Page 63 of All's Fair in Lion and War
The pain was lessoning.
The blurring of her vision was dissipating.
Rivian was stalking toward her, his face dancing in and out of view. The torchlight created strange shadows.
Lorelei exploded into her beast with a snarl of fury, swiping her claws at the men who had been holding her down. She was huge. Bigger than she remembered being before. She caught a couple of them across the chest before they backed away.
She looked to her right at the woman who had healed her. And that’s what she’d done—healed her. She’d given her everything back. Everything was in the right place again. The confusion was gone. Her memories were aligned. Even the memory of Riya cursing her because Rivian was holding a blade to her sister’s throat.
Her lion accepted that knowledge and neither of them held Riya responsible for her actions any longer.
The true culprit was standing just ahead. Staring at her form in surprise.
“Change back, Lorelei.” He infused his voice with alpha power, but his hold had been broken.
She was willing to challenge his authority. Her beast was finished simpering and taking whatever he decided to dole out. The bender had given her a power reserve. She had one chance. It wouldn’t be wasted.
“Who is Saul?” He asked, changing tactics and stepping closer. “Was he one of the males in the bar I left for dead? Should I send someone to fetch his body to show you?”
Lorelei bared her teeth and growled a threat she would happily follow through with.
“So I should go get him for you.”
Dalmeck.That wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t want Saul anywhere near Rivian.
She shook her big head and crouched, readying her body for an attack from any direction. Her beast was bigger than it’d been. Somehow the bender had given her more strength. More magick. But there were still so many of Rivian’s warriors.
Taking on all of them at once would still mean her end, even with the extra dose of magick and size. She was still weak. Still starved. The magick boost would only last so long.
A call went out from the edge of camp. Shouting and growls. She scented blood almost immediately. And then she scentedhim.
No.
No.
No.
22
Saul
There were too many.
Too fucking many!
When had so many gathered together? It had to be the whole pride. Not just a pod or two.
Saul shifted in mid stride and shouted over his shoulder. “Get back. Find Col. They’re all here.”
Tor and Liam weren’t right behind him, but they were close enough to hear his warning and avoid the fight he was about to lose. At least he hoped they were.
He shifted back before a male lion slammed into his side. They rolled, coming to their feet, both covered in snow. He shook, clearing it from his face and lunged at the lion in front of him, but missed the one that came up from behind.
His back legs were ripped out from under him. His jump cut short, he landed heavily on the ground and had two lions on top of him immediately. Fangs and claws were everywhere at once. His. Theirs.
He dealt a blow.
They returned two for one. Then three for one.
