Page 110 of Marked By Moonlight
A second later, Ambrose’s large black wolf with golden streaks and glowing eyes is standing in front of me. His frame is still scary as hell, as are his sharp teeth that are about to tear into my human flesh. But I don’t feel any of that fear when I look at him now. I know what has to be done, and I know I’m strong enough.
“Do it,” I say.
He growls low in warning.
“Do it,” I give my own alpha command, unsure if it will work. “Mark me as your mate.”
Ambrose bares his sharp canines at me, reminding me of the pain I’m about to endure.
I swallow the lump in my throat, preparing my body for the pain. It doesn’t matter how painful it is; I’ll survive. Not becauseI’m stronger than anyone else here, but because he’s my mate. My soulmate. My lover.Mine. The connection between us will ensure I survive.
Ambrose stalks toward me. I take a deep breath and brush my snowy-white hair off my shoulder, giving him easy access. My eyes blaze at his a second longer before he opens his massive jaw, and I wait for the pain. The pain that will make everything worth it. The pain that will break the curse.
His teeth brush against my skin in warning before his canines begin to pierce my sensitive flesh. I grind my teeth together but will not allow myself to show any outward pain. I will survive this. I will—
“Stop! I’m your mate, not Ambrose,” a deep voice says, halting Ambrose as if he’s been commanded.
I blink, unsure of who spoke, but the pain in my neck has lessened as a drop of blood rolls down my neck, stopping at my clavicle. I don’t know why Ambrose even listened to him, but when I look at Ambrose, I see that magic is holding him frozen a few feet away from me.
My heart thunders as I turn toward the voice—Nyx.
“You’re not my mate. Ambrose is,” I say clearly.
“I’m calling in my favor,”Nyx says. My eyes widen as I realize he says it in my head.
What the hell?
“I think you got it wrong. I think I’m your mate, not Ambrose. I want to challenge him to be your mate.” Nyx stalks toward us.
“You’re not my mate,” I say again and more clearly.
“You let me do this, or our deal is over, and Kael is dead.”
I look over to Kael and see two vampires surrounding him.
“Kael!” I scream, trying to warn him, but it’s too late. He’s held tightly by the two vampires at his side.
I glare at Nyx. “Let him go.”
Ambrose still hasn’t moved. He’s completely frozen. And I have no clue what to do.
I look to Rowena and Emeric. Both look ready to leap into action at my command. The entire Moonlight pack is behind them and ready.
“Release Ambrose, and let us continue the ceremony. The moon will crest soon,” I say to Isolde.
“Afraid I can’t do that,” she says.
“Can you break free? What do we do?”I ask Ambrose.
But he doesn’t respond. I doubt he even got my message with the magic surrounding him and stopping me from talking to him.
I look at Rowena and give her the slightest nod. We’re going to have to fight our way out of this.
Then I shift.
With Ambrose in danger, my wolf makes an easy appearance. The world goes black as blinding pain rips through me. At the same time, I hear the chaos break out around us.
I focus all my energy to shift faster, but I can’t make my body change any faster. And I can’t help unless I shift. So I’m trapped in my body as every muscle painstakingly slowly shifts from my thin ribbons into thick bands, giving me the bulk and strength my wolf form needs.
