Chapter 26
599words
I didn't answer with words. I attacked.
My jaws clamped around his arm with crushing force. He howled in pain, trying to throw me off, but I was relentless. Through our bond, I could still feel Derek's life force, weakening by the second. His pain fueled my rage, my determination.
Victor fought back with desperate strength, his claws raking across my flank. I felt the pain, but it seemed distant, unimportant. All that mattered was ending the threat to my Mate.
We crashed through equipment, smashed against walls. Victor's enhanced strength was formidable, but my silver wolf form was his equal. More than his equal—for every wound he inflicted, my silver fur seemed to absorb the damage, healing almost instantly.
Finally, I saw my opening. As Victor lunged forward, I ducked under his massive arm and drove upward, my teeth finding his throat. With one powerful movement, I tore through flesh and bone.
Victor's body convulsed, his eyes wide with disbelief. He tried to speak, but only a gurgling sound emerged. Slowly, his massive form crumpled to the floor.
It was over.
I shifted back to human form immediately, not caring about my nakedness, and rushed to Derek's side. His breathing was shallow, his heartbeat faint. The wound in his chest was horrific—a gaping hole where Victor's claws had punched through.
"No, no, no," I sobbed, gathering him into my arms. "Don't leave me. Please, Derek. I just found you. I can't lose you too."
Through our bond, I could feel his life slipping away. I placed my hands over his wound, calling on every bit of healing power I possessed. Silver light flowed from my palms into his body, but the damage was too severe. The wound was closing too slowly.
"It's not enough," I whispered in despair.
Derek's eyes fluttered open, finding mine. "Lena," he breathed, his voice barely audible. "My Lena."
"Don't talk," I begged. "Save your strength. I'm going to heal you."
He smiled faintly. "I love... you."
"I love you too," I said fiercely. "That's why you can't leave me. Do you hear me? You can't leave!"
Tears streamed down my face, falling onto his wound. As they touched his torn flesh, something strange happened. The tears began to glow with the same silver light as my healing power, but brighter, purer.
I stared in wonder as the light spread, enveloping Derek's entire body. The wound began to close more rapidly, torn tissues knitting together before my eyes.
"Silver," I whispered, understanding dawning. "It's not just healing power. It's love."
I bent down and pressed my lips to Derek's, pouring every ounce of love I felt into the kiss. The silver light intensified, becoming so bright I had to close my eyes. I could feel our bond strengthening, our life forces intertwining even more completely than before.
When the light finally faded, I opened my eyes to find Derek looking up at me, his wound completely healed. A thin silver scar was the only evidence of his near-fatal injury.
"You saved me," he said in wonder, reaching up to touch my face.
"We saved each other," I corrected, helping him sit up.
Derek pulled me into his arms, holding me as if he never wanted to let go. "I felt it," he whispered against my hair. "When you transformed. That wasn't just your wolf form."
I nodded. "Silver and I... we became one completely. I think that's what the legends meant about silver wolves. Our true power isn't just healing—it's love."
