Guarding Mari by Ella Grey Page A

blurred his vision. He tried to hold onto consciousness like it was a physical thing, but weakness dragged him under.
    “We don’t have the time to wait. I’m sorry, Daniel, but I would rather risk me than you.”
    A brush of her lips against his, droplets of tears trailed down his cheeks, and he knew they weren’t from him. “Mari....”
    “Goodbye, Daniel...I love you.”
     
     
    She slipped on a pair of jeans and a sweater before heading out, a knife hidden up her sleeve. The blade wasn’t sharp, but even a dull knife with shifter strength behind it would kill a man. She pulled on her boots and cast one more look at the sleeping form of her mate; she’d already sent a message to the pack. She could have called them, but she didn’t want to risk Adam talking her out of her plan. He would fail, but there was only so much time left, and she didn’t want Ryback coming to the cabin. He’d end up killing Daniel or finding another way to use him against her in his weakened state, if he thought the shot hadn’t killed him.
    She hiked back up to the pond. Ryback had talked about their connection, but Mari sure as hell wasn’t comfortable using it. She had no idea how it worked, and if it was so potent, why the hell hadn’t she sensed him? If she’d been and done better, Daniel wouldn’t have gotten shot.
    Tears welled up in her eyes. Dammit . She wiped the back of her hand against her eyes. Ryback couldn’t win. He wouldn’t succeed in breaking her. She’d changed since the original attack, no longer a confident doctor who didn’t know about the world that lived in the shadows next to hers. Now she was a wolf. She’d hunted and killed.
    Ryback had destroyed everything close to her heart, changing her into something she didn’t recognize at the time. Daniel was the light to Ryback’s darkness, even though he never thought of himself that way. He believed darkness tainted his soul. That he didn’t deserve any of the lightness or goodness which having a mate meant. She’d seen past that. The way he’d held her in his arms the night in the motel, like she was made out of spun glass. Even when her wolf tore through to the surface. After that, she’d been happy, finding a moment pure and beautiful in all the mayhem of her first shift. She wished she’d told Daniel. If it all went to hell, she wanted him to know how happy he’d made her in the moments they’d finally been together. A few hours and a day, with the threat of death hanging over their heads, had been the happiest she’d ever been.
    Ryback is going to pay for fucking with my happiness .
    Mari pushed trees out of the way. The strain of climbing up the steep hill made the backs of her legs burn. The clouds were dark. The moon hung low in the sky. It wouldn’t be much longer before it hung high in a black sky scattered with stars. The still water and the scent of Daniel’s blood still thick in the air. She mentally pushed the sadness away and let her wolf dance to the surface, as angry as she was, and desperate for revenge. The wolf worked on instinct, but she needed a cool head. With a deep breath, she took note of her surroundings, pinpointing Ryback’s scent. In all honesty, she’d never forgotten it. The way it made her nose wrinkle in distaste—even when she’d been human, he’d had the same effect on her. The bitterness inside of him seeped into her like a cancer. Mari would never forget where she came from, who’d infected her.
    She walked around in small circles, ignoring Daniel’s blood, following the scent through the trees where Ryback had vanished earlier. There were a lot of hiding places in the mountains, but Ryback had made no effort to hide his scent completely. Did he honestly think she’d just walk to her death? That she wouldn’t be able to fight and beat him, so why should he bother hiding from her? It couldn’t be possible the sweet doctor he’d infected had turned into a ruthless and effective killer.
    Mari