Page 55 of Their Mate

He lifted one gnarled, clawed hand and—without warning—snapped his fingers loudly.

Time seemed to slow, my pulse stuttering painfully as a deep, rumbling boom erupted violently around us. Explosives hidden strategically throughout the auditorium detonated in a coordinated, deadly cascade, the concussive force slamming brutally against us.

“Move!” Edward’s voice snapped through the confusion, harsh and commanding. My pain was forgotten as I lunged toward Sera and Jamie, throwing myself protectively over them as the room exploded around us. Heavy chunks of plaster and concrete rained down on us without mercy, smashing chairs and equipment into twisted wreckage.

Logan caught Edward’s arm, pulling him swiftly toward shelter beneath an overhang, just as debris crashed down where they had just been standing. Clouds of dust and smoke filled the air, choking and blinding us. Through the chaos, the Elder Lycan’s chilling laughter echoed mockingly around us, distorted by explosions and collapsing rubble.

I held Sera tightly beneath me as debris pelted against my back. Pain surged white-hot through me, but I refused to move, shielding her and Jamie desperately until finally, slowly, the explosions stopped, only to be replaced by tense, choking silence.

Coughing violently, lungs burning, I pushed slowly upright, my body battered and bruised, but still somehow alive. Sera stared up at me, eyes wide and dazed. “You alright?” I rasped, choking.

She nodded faintly. “Yes—thanks to you.”

Jamie rose to his feet beside us. “Bloody hell… I’m never doing this again.”

Logan and Edward emerged from their shelter, coughing and battered, but whole. Logan’s gaze moved rapidly between us, assessing everyone. “Everyone okay?”

I nodded, helping Sera carefully to her feet. “Bruised, but breathing.”

Edward wiped dirt from his eyes and started. “Is Declan still there? Is he okay?”

I spun toward the stage, expecting to see the worst.

Miraculously, Declan was still there, tied to the same metal frame at the back of the stage. He looked stunned and weakened, but the falling debris had mostly missed him, though dust and small fragments of plaster littered his hair and clothes.

Relief surged through me, my breath stuttering faintly. “He’s alive,” I managed roughly. “Declan’s still alive.”

“The Elder Lycan is gone, though,” Logan intoned.

I scanned the room. Logan was right. The Elder Lycan had vanished, leaving only twisted metal and shattered stone in his wake. Anger surged within me, mixing bitterly with relief. He’d planned this, orchestrated it perfectly to slow us down, weaken us, and maybe even to kill us.

But we were alive.

A bit the worse for wear, maybe, but at least we were still breathing.

Edward moved cautiously toward the stage, scanning the rubble carefully. “Watch for more traps. He might have rigged the place with more traps.”

Sera spoke beside me. “We need to get Declan out of here, now.”

I nodded quickly, purpose blazing to life within me. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I pushed toward the stage, climbing through wreckage and debris to reach my best friend. My brother. Declan’s weak gaze met mine, relief flickering faintly in his eyes.

“You alright, mate?” I asked roughly, carefully cutting through his bonds with my knife.

Declan managed a strained chuckle. “Oh, I’m just dandy.”

“Can you walk?” Logan asked, watching him with concern.

Declan nodded slowly, wincing slightly as he stood. “I can manage.”

Edward glanced warily toward the back of the stage. “The Elder Lycan vanished through there. He could be waiting to ambush us again.”

Jamie shook his head slowly. “He’s always one bloody step ahead,” he groused.

“Then we move carefully. Get Declan to safety first. Whatever his next move is, we’ll figure it out. Now let’s go.”

With Logan’s steadfast resolve pulling us, our reunited pack left the ruined auditorium and the Elder Lycan behind.

CHAPTER 20