Braeden spread his wings, hovering for a second. He reached out for the familiar light of the mate bond, the golden glow pulsing firm and strong in his heart.
I love you, he thought.
For a moment he could see Alyx, standing in the council chamber. Her eyes were worried, but he could smell the scent of her hair and feel the warmth of her skin.
There was so much he still had to show her about the shifter world. And so much she still had to teach him about the human world.
Then a loud roar pulled him from his thoughts, and Steele attacked.
Steele was fast. He evaded Braeden's first attack effortlessly; the flames never even got close to touching him.
Likewise, it felt easier now to escape Steele's attack.
Perhaps it was because Braeden was mated now and had access to his full power. But he couldn't help fearing that it was because of the darkness inside him.
Something in him seemed to know just a heartbeat earlier than he should have known how Steele was going to attack. Which seemed like a good thing—but what if Steele found a way to exploit that connection?
Just barely in time, Braeden swerved, escaping a lance of shadow-tinged fire. It hit the rock behind his back instead, part of the mountainside crumbling.
Steele roared, the sound echoing from the jagged rock surrounding the valley. A second later, another jet of shadow-fire came his way—and this time, Braeden had anticipated it.
At the last moment, he flipped in the air. He dove beneath the stream of dark fire just in time to face Steele instead, who was now too close to twist out of the way.
Braeden opened his jaws. The living flame within him burned fierce and hot as he thought of what Steele had done to his mate—
And then the shadows inside his chest constricted around his heart.
For a moment, darkness swallowed him. It was difficult to see. He could feel nothing but the terrible, cold hand of the shadow inside him. It reached out for his heart, clenching around it, and Braeden bared his teeth in agony as he fought with all his might.
Then he tore free.
He'd missed his window. Steele was already past him, and now it was Braeden who was once more wide open to attack.
With darkness still hovering around the edges of his vision, Braeden barely escaped the next jet of dark fire. It came so close that he could feel the heat of it against his face.
The shadows within him twisted and turned once more.
Clenching his teeth, he fought against it. If he could just have one moment, one single moment with his full power at his command...
But the shadow seemed strangely alive within him. It was like fighting a battle on two fronts.
Steele was a powerful enemy at the best of times. Now, with Braeden having to use most of his power to hold the shadows within him at bay, there seemed to be no way that he could win.
Roaring a furious challenge, Braeden forced himself to turn, ignoring the blackness choking his heart.
If I lose, what will happen to my friends? What will happen to Alyx?
He couldn't lose. He had to keep her safe.
Even if it took his own life to accomplish that...
Chapter Nineteen: Alyx
Alyx had waited in the kitchen at first, but despite Ginny's attempts to distract her, she hadn't been able to bear it for long.
Next, she'd gone to the huge council chamber, walking back and forth—but that hadn't helped either.
In the end, she'd wandered the many tunnels of Sky Home, discovering storage rooms, guest rooms, and the occasional opening that led to natural balconies, giving her an incredible view of the mountain and the clouds below.