Page 95 of Wolf's Bane
“Me,” he agreed. “I’m rather disappointed it took you this long to figure it out. You’re cleverer than the average person but still failed to see what was in front of you. Twice.” He nodded toward Alek, struggling to subdue Miles. “I suppose your uneven education is to blame. I wonder if Godwin knew.”
“Leave my father out of this.” She held his unsettling gaze, resisting the urge to look at her father on the floor. Bleeding. Unconscious.
Miles gutted him like a fish, like it was nothing. She pushed that horror away. She couldn’t help her father if she fell to a beast. Survival was the most important thing at the moment.
Solenne nudged a butter knife with her foot, moving it away from the overturned table. She held out her arms, forming a barricade. Charlotte stood behind her.
Chambers gave a lazy shrug. “I suppose he might not have been so eager to give you to me, had he known.”
“Solenne?” Charlotte’s voice sounded so far away, despite being close enough that she stepped on Solenne’s feet.
“What did you give Alek?” As soon as the question left her lips, she knew. Wormwood. A harmless anti-inflammatory, unless the person was a werewolf.
“Oh, not just Alek. Everyone. Wormwood. Wonderful little herb, isn’t it? It lowers the inhibition and lets the beast out.” That grin again, this time with too many teeth. His control was slipping.
“But why?” And then she knew. “Charlotte’s your anchor. Or you tried to make her your anchor.”
He growled. “She’sdefective. Useless girl. I intended you for that role, but your heart was already set on another.”
“The anchor has to be willing,” she said. If she kept him talking long enough, Alek and Luis could subdue Miles, then focus on Chambers.
“Receptive. She was certainly desperate enough. Practically fell to her knees thanking me.” A vicious grin slithered its way across his face, and Solenne did not want to hear what other activities her friend performed on her knees. “But the connection just wasn’t happening.”
“So endangering her? That was the plan?”
“And it didn’t work!” He growled, and the hairs stood up on the back of her head. “I bit Miles on a whim, but he proved useful. Now, enough chatter, give me my wife.”
Charlotte pressed herself to Solenne, burying her face into Solenne’s hair. Step by step, she eased them away from the table and away from Chambers. Her foot continued to nudge the knife along.
“Come, my sweet, I can smell your blood. You smell delicious. I could just eat you up.” Chambers licked his chops, his face more beast than human now. He grabbed them both, tossing Solenne to the floor and lifting Charlotte. She kicked and squealed. His massive tongue licked her face.
“Stop!” Jase lurched forward, grimacing as if he stepped badly on his leg, and slammed a knife into his uncle’s back. Chambers turned to snarl a warning, acting as if he barely noticed the blade. The color drained from Jase’s face. He teetered on unstable legs, clutching the table for support.
Solenne took the moment’s distraction and rolled to the side, aware of broken shards of glass cutting through the thin material of her dress, and reached for the butter knife. It was nothing compared to the beast that masqueraded as Chambers, but it was silver and the handle felt sturdy. She thought the past months of terror this cursed man brought to them and what he took: Godwin’s eyes, mauled livestock, Jase’s leg fracture, the beast that cornered her at the stone circle, and Miles. If he survived his first shift, if he found an anchor, his life would be forever changed.
Her anger grew with each slight. This pathetic excuse for a man wronged her. Took from her.
Finally, Charlotte, the best person she knew, who had so much love in her heart. He was going to kill her. Solenne knew it in her bones, and she couldn’t let that happen. Charlotte was hersfirst.
The knife handle warmed to her touch. It nearly vibrated with her anger, demanding to be the instrument of retribution. Fine weapons decorated the walls, but none were in reach. This is what she had. A gust from an open window stirred through the room, whipping up her hair.
She’d make do. She’d make the humble butter knife make do.
Chambers opened his maw, lowering toward Charlotte.
Rushing forward, she jumped and grabbed what she could reach. Her finger dug into his eyes. She grabbed his earlobe and pulled with all her weight. He tried to shake her off, but she clung to him. Claws raked her skin, sharp. Charlotte fell to the floor.
Solenne sank the knife into his eye, causing a roar that rattled the windows. The silver stung her hand, but she did not let go. Twisting and pushing it in as far as possible, she clung onto him until he finally threw away.
Chambers stumbled blindly, heading for the door.
Luis rushed him from behind and ran a sword clean through. She must have hit her head when she was thrown because the blade glowed violet. “I knew it,” her brother breathed.
Half-man, half-beast, and all monster, Chambers looked at the bloody point emerging from his abdomen. Such a blow would have ended any other werewolf. Hopefully, this weakened him enough to end this. He lumbered toward Luis, who darted back to the wall and grabbed the nearest weapon, a lovely silver-headed war hammer.
Chambers had decorated the room with the weapons of his own destruction.
“Mr. Parkell! Catch.” Luis tossed the war hammer to Jase, who looked rather at a loss as to what to do with the weapon. A look of determination settled on his face.
