The Beast And The Blessed

Sixty-Seven: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

When Cora turned to Tobias for the second time, something in me snapped. I had watched those spikes impale him, watched him pull himself back up, and watched as he fought with everything in him to get to me. He wanted to fight for and protect me, and my need to do the same was just as strong.

For a split second, when the pain of being skewered to the ground hit me, I thought I had lost him. My vision went red, and I was ready to take down the entire mountain.

Then he got up, and I felt like I could breathe again, but I turned my anger to Cora.

I couldn't stop myself if I wanted to. Her ward wasn't breaking as quickly as I hoped, and I knew everyone was exhausted already. As much as I hated to admit it, she was winning. She was so strong from the fresh pull of power from Rona and was only a few hits away from killing one of our people. She had already been close to drowning most of them.

The risk of her ensuring the first to fall would be Tobias was too high. She knew losing my mate would weaken, if not kill me.

Instead, my legs carried me forward until my shoulder dug into Cora's torso, and my arms wrapped around her back. Touching her felt like playing with fire, burning my skin, but when the darkness surrounded us, I knew it was worth it.

The world flickered around us, and my stomach clenched when the familiar feeling of darkness surrounded us.

'What are you doing?" Cora asked as we stumbled and struggled to regain our footing after I tackled her. She gripped me tightly like a child who didn't want to be put down.

'You shouldn't have hurt my mate," I replied, knowing there were so many more reasons behind her death today, but my mind was on the man back in the Sanctum with a gaping chest wound.

Her eyes were wide as she looked around, and I smirked at the unease I saw when she felt them. The shadows.

The low rumble of excited growls through the darkness made the hair on my neck stand up. I had several wounds still bleeding, and the memory of one of the creatures sliding its tongue over my shoulder blade had my heart beating faster.

'You shouldn't have killed those spell casters." My statement was met with her jaw clenching as I grabbed one of her arms and forcefully pried it away from me. It was quite literally a shot in the dark that she wouldn't be able to use her powers here. But even if she could, if I could get her off me and get out of here, she would be stuck. "You shouldn't have killed Rona and the witch in the mountains." "I deserve a trial!" Cora screeched, suddenly no longer as confident as she used to be. We both knew I wouldn't let her out of here. As soon as she was back on Earth, she would go back to wreaking havoc and trying to kill everyone that didn't agree with her or that she could steal power from.

’I'm sure you recognize this place. You don’t deserve the air currently in your lungs, let alone a trial. I am your prosecutor, jury, and judge." My fingernails dug into her arm, puncturing the skin as I held it down and away from me. She may have been more powerful after taking Rona's magic, but I was physically stronger from training every day.

"But not my executioner?" She twisted her arm, grabbing at my forearm but unable to get a firm hold.

’You know what this place is." I felt victorious when she struggled even more, desperate to cling to me. I could feel the hot breath on the back of my neck and the overwhelming presence of the creature.

in me not to flinch away, knowing whatever it was, it had tasted my blood before and had enjoyed it. I dreaded the moment it would run its long and rough tongue along my skin. But

feel its body vibrating as the rumble of excitement

cracked as she yelled,

Walking away from you while you're heart is still beating would be a mistake. You think you

An offering. I'm not

into her chest. Her fingernails ripped the skin on my forearm as she fell to the ground, but I pressed my lips together as I watched, praying to the Goddess that I didn't make a mistake by letting her go. There was always

my back let me take a deep breath of relief,

on a shape between us as a

the panic set in. Shadows from all around grew closer and louder as chunks were bitten out of Cora's flesh and torn from her

knew if I stayed, I would

as I tried to focus on The Sanctum of Light and Tobias. I needed to get

my eyes, my fingers lacing with the grass. Every part

eyes opened, and my head snapped up to see him just as his giant Lycan form crashed to the ground

my body into his further, gripping the back of his neck with one hand as

home," I whispered, but the others heard and gathered quickly. As soon as Aurora's hand touched my back, I

empty, and there was a flurry of movement as the doctors and

and stood by my side with his hand in mine as one of the healers immediately began working, holding their hands to my body with their eyes closed. The rush

eyes away from my mate. His chest was still

Margot hung back near the door,

close this fight had been, and I knew it. I didn't like it either. But in the end, we won. I did what needed to be

snapping shut when Natalie stepped forward next to Tobias and threw her arms around me. "We are so glad that you all returned

the healer lifted my shirt and began

okay, but my eyes closed in a rush of unexpected happiness as Killian placed his hand on

He came.

had waited for Tobias or Killian to show up for me when I had been stabbed after the war, but they never did. But

the aftermath of all of this." I responded, my hand waving in

at me warmly before turning to the bed beside me, giving Aurora and

office working for today. She said they would be staying to help out for a bit. Last I heard, she was in a conference call with several Alphas, giving them hell." The corner of his lips turned up, and I knew he was happy to have

the healer. ’I am healed enough right now;

he had been too injured to shift back. The trail of blood had run down his chest