Chapter 25

Chapter

Twenty-Five

CONNOR

The water somehow felt cold and on fire at the same time.

Connor fought the whole way down, the weight of the chains dragging him faster until the surface high turned into a bleak shadow. His knees hit the sludgy bottom, knocking against uneven rocks and what could only be bones. A cloud of filth billowed around him, and Connor fought the desire to flail in horror.

Eyes closed, he twisted, fingers scrabbling for the padlock at his waist. It lay out of reach, his nails barely scraping the hard edge. He couldn't let frustration win. His mate needed him.

Lungs burning, Connor let himself drift onto his side, sinking deeper into the muck. Every instinct told him to thrash and fight as the repulsive debris fluttered over his eyelashes and against his clenched mouth. He twisted again, hoping to entangle the padlock against bones or some other hard object.

Ben , he thought. His beautiful, strong mate would survive this no matter what. Ben was a fighter, more wild and stubborn than any wolf.

Something brushed against his leg.

Connor flinched in horror, precious air bubbles escaping his lips.

The phantom touch found his calf again. Connor kicked, hitting nothing.

Wolf…

The whisper chilled Connor to his bones.

A weight pressed him down until his hip grinded against bones. The chains snagged on something, locking him down.

The water grew heavy and compressed on his lungs, trying to rob Connor of precious oxygen. Connor thrashed, sensing an eternal and raging entity looming over him.

Help my mate! Connor thought, yanking frantically on the chains.

The water coalesced into a dark shape, something cold and menacing. What will you do for him?

Anything! Everything! Connor dug his knees into the muck, his lungs on fire. Ben had regained his strength, but he still expected to end up alone. Connor couldn't do that to him. He refused to abandon his mate by dying here amongst the remains of Ben's murdered clan.

Satisfaction swirled around him.

Straining, Connor wrenched again on the chains. Something touched his wrist, and he flinched in readiness for death—except the chain suddenly fell away.

He freed his arm before working blindly on the chain around his waist. He found the padlock and jerked down, feeling it fully unlock and fall away. He wrenched on the chain free of his waist.

Thank you , he thought as the entity withdrew. Kicking his ankles free, Connor pushed off from the bottom, propelled by an unseen force.

He opened his burning eyes to stare at the surface, claws extending in readiness.

His mate needed him.