Salvatore cried out. “Harley.”
She pushed herself upright, jerking as another bolt slammed into her. Pain exploded through her body, but she refused to go down. Just a few more steps. And then…
Then what?
She didn’t have a clue what she was going to do when she actually reached Salvatore, she only knew that she had to get to him.
Jagged shards of agony burrowed into her bones, making her movements awkward, and black spots danced before her eyes, nearly blinding her. Distantly she could hear Salvatore’s ragged breaths and the low moans that were coming from her own throat, but she refused to focus on anything but putting one foot in front of another.
Demon lord or not, she was too damned stubborn to concede defeat.
There was blood dripping from a dozen small wounds, and Harley suspected that more than one bone was cracked by the time she at last reached the altar.
Once there, she realized that Salvatore looked even worse than she felt.
The dark hair was matted with blood, and his face was an alarming shade of gray. And his poor body…
She shuddered at the charred flesh, unable to imagine the agony he must be enduring.
Instinctively she reached to offer comfort, her hand lightly touching his shoulder.
Her fingers had barely brushed his skin when the black shadow that had wrapped around her gave a bloodcurdling scream. Harley leaned protectively over Salvatore, convinced that her eardrums were about to shatter.
What the hell was the matter with the thing?
Trying to prepare for whatever the demon lord intended to throw at them, Harley barely noticed the tingling sensation beneath her palm. Why would she? She tingled whenever she touched Salvatore.
But as the tingling became more pronounced and a strange heat raced up her arm and through her body, Harley pulled back to meet Salvatore’s startled gaze.
The shadow that had been tormenting her had seemingly vanished, although Harley didn’t believe for a moment that it had truly disappeared. No doubt it was revving up for something even more horrible. But for the moment, she couldn’t concentrate on anything except the warm awareness that flooded through her.
Good…God.
Her wolf impatiently prowled beneath her skin, growling with a need she didn’t understand. It was as if her beast were anxiously searching for something just out of reach.
Shivering, she met Salvatore’s glowing golden gaze. She could sense the power of his wolf reaching out to her, brushing over her skin and cloaking her in his familiar heat. But more than that, she could feel him flowing through her fingertips and into her bloodstream.
Like warm honey, the feeling of Salvatore poured through her, marking her in the most intimate way possible. Harley made a sound of shock, but deep inside, her wolf howled in satisfaction, the restless ache that had plagued her being replaced by a stunning sense of…rightness.
She was whole.
Complete.
The thought had barely passed through her aching brain when she realized there was more than just the essence of Salvatore racing through her blood. There was his power. More power than she’d ever dreamed possible.
Charging full throttle through her body, it washed away her weariness and healed her wounds at record speed.
With a moan, she leaned against the altar, struggling to remain upright as her bones mended and her flesh knit back together at an insane rate. Holy crap. The patching up hurt nearly as much as the initial injury.
At last the deluge of power settled to something bearable, and sucking in a steadying breath, Harley straightened enough to stab Salvatore with a suspicious frown.
“What the hell just happened?”
Salvatore smiled with smug satisfaction. “Exactly what you think happened.”
The mating.
It was complete.
“Oh, shit.”
“Too late for regrets, cara.”
She bit back the urge to tell him that this mating didn’t change a thing between them. Although Salvatore had done his own share of healing, the silver chains continued to burn his flesh and sap his energy.
“It might be too late, period, if we don’t get out of here,” she muttered, her attention shifting to the large silver lock that held the chains in place.
For all the power that tingled through her, she didn’t think she could free him with her bare hands.
As if reading her mind, Salvatore jerked his head toward the shadows behind the altar.
“See if you can find Briggs’s stash of weapons. He’s always had an obsession with big swords. No doubt to compensate for what he lacked in other areas.”
Harley shook her head. They didn’t have time for her to go on a treasure hunt. Already the black mist was beginning to form over the flames of the brazier. She had to get Salvatore loose, and she had to do it now.
“I have a better idea,” she muttered, bending down to lift a heavy rock from the base of the altar.Holding the rock in one hand, she grabbed the lock, hissing as it instantly blistered her skin.
Salvatore struggled against the chains, his face tight with frustration.
“Merda, you’ll hurt yourself.”
“Turn your head away.”
It was the only warning she gave him before she set the lock against the stone altar and lifted the rock to smash the stupid thing over and over. Sparks flew and the sharp sound echoed through the cavern, but with stoic persistence, Harley at last beat the lock to a mangled bit of metal that fell away from the chains with a reluctant clunk.
With a harsh growl, Salvatore shoved the loosened chains off him and leaped from the altar. Then, yanking the knife out of his upper thigh, he glanced at the smashed lock at his feet.
“Remind me not to piss you off.”
“Too late,” she muttered, anxious to get the hell out of the caves. She had reached the end of her tolerance for dark, cramped places and vicious enemies who enjoyed causing pain. “I think that blob of a demon lord is trying to make an encore performance.”
With a nod, Salvatore clutched the knife and began to head back toward the opening of the cavern.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
On creepy cue, the blob shifted away from the brazier and headed directly toward them.
“No,” the demon lord hissed. “We have not yet finished our business, Giuliani.”
“Oh, we’re finished,” Salvatore growled, shoving Harley behind him as the mist swooped downward and attacked.
“Shit.” Harley flinched as the pain smacked into her with the force of a freight train. “How are we supposed to fight this stupid thing?”
Salvatore shoved the knife into the heart of the mist, making it shudder and pull back, but only for a moment. Before they could run, it was returning for another attack.
“He was taking his power from my blood,” Salvatore gritted.
Blood? Harley glanced back at the altar, realizing that the blood Salvatore had lost was pooled in a small cavity at the end of the altar and continued a steady drip into the flames.
She didn’t know jack squat about demon lords, but she had to try something.
“Keep him busy,” she ordered Salvatore, making a dash toward the brazier.
Slashing at the mist with his knife, Salvatore snarled when the flames shot directly toward her.
“Harley.”
“Trust me.”
She tried again to approach the brazier, only to be driven back by the fierce heat. Dammit. There had to be a way.
Turning her attention from the blazing fire, she instead approached the altar. If it was Salvatore’s blood that gave the demon lord his power, then she had to get rid of it.
Easier said than done.
She might still be buzzing from the mating with Salvatore, but the altar was massive. It would be nothing less than a miracle to move it by herself.
She was considering how best to tackle the daunting task when the feel of Salvatore’s pain echoed deep inside her. A glance over her shoulder revealed the black mist had nearly engulfed him.
As if he sensed her hesitation, he sent her an impatient frown.
“Harley.”
“I’m working on it,” she said, putting her shoulder against the altar and shoving with all her might.
“Work faster.”
“If you think this mating thing gives you the right to nag at me, then you better think again.”
Her muscles burned, her legs shaking with the effort to shift the stupid lump of stone. She gained a smidge. Then a half an inch, but she could still hear the relentless drops of blood hitting the flames.
She gritted her teeth. Her muscles were on fire and her shoulder popped out of joint, but she refused to concede defeat.
Dammit, this had to work.
Focused on the altar, Harley barely heard Salvatore when he shouted in warning.
“Look out.”
She grunted as the pain slammed into the back of her head, digging through her skull with nauseating force. Her knees went weak and knowing she was losing the battle, she glanced over her shoulders, relieved to discover that Salvatore was already headed in her direction.
“We’re going to have to do it together,” she gritted.
Something hot and dangerous flashed in the golden eyes. Something that would have sent Harley fleeing in terror if she hadn’t been distracted by her pesky fear of imminent death.