Red and Her Wolf (Kingdom, #3)

Ewan.

For a moment joy replaced the fear. With one final pull, Violet inhaled the last of the dark fairies soul. A mummy stared back at her, desiccated skin covered a tiny pile of bones, then erupted in a giant tower of flame. Fire licked at Violet’s face, but she didn’t pull back, even as she sizzled and burned.

She was going to die.

The madness, the darkness, it spread insidiously to her head, through her veins, down her legs. She screamed. Clawing at her skin to relieve the sensation of a million ants biting, before it drove her mad.

“Get it out,” she cried, doubled over as the agony of a bloated belly ready to rupture, drove her to pound her fists on the ground.

Smoke began to billow from her fingers, out her nose. Her insides quaked, churned like a pot of boiling stew. Eyes burning, she racked her fingers down her face.

She pleaded, begged, not knowing what words came out of her mouth. Then large hands gripped the corners of her face and a pair of lips slammed down on hers. She screamed her agony into its mouth, shoving the alien power down, down, down.

Clutching tight to a savaged back, she sunk her nails in while the violence poured out. The agony turned to relief as the twisted soul transferred out of her body.

“Red.” The voice was gentle, so soft. More a breath of sound.

Ewan. She trembled, he’d found her. Saved her. Love you. Love you so much, she thought over and over even as she poured more and more death into him.

She didn’t notice his tight hands growing slack on her waist, letting Malvena go felt so good. She could breathe again, see again. Violet opened her eyes and stared into a sunken pair of golden ones.

Finally noticing how lax his mouth was on hers, she jerked back. The corners of his eyes were sliced open, bloody tears tracked down the sides of his nose. He was a mass of bruises and cuts. Purple skin mottled the bronze.

“Ewan,” she cried when he collapsed on top of her.

She barely had enough strength to brace his heavy weight.

“He’s fine, Vi,” Aunt Mir’s stern voice filled with compassion. “Ye did well, and so did he.”

“He’s dying,” Violet cried, running her fingers through his matted hair, remembering the agony of being filled with that level of malevolence and power.

“Nay, girl,” Aunt Mir’s large blue eyes blinked solemnly back at her. “Nay. He’s a wolf. His body will expel her poison.”

Ewan’s forehead was wet, and with more than just sweat. A strange oily residue coated her fingers. He was shaking, teeth grinding as his back arced and muscles jerked.

Violet held onto him, grateful beyond words for what he’d done, praying to the gods Aunt Mir was right and the poison would leave his body. She kissed his clammy cheek, his forehead, and nose. Uncaring that he tasted bitter, or that a hint of what’d possessed her, now leaked through him. She wanted him to know she was here, just as he’d been for her.

A strange gurgling sound rumbled from his gut, and then he moaned. Knowing what was coming, Violet turned his face.

Ewan shuddered, retching over and over and over. It seemed impossible that he could spew up so much, but it just kept coming--a steady stream of sparkling black substance.

Tears blinded her vision.

“He’s okay, Violet.” The one named Danika patted her arm gently. “He’ll live.”

She sniffed, and nodded. “I know, it’s just…”

Danika’s blue eyes were kind, her face motherly. So different from the cruel mask she’d worn when grappling with Malvena. “He still loves you.”

A choking sob gripped her, and she shuddered through her tears as he continued to release all of the Black’s power.

She’d put him through so much, tried to kill him, herself. Why would he ever care for her? How could he? She couldn’t have. In fact, she’d hated him for decades, each day letting the hatred fester and boil into a wound so deep, she’d refused to listen. Almost killing any chance she’d ever had at happiness.

Violet was a bad person. Who would want to love that?

She stroked his sweaty forehead. “I’m so sorry, Ewan. I believe you. I trust you. I’m sorry I couldn’t say it before. But you have to be okay. You have to… Because I… I want to know you. I want to mate you too.”

Finally he stopped. Taking deep cleansing breaths before, with a loud moan, he turned to glance at her. A crooked smile curved his cracked lips. “I’d do it again, to hear ye say that.”

She smiled and nuzzled the top of his head. “It’s true.”

“Well, alls well that ends well. Is it not, Mir?” Danika’s voice was light, happy.

Violet smiled and Ewan nodded. “Thank the gods,” they said in unison.

Ewan low crawled away from the glistening puddle that’d now began to froth like a witch’s brew.