Page 38 of Urban Gladiator

“It will drive you mad. You won’t survive it.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” I was resigned to my fate. It wasn’t how I imagined my life playing out. I always thought when I met my mate, the woman fate had decreed would be mine, that it would be when my life began. Not when it ended.

Simon opened his mouth, then swiveled his head around. “Do you smell that? There’s another scent here, along with hers. I missed it the first time.”

I did too. It was faint, but it had an underlying aroma that blared male to me. I growled and bared my fangs. She better not have met up with a lover. Because I would rip the son of a bitch to shreds. My wolf wouldn’t stand for another male touching my woman. And she was mine, whether she knew it or not.

“Take it easy. Let’s investigate first before going half-cocked.”

“You take it easy.” I loped ahead, scouting for danger, searching for my mate, and followed that male’s scent.

Simon and I reached a clearing. We’d passed it before, and there’d been nothing there. But now there was a huge tent in the center of the field. My snout caught another faint scent on the breeze.

Ember. She was there inside with another male. Unable to refrain, I darted ahead with a furious growl and barreled inside the tent.

My eyes adjusted to the dim light. I halted, spying the table full of untouched food where Ember’s scent grew louder. I swiveled my head and spied a bedroom. Inside was a fucking jinn bound by vines. He’d been trussed up like the spoils of war. Why had Ember been here only to leave this creature bound?

“Where is she?” I growled, advancing into the bedroom. “Where’s the witch?”

“Where do you think? Untie me.”

“I will when you answer the question.” Simon joined me. “Search the rest of the tent and make sure she’s not still here hiding.”

Simon nodded. Then, in vampiric fashion, did a loop around the interior at hyper speed. “It’s empty save for the jinn.”

I nodded. “Tell me where she is, and I will release you.”

“Not sure. She went ballistic, and this was the result.”

“Why? What did you do to her?”

“Nothing. I was going to feed her. She asked for help. And, well, she was beautiful. I couldn’t seem to say no. I bet she compelled me to help her. When we reached my tent, she wrapped me in these vines and fled.”

“How long ago did she leave?”

“This morning. I don’t even know what time of day it is.”

She was hours ahead, but with my advanced speed, I should find her before daybreak tomorrow. “Do you know what direction?”

“She mentioned something about heading into the mountains and leaving Avalon.”

She was trying to escape. Mayhap I should let her.

No. My wolf refused.

We still had time left with her. We needed what little time we could eke out before giving her up forever. It wasn’t the best strategy, but it was the only one I had now.

“Thank you. Rest assured, I will make her pay for what she’s done.” And with my paw, I severed the vines. Jolts of pure magic shot up my legs and made me dizzy.

Just how powerful was Ember? In all my encounters with witches, I’d never had a spell feel that potent just from touching it. And I had witnessed her ability to use witch flame.

The jinn crawled out from beneath the vines and stood. “Thank you for freeing me. And you don’t have to worry. If I ever see that witch again, I’ll tie her to my bed and exact my vengeance by making her my slave.”

“Oh shit,” Simon murmured quietly at my side.

He’d make my mate his slave? In his fucking bed? With a snarl, I leapt at the jinn and took him down. He fought me, but after being tied up for hours, his limbs weren’t moving fast enough. I went for his jugular. My jaw clamped around his neck. He screamed as I bit through sinew and bone and ripped his head clean off. A spray of blood followed.

He died choking on his own blood. I spat his head out. And then had to spit his disgusting blood out. The last thing I needed to do was trip balls on a jinn’s altered blood. I’d never find Ember in time.

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