Marrying a Warhound (Cassian) novel Chapter 83

The beast lunged.

I barely got my dagger up before its weight slammed into me. My back hit the cave floor hard, the air rushing from my lungs. Claws tore at my arm, its jaws snapping for my face. I shoved up with both hands, blade between us, but its strength was more than I expected.

Then pain ripped through me. A curse left my lips.

Its fangs sank deep into my shoulder. Hot fire spread under my skin almost instantly, a sharp burn racing down my arm and across my chest. Poison. My body stiffened, vision swimming, the taste of blood sharp on my tongue.

No. Not here. Not like this.

I forced my ability over the wound. My ability surged, burning hotter than the venom. I felt it shift, the foul taint breaking apart under my touch. My blood cleared, the poison expelled in black streaks that oozed from the bite. My shoulder still throbbed, but the dizziness faded.

The beast snarled, jerking its head back to bite again. I didn’t give it the chance.

I shoved upward with every bit of strength I had. The dagger punched into its throat, scraping bone. It screeched, thrashing, claws raking across my side. My grip slipped on the hilt, but I gritted my teeth and drove it deeper until the hilt hit flesh.

Its hot breath blasted against my face as it writhed. I twisted the blade and ripped it sideways, tearing the wound wide. Blood poured over my hand, thick and black, coating the stone under us. The beast jerked once, then finally sagged.

But I wasn’t done.

Adrenaline carried me. I rolled, straddling its twitching body, and yanked the blade free. With both hands, I raised it high, then brought it down in a brutal arc. The steel cut through fur, skin, and bone. Once. Twice. The third strike split through completely.

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