Free The Mermaid's Mate by Kristin Miller

stupidity.
    Readying himself for the coming fight, Timber stretched tall. His gums lifted, exposing his tingling fangs. A debt is a debt , Ryder , and I swear to you that I’ll be a part of this pack until you release me. But I won’t let you steal the Mer stone without a fight.
    As Ryder growled, Timber lurched forward and attacked, biting into Ryder’s neck. He thrashed, trying to dislodge Timber’s fangs. He shook his massive body, flailing muscle and limb. They careened into the wall. Slammed into one another. When Ryder shook free from Timber’s hold, he took a single swipe of his claw to Timber’s nose, then bolted out the opening behind them that led to the edge of the mountain. Timber trailed, but as he burst out of the opening, he tripped.
    Sapphric was curled up on the ground, bleeding through a gash in his neck. He was breathing, barely holding on to the thread of life.
    Timber howled, a deafening war cry meant for Ryder to hear as he bounded away.
    Shifting back to human form, Timber instinctively knew why Ryder bolted out the entrance and into the cloak of night: if they’d continued their fight, Ryder might’ve lost, but there was no way Timber would turn his back on Sapphric, who was weak and dying at his feet.
    For now, he had to let Ryder go.
    “It’s all right, Sapphric, I’ve got you now.” Timber carried the healer into his den and set him on a wobbly table in the corner. He sifted through cabinets, unsure what the devil he was looking for, and came out with a roll of gauze and an unopened bottle of water. “I’m gonna fix you right up.”
    Sapphric groaned as Timber wet the gauze and dabbed it against the gaping wound. Making an irritated grunt, Sapphric swiped Timber’s hand away and pointed to the shelf on the far wall. His arm drooped off the table, revealing a large pool of blood on his chest.
    The old man was losing too much blood and wouldn’t last long. But there had to be something here, some sort of magic concoction that could stop the bleeding, heal the wound and save him.
    Moving quickly, Timber sifted through the bottles on the shelf. “There are too many. Which one do you need?”
    “Black for me,” Sapphric groaned. “Silver for you.”
    Thinking of nothing but saving Sapphric, Timber snatched the lone black vial on the shelf. Popping the top, Timber brought it to Sapphric’s mouth, and let the yellowish liquid gather on his lips before it finally seeped in. How long would he have to wait, watching over Sapphric while he healed, before he could leave and warn Marian that Ryder was coming for her and the stone?
    “How long?” Timber asked, leaning over Sapphric, watching his skin pale. “How long until the serum heals you?”
    “Won’t heal me.” Sapphric sputtered the words, and seemed to choke on his tongue. “Will...end suffering.”
    Timber gasped, ripping the vile away from the old man’s lips. “Sapphric, no!”
    “You and she,” he whispered, his voice fading in and out. “You take the silver vial...use it to go down and breathe. I’ve been working on it for years...in secret. You...” He gasped for air. “...need it now. Bring her back. You and she come back. Live... here .” As the final word left his lips, Sapphric’s body went limp. His lips parted, the hint of the serum still lingering upon them. He expended his final breath, leaving Timber reeling.
    If he hadn’t come here seeking Sapphric’s help, none of this would have happened. He couldn’t even fathom taking Sapphric up on his offer to bring Marian back here and live together. Not now, not when thoughts of Marian’s betrayal tainted every other thought in his head.
    The silence of the antechamber was heavy and stifling—a noose tightening around Timber’s neck. But he had a job to do. A new mission: he’d have to stop Ryder from stealing the Mer stone. He couldn’t turn his back on Marian and her Mer colony. And no matter what happened beneath the waves, he couldn’t