Time held no meaning. It could have minutes or hours. They were well matched even with Kendrick being so much bigger than Rex. Everything seemed clear.
Until the door slammed open. Her scent hit him hard even in the middle of his fury, like a gut punch.
Damn it.
Elizabeth had an uncanny habit of getting in the middle of bad situations and making them harder on him. Kendrick must have realized the same time he did that it meant she had arrived. Turning faster than Rex could catch him, he leapt onto Rex’s mate.
With a gleam in his mouth and a snarl in his throat, Kendrick let Rex know his intentions. Elizabeth’s death. And from the scream released from Elizabeth’s mouth, she knew what he meant to do, too.
Rex’s heart fell. She was a betrayer. But he loved her. Would always love her. Even now, in the midst of everything, he could feel the gentle part of her soul filling him inside.
Whatever she’d done she had done because she thought she had to. He could see it very clearly. With no time to contemplate anything, Elizabeth’s reasons passed before his eyes. She hadn’t wanted to mate him, had been very honest about it in the beginning.
He’d taken her, pursued her, and ultimately she’d believed she’d had a bargaining chip.
It wasn’t her fault he’d all but forced an unwanted mating on her. She wasn’t wolf.
He was mated, not she. And he would love her forever.
For a split second he opened his mind to her. Like a bomb going off, their consciousness fused together in a split second of absolute glory.
Forgive me my shortcomings, Elizabeth.
Rex, no.
He shut down her scream in his mind. There was no way he could do what he had to with her in there with him. Her humanness would protect her. She wouldn’t have to follow where he went if she didn’t choose to. For the first time ever, he felt gratitude he’d not been loved as he could have been. He could die without subjecting her to the same fate.
He spoke to his wolf. Goodbye, my friend. Rex felt no sadness as he shifted into his human form, simply absolute resolve. “Take me.” He looked at his father before glancing at Elizabeth. “It’s time for you to run.”
I go where you go. His wolf sounded resolved, and he knew they were on exactly the same page.
“Rex, don’t you dare do this.”
Elizabeth’s agony hit him at the same time Kendrick’s claws tore into his skin. He would never help Tristan but he would save Elizabeth. She would live the life she should have.
“No!”
Elizabeth yelled in a tone he’d not heard from her before. Her voice seemed to resonate off the walls, bounce off the ceiling, and fill the entire room. The pain that had dug into his chest and neck, ceased as Kendrick’s body flung off his like he’d been ripped away. Stars crossed Rex’s eyes, as he was blinded. Kendrick screamed, and Rex leapt to his feet. What the hell was going on?
Damned if I know. His wolf seemed as clueless as he was.
Elizabeth caught his attention. Light surrounded her, brighter than any he had ever seen. Her skin glowed a radiant gold and her eyes burned a deep black.
“Elizabeth.” He called out her name but she didn’t respond, her entire attention focused on Kendrick in front of her.
“You will not touch him.” She pointed at the wolf who he had thought was his father. “I will not allow it.” With the point of her finger, she raised Kendrick’s wolf form off his feet. “I will put you down, wolf. As you should have been long ago.”
“Stop.” Drea’s voice interrupted the scene, but Elizabeth did not drop Kendrick.
The evil witch continued. “If you hurt him, I will end her.” Rex didn’t have to look up to see who it was. Drea had a woman who had to, simply by the close family resemblance, be Elizabeth’s mother by the throat. “It will only take a split second. One dose of spell right into her artery. She’ll be dead before she hits the ground.”
“Don’t bother with me, Elizabeth. Live your life.”
Rex wasn’t going to let anything happen to Elizabeth’s mother. If Elizabeth had Kendrick, he’d take care of Drea.
“Don’t even think of it, wolf. I’ll have her dead before you can try.”
“Elizabeth.” Rex regarded her. She wasn’t meant to kill. Not with her kindness. It would change something in her he didn’t want altered. “Don’t do it. Leave it to me.”
“You will go.” Elizabeth spoke through gritted teeth to both Drea and Kendrick. Rex knew if she’d talked to him like that he’d listen. Her tone bore no dispute. “And you won’t come back here or I’ll tear both of you limb from limb until you’re nothing but carnage. I can do that now.”