Protector:A Scifi Alien Romance(51)

“I’m not your enemy.” Lore circled the man.

Blaine growled.

“Your friends are here to rescue you, Blaine.”

Blaine rushed forward. Their swords hit, but Blaine swung his second blade in under Lore’s arm, slicing open Lore’s side.

Hissing, Lore spun away, ignoring the pain and the blood.

Using all his strength, he swung at Blaine. He fought hard, forcing the other man backward across the sand.

“Madeline and Harper are here,” Lore called out in between each thrust of his sword. “Rory and Regan.”

Blaine faltered for a second, before he screamed and swung his swords again.

“Harper,” Lore said. “She’s been looking for you.”

Blaine stopped, staring at Lore. He shook his head, fighting against the drugs.

Then, with a loud roar, he charged forward again.

Lore danced back across the sand, blocking the fierce hits. Drak. He had to think of something else.

He was almost at the wall on the other side of the fighting pit. Then he remembered. The Srinar had taken his sword, but missed the tiny pouches tucked into his belt.

He snatched a pouch off his belt and tossed it at Blaine.

The red smoke exploded in the man’s face, and Blaine started coughing and shaking his head.

Suddenly, a form came racing through the smoke toward Blaine. Lore’s chest went hard. “Madeline, no!”

“It worked on the beast!” She ran right up to the enraged fighter. “Blaine! Please.”

The man opened his eyes, staring down at her. Tears were streaming from his red-rimmed eyes.

“It’s me, Madeline. Madeline Cochran.” She held out a hand. “Let us help you.”

“Let’s give our champion of the fight rings a little help.” Vashto’s deep, gravelly voice interrupted them, his words echoing out across the fighting pit.

Lore cursed. What was the sand-sucking slime doing?

Another gate clanked open on the other side of the pit. Everyone standing on the sand stiffened.

At first, nothing happened, then it looked like shadows slinking out, detaching themselves from the darkness. Five giant shapes.

“Oktani fire wolves.” Lore had never seen them before, had only ever heard of their viciousness.

The crowd cheered, watching the giant beasts with green, leathery skin move forward.

Suddenly, there was a scream from above. Lore looked up in time to see a man’s flailing body falling, tattered clothes flapping around his body.

He landed hard in the sand in the center of the pack of wolves.

Now the crowd went quiet. The poor man got to his knees, terror lining his face.

Drakking hell. Lore started toward the poor soul, but one of the wolves leaped forward, opening its huge jaws.

A stream of fire poured out, engulfing the man.

The victim was turned to charcoal in seconds. The crowd went wild.

“Oh, my God.” Madeline’s face was pale.

But seeing the man die seemed to help Blaine fight off the worst of the drug’s control. He was moving in front of the women, his swords held up, his gaze on the wolves.

Suddenly, the fire wolves howled, a haunting sound that echoed off the walls. One leaped forward with a giant bound. It landed, dirt spraying up from under its paws. It released a stream of fire in Madeline’s direction.

Lore dived, knocking her off her feet. They rolled through the dirt.

He yanked her up and they turned. Blaine was hacking away at a wolf, dancing backward to stay out of the range of the vicious fire.

Behind Lore, the beast-man was standing in front of the other women, and facing off with another wolf.

The other animals were moving in closer. Lore ground his teeth together. They were all trapped with no way out.

He wrapped his arms around Madeline. He’d do anything to protect the woman in his arms. The woman who’d cracked open something inside him that he hadn’t even known he’d buried away.

Staring at the fire wolves, he knew what he needed to do. He wasn’t sure it would work, but it was worth the risk. Madeline was worth the risk.

He caught Blaine’s gaze. Then Lore pushed Madeline into Blaine’s hold.

The man wrapped his arms around her and she started, her gaze flying to Lore’s. “What’s going on?”

Lifting his sword, he turned to the wolves. “Only I can take them down.” He breathed deep. He’d never had a chance to fully embrace his powers. He’d kept them hidden beneath illusions.

Now, it would be a trial by fire.

Literally.

He walked steadily toward the wolves.

“No!” Madeline screamed.


***

What was he doing? Her heart thundering in a bid to burst out of her chest, Madeline watched Lore walk into the center of the giant, wolf-like creatures.

They circled him, their eagerness visible in the excited lines of their bodies.