The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 174

Sixty-Seven: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

When Cora turned to Tobias for the second time, something in me snapped. I had watched those spikes impale him, watched him pull himself back up, and watched as he fought with everything in him to get to me. He wanted to fight for and protect me, and my need to do the same was just as strong.

For a split second, when the pain of being skewered to the ground hit me, I thought I had lost him. My vision went red, and I was ready to take down the entire mountain.

Then he got up, and I felt like I could breathe again, but I turned my anger to Cora.

I couldn't stop myself if I wanted to. Her ward wasn't breaking as quickly as I hoped, and I knew everyone was exhausted already. As much as I hated to admit it, she was winning. She was so strong from the fresh pull of power from Rona and was only a few hits away from killing one of our people. She had already been close to drowning most of them.

The risk of her ensuring the first to fall would be Tobias was too high. She knew losing my mate would weaken, if not kill me.

Instead, my legs carried me forward until my shoulder dug into Cora's torso, and my arms wrapped around her back. Touching her felt like playing with fire, burning my skin, but when the darkness surrounded us, I knew it was worth it.

The world flickered around us, and my stomach clenched when the familiar feeling of darkness surrounded us.

'What are you doing?" Cora asked as we stumbled and struggled to regain our footing after I tackled her. She gripped me tightly like a child who didn't want to be put down.

'You shouldn't have hurt my mate," I replied, knowing there were so many more reasons behind her death today, but my mind was on the man back in the Sanctum with a gaping chest wound.

Her eyes were wide as she looked around, and I smirked at the unease I saw when she felt them. The shadows.

The low rumble of excited growls through the darkness made the hair on my neck stand up. I had several wounds still bleeding, and the memory of one of the creatures sliding its tongue over my shoulder blade had my heart beating faster.

'You shouldn't have killed those spell casters." My statement was met with her jaw clenching as I grabbed one of her arms and forcefully pried it away from me. It was quite literally a shot in the dark that she wouldn't be able to use her powers here. But even if she could, if I could get her off me and get out of here, she would be stuck. "You shouldn't have killed Rona and the witch in the mountains." "I deserve a trial!" Cora screeched, suddenly no longer as confident as she used to be. We both knew I wouldn't let her out of here. As soon as she was back on Earth, she would go back to wreaking havoc and trying to kill everyone that didn't agree with her or that she could steal power from.

’I'm sure you recognize this place. You don’t deserve the air currently in your lungs, let alone a trial. I am your prosecutor, jury, and judge." My fingernails dug into her arm, puncturing the skin as I held it down and away from me. She may have been more powerful after taking Rona's magic, but I was physically stronger from training every day.

"But not my executioner?" She twisted her arm, grabbing at my forearm but unable to get a firm hold.

’You know what this place is." I felt victorious when she struggled even more, desperate to cling to me. I could feel the hot breath on the back of my neck and the overwhelming presence of the creature.

It took everything in me not to flinch away, knowing whatever it was, it had tasted my blood before and had enjoyed it. I dreaded the moment it would run its long and rough tongue along my skin. But it didn't.

Instead, I could feel its body vibrating as the rumble of excitement grew louder from behind me.

'You can't leave me in here!" Her voice cracked as she yelled, and a cruel laugh ripped free from my chest.

'Oh, Cora. After everything you did. I'm not planning on just leaving you in here. Walking away from you while you're heart is still beating would be a mistake. You think you shit gold with your holier-than-thou attitude...

consider yourself a sacrifice, then. An offering. I'm not your executioner. He is."

Cora's scream echoed through the darkness as I stepped away, my back grazing the chest of the creature behind me before I launched my foot into her chest. Her fingernails ripped the skin on my forearm as she fell to the ground, but I pressed my lips together as I watched, praying to the Goddess that I didn't make a mistake by letting her go. There was always the chance of the creature attacking me since I was closest.

The rush of air at my side and the sudden chill on my back let me take a deep breath of relief, knowing the creature had moved around me.

I watched with horror as the dark shadow took on a shape between us as a giant claw stabbed through Cora's chest.

The second the organ was ripped free, the panic set in. Shadows from all around grew closer and louder as chunks were bitten out of Cora's flesh and torn from her body.

I knew if I stayed, I would be next.

My eyes closed as I tried to focus on The Sanctum of Light and Tobias. I needed to get back to him.

Humid air washed over me, and I fell to my knees before opening my eyes, my fingers lacing with the grass. Every part of my body hurt.

"Joselin!" Tobias's deep voice yelled, and I heard him stumbling toward me. My eyes opened, and my head snapped up to see him just as his giant Lycan form crashed to the ground beside me and pulled me to his chest.

It was bloody, and dirt was matted into the wet fur, but I pressed my body into his further, gripping the back of his neck with one hand as I listened to his heartbeat.

'She's dead. Let's go home," I whispered, but the others heard and gathered quickly. As soon as Aurora's hand touched my back, I let the warmth of the white vastness welcome me before the world around us faded back into view.

The rows of beds were empty, and there was a flurry of movement as the doctors and healers in the infirmary guided everyone to one to be treated.

Only Tobias refused to let me go. He carried me over to the closest bed and stood by my side with his hand in mine as one of the healers immediately began working, holding their hands to my body with their eyes closed. The rush of heat and tingling sensation that accompanied the rapid healing was oddly comforting.

Yet, I couldn't take my eyes away from my mate. His chest was still bleeding, not as much as before, but I was surprised he was still standing.

’Joselin." Killian's voice filled the room, and the murmuring stopped. He stormed in with Natalie trailing behind him. Cyrus, Aisha, and Margot hung back near the door, but I could see the relief on the spell caster's face when they landed on me.

Killian looked furious. His black eyes faded away as he took inventory of the room and that everyone had returned. He didn't like how close this fight had been, and I knew it. I didn't like it either. But in the end, we won. I did what needed to be done, and the threat was eliminated.

Killian's jaw opened before snapping shut when Natalie stepped forward next to Tobias and threw her arms around me. "We are so glad that you all returned safely."

Her eyes dropped to my stomach, where the healer lifted my shirt and began working on the melted skin on my side.

I wanted to assure her I was okay, but my eyes closed in a rush of unexpected happiness as Killian placed his hand on my leg.

He came.

I had waited for Tobias or Killian to show up for me when I had been stabbed after the war, but they never did. But now, I had my family with me this time, and my fears about not being wanted, replaceable, and good enough faded.

’I wasn't expecting to see you all so soon. I figured you would be busy dealing with the aftermath of all of this." I responded, my hand waving in the air lazily to gesture to the room around us and all the injured Lycans.

Natalie smiled at me warmly before turning to the bed beside me, giving Aurora and Henry a hug.

’Charlie is in my office working for today. She said they would be staying to help out for a bit. Last I heard, she was in a conference call with several Alphas, giving them hell." The corner of his lips turned up, and I knew he was happy to have her home and her help.

I turned to the healer. ’I am healed enough right now; please make him stop bleeding."

Tobias glanced down at his chest, staying in his Lycan form, but I knew it was because he had been too injured to shift back. The trail of blood had run down his chest and covered the tops of his thighs, but he refused to let my hand go when the healer tried to gesture for him to sit in one of the beds.

They worked around him and our connecting hands. By the time they had him healed, one of the servants had already arrived with clothes for all the warriors. The healed warriors were relaxing in bed, naked and proudly on display for the blushing servants as trays of food and drinks were brought in to help them replenish from the taxing fight.

Tobias slipped into the shorts he was handed after shifting back into his skin, grabbing my hand again as soon as he had them on. There was dirt on his face and dried blood covering his body, but he was still the most attractive man I had ever seen. I was lucky to have found and to be loved by him.

Flora came over, finished with who she had been working on, and took over on my last few superficial injuries. "How have you been feeling lately? Any better? You know, before today, I mean."

My eyes moved to Tobias, and I didn't care that we were in a room full of people and that it wouldn't be a private conversation. Now that the threat had been eliminated, I was ready to face our next challenge, and I didn't want to wait anymore before learning the truth.

’No," I whispered to her, holding my mate's stare. "But I think it's because I'm pregnant."

A large smile spread on Tobias's face, making my heart thump wildly and quickly against my ribs. He looked happy and so excited.

A small part of me worried he would assume I had cheated since he never came in me, but he didn't look concerned.

'You're okay with that possibility?' My question received a loud laugh from him in response.

'Sweetheart, it's not a possibility. Do you think I haven't been aware of all of the changes and symptoms you have been having? Ever since you found that hair at Rona's house and discovered it wasn't a curse, I had the feeling you might be pregnant. I couldn't be happier.' His words made me tear up, and he leaned in and kissed my lips. 'Besides, if I can knock you up with a little pre-cum, you better be prepared for a whole litter of kids because I won't ever stop fucking you bare.'

I laughed as I pulled back, holding his stare momentarily before giving Flora my attention.

'We can do the blood test if you want to confirm." Her offer made the smile fall from my face.

"I already told you that you're not touching my blood. Give me a stick to pee on or something." I already had to burn these sheets on the bed and my clothes; I wasn't about to just hand over a vial of my blood.

'Let's get you a test then, and if it's positive, we can set you up for a pelvic ultrasound."

Within a few minutes, I stood alone in the bathroom, holding a stick in a small cup of my urine.

I didn't think my anxiety could be higher, but when I set the test on the counter, I knew I didn't want to do this alone.

Pulling the door open, I grabbed Tobias's arm and pulled him into the small room with me, ignoring the questions from everyone waiting outside with bated breaths.

He pressed a kiss to my head, silently knowing that what I needed right then was just his comfort. I sank into his warm chest before pulling back, using the few minutes we had to wait to rub wet paper towels over his chest, cleaning it of blood.

I felt him staring down at me, and my hands froze over the top of his abs as he lifted my chin with the knuckle of his index finger.

'We are in this together, no matter what." ’Together," I repeated. Tobia held my stare for a few more seconds before reaching over to grab the test, and together we looked down at it.