cold.

“You’re not Rory,” she breathed, staring into that foreign gaze.

White-hot fury filled her. She tightened her grip on his hand, fingers digging in. His eyes widened, the parasitic presence behind them recoiling.

“Get out!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, right into his face. “Get out of my mate!”

The crimson tinge in his eyes flickered. The mate bond roared between them, fierce as a wildfire. Warmth flooded through her, his warmth.

Rory doubled over, gagging, though he didn’t let go of her. She clung to him as he hacked and fought, his whole body jerking in great wrenching spasms.

She could feel the surge of his soul as he tried to force out the thing inside him. She added her will to his. The alien presence cowered, backing away from their pure, bright love.

Thick, oily smoke poured out of Rory’s mouth. It continued to stream out of him for far longer than his lungs could possibly have contained. The dark coils twisted and lashed on the ground, wriggling away.

“Rory!” Blaise screamed from the distance.

The other shifters were trapped by Rory’s previous command. They must have been fighting against it, trying to move as slowly as possible, but he’d told them to go away. They were almost out of sight already.

The smoke thinned at last, trailing off. Rory collapsed to his knees. She held his shoulders, supporting him as he gasped for breath.

The darkness that had spewed out of him thrashed like a wounded snake. It drew itself up, coiling and congealing. Smoke hardened into thick, plated scales. Long, demonic horns branched outward, sharpening to wicked points. Two red, slitted eyes opened.

She froze, caught in the malice of that inhuman gaze as it fixed on her. At her side, Rory managed to suck in air at last. He lifted his head.

“Help!” he roared.

The monstrous serpent lunged—and recoiled, shrieking, as brilliant light burst in front of them like an exploding star. Edith flung up a hand to shield her own eyes, momentarily blinded.

She blinked, tears streaking her face. The white unicorn stood in front of them, hooves braced and head lowered. His horn blazed like bottled lightning, holding the towering serpent at bay.

Rory’s arms closed around her protectively. “Don’t let it bite you!” he shouted. “It can take over your body!”

Wystan danced aside as the horned serpent struck at him. It hissed, sweeping its tail round. Busy trying to avoid its head, the unicorn couldn’t react in time.

“No!” Edith cried, as the serpent’s tail knocked him over.

The serpent reared back in triumph, jaws opening wide—but before it could bite the fallen unicorn, a flame-bright bolt struck from the sky. Callum’s hooves knocked the serpent’s head aside. It snapped at him, but the pegasus was already wheeling away. Fast as a falcon, he looped and dove around the snake, making it spin and twist in defense.