Chasing His Scentless Mate

Chapter 386 The Silver Bullet

Ava’s POV

The chaos was too loud—growls, snarls, the crash of furniture being knocked over. My warning was swallowed by the cacophony.

Time slowed to an excruciating grind as I watched the gunman steady his aim. The barrel gleamed in the dim light—silver.

Silver bullets. Fatal to werewolves.

The muffled pop of the silenced weapon barely registered before Kenneth’s massive body jerked. A splash of crimson appeared on his glossy black coat, just behind his shoulder.

"NO!" I screamed, but it was too late.

The shooter fired again. And again. Three more bullets found their mark, each one driving Kenneth a step backward. His movements became sluggish, his once-fluid attacks now clumsy and forced.

Silver poisoning worked fast. Already I could see black veins spreading from the entry wounds, contaminating his blood with every heartbeat.

The front doors burst open as Beta Owen charged in with a team of warriors. They immediately engaged the remaining rogues, driving them back from Kenneth’s faltering form.

I didn’t think. I just ran, sliding across the floor to reach Kenneth as he collapsed onto his side. His breathing was labored, each exhale bringing a froth of pink-tinged saliva.

"Kenneth!" I pressed my hands against the worst of the wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. "Stay with me. Please, stay with me."

The powerful wolf shook hard, then began to change. The change was slow and painful to watch, not at all like the smooth, natural shifts I had seen before. When it was over, Kenneth lay there, now human and without clothes, his tanned skin pale, his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat.

I pulled off my jacket and covered him, then quickly put my hands back to press on the wounds. They looked even worse in his human form, angry black holes with dark lines spreading out from them like spider webs.

"The doctors are coming," I told him, tears running down my face. "Just hold on."

Kenneth’s eyes opened slowly, finding me with difficulty.

"The children?" he whispered, blood coloring his lips.

"Safe," I assured him. "I got them all to the safe room."

He tried to smile, but it turned into a painful wince. "Good. That’s... good."

"Don’t talk," I ordered, pressing harder as fresh blood welled between my fingers. "Save your strength."

"Silver," he murmured, confirming what I already knew. "Too close to my heart."

"You’re not dying," I said fiercely. "I won’t let you."

Kenneth’s hand weakly covered mine. "Ava...it’s okay. My pack is strong. They’ll survive without me."

"No!" The word tore from my throat, raw and desperate. "You don’t get to give up."

Something broke inside me. I am a witch... I have the power to save him. My mother always forbade my magic, said I didn’t understand...

I don’t know... I just need to save him now. Pages from magic books flashed in my head... everything was a mess. How do I save him?

Kenneth was dying... and I could save him.

I placed both hands directly over the wound nearest his heart, closed my eyes, and reached deep within myself. Past the familiar wellspring of energy I’d always accessed for minor spells.

Blue light, brighter than before, emanated from my palms. It sank into Kenneth’s chest, seeking out the silver poison coursing through his veins.

"Ava, stop," Kenneth gasped, his body arching as my magic penetrated deeper. "You’ll hurt yourself."

I ignored him, concentrating harder. I could feel the silver now, like tiny fragments of ice in his blood. My magic surrounded each particle, isolating it, drawing it away from his vital organs.

Pain lanced through my head as I pushed beyond my limits.

Warm wetness trickled from my nose—blood, but I couldn’t stop now.

The magic was working.

Kenneth’s breathing was less labored, the black veins slowly receding.

"Not worth it," he mumbled, his eyes fixed on my face even as his body convulsed under my magical assault. "Ava, please."

"You are worth it," I gritted out. "Everyone here is worth it."

The last of the silver gathered under my hands, a poisonous ball I could barely pull out.

The effort almost broke me. My vision grew dark at the edges, blood now flowing from my nose and ears. I felt terribly hot, as if my blood had turned to fire in my veins.

Then, a voice—not from outside, but inside my mind. Clear, strong, and somehow known to me.

"You are stronger than you think. Let me help you."

Something inside me changed, grew, reached back toward that voice with deep need. The wall broke, and power like nothing I had ever felt rushed through me like a wild fire.

With one last push of power, I drew it from his body.

My last clear thought was of Kenneth’s face—color coming back, his eyes opening wide in shock as he looked at me.

Not at my hands or the magic I was using, but at something else.

Then darkness took me, and I knew nothing more.