What’s worse is that my mate is the begrudging she-wolf seated across from me, an omega I’ve resented for a long time and pushed away with bitter words of contempt.
Huffing irritably under my breath, I turn my eyes away, not wanting to deal with her insolence or deal with her at all. Not now, on an evening that’s lit by the moon and the many stars glittering in the sky. I would have preferred to be swimming in a bottle of whiskey instead of hunting down a defiant omega and rescuing her from the claws of an enemy pack.
As we approach the opposite bank of the Cook Inlet that leads into the small village of Hope, I feel relieved that we’re closer to home. Apart from Hope being a town free from werewolf inhabitants, it’s a relatively safe area since it’s the village the Snehvolk wolves travel to during the day for work and to gather supplies. We can cut through the woods and cross the makeshift bridge over the river toward Girdwood, and I can deal with the omega refusing our mate bond once we’re back home.
But as we stop and I hitch the rope over a rock to keep the boat from drifting back into the water, a sinking feeling slithers down my spine as I get to my feet, forcing me to lookup at the sky and notice the dark gloom that now covers our surroundings.
Panic floods my being, widening my eyes with the horror of realization. My biggest nightmare is about to manifest in the form of the demon dog I’ve been trying to hunt down.
“Fuck,” I curse under my breath, grabbing Rissa with an urgent force and setting her on her feet on the edge of the riverbank before following as quickly as I can. The dense, dark cloud that covers the skies floats toward us from the direction we’d just come from, lifting goosebumps on my forearms and alerting my inner wolf with prickling fine hairs on the back of my neck.
I’ve faced the demon twice before with my pack members in Girdwood, and I know exactly what to look out for when it’s approaching. The warning signs of the eerie discomfort wouldn’t have been so daunting if I weren’t alone, or if my inner wolf didn’t suddenly feel compelled to keep the omega safe.
It’s her hand I grab in haste now, pulling her close as my eyes flit to the ominous cloud of dark mist approaching.
“The demon is coming,” I warn in a whisper as I lock eyes with Rissa. “It’s safe to shift now, but…” My voice tapers off when an imminent warning comes from deep within my being. It’s my inner wolf whispering that I shouldn’t let Rissa out of my sight, not just because she might try to run again, but because it’s dangerous. “Actually, it’s not safe for you to shift. You’re gonna climb on my back, and I’m gonna get us out of here.”
“Brooks, I don’t—”
“Don’t fight me on this, woman!” I spit as I shake her shoulders. “Now is not the time to argue. We’re both in trouble. The demon is coming.”
There must be something in my stern tone that makes Rissa nod, just in time to lift her attention to the dark clouds swirling above our heads. Satisfied that she’s not going to attempt an escape, I step back and invoke my wolf with a deep breath. Swept in a torrent of dark fur, my wolf comes to the fore, and I land on my front paws before Rissa. To my relief, she makes no protest as she hops onto my back.
Kicking my weight on my hind legs when she grabs tufts of lush black fur in her fists, I run toward the gathering of trees, my heart pounding with alarm as the air becomes colder, but my blood races through my veins even hotter than my naturally heightened temperature. It makes it easier to navigate the forest in my attempt to get us to safety, but I can feel the ominous force gaining on us, and I know it’s giving chase.
I race like lightning, the trees bolting past me in blurred blotches in the dark. Setting forth toward Hope is the only hope I have, knowing that there are safehouses out there that we can hide inside. It’s a protective measure put in place by the witches of the Snehvolk Pack, the lunas who’d cast binding spells on a few huts between Hope and Girdwood in case any Snehvolk wolves found themselves traveling through the woods in the eerie, dangerous hours of the night.
The threat of the demon has been imposing on us, disrupting our lives, and hampering our safety. We’ve been forced to always watch our backs, and as an alpha of the pack, I’d never suggest traveling through the Forest like this.
Perhaps it’s anger that should be directed at Rissa that spurs me on, but I’m faster than ever. All that matters right now is getting us to safety, a strange sense that my life depends on keeping Rissa protected, pounding in my eardrums so hard that I don’t hear her warning until it’s too late.
“Brooks! Watch out!”
A dark cloud consumes my vision, bringing me to an abrupt halt that sends Rissa flying off my back in a series of wails and anguished cries. Just as my paws stop, I’m suddenly swept in a whirlwind of black clouds that lift me off the ground and send me tumbling toward a tree with such force that the snapping branches mix with the crack of bones.
My wolf whimpers as I gather myself upright, my instincts kicking in for my eyes to seek out Rissa. She’s curled on the ground a few meters away, shaking uncontrollably, her eyes wide and face pale as she stares at the evil spirit in front of me.
The swirls of onyx smoke curl in the air, forming tendrils that manifest the creature’s hideous physical form. A black, dog-like creature stands in front of me, its feet barely touching the ground as it levitates.
As the most feared being from the underworld by the werewolf species, the evil spirit has mimicked the structure of our kind only in shape. But its presence remains dark and eerie, its eyes black pits of ghastliness, while a horrendously purple tongue laps its face as if its saliva is poison in its richest form. A shiver of dread passes through me, but it’s only for a brief moment before I reclaim my resolve, determined to fight the malevolent being to protect not just myself, but Rissa, too.
It’s that determination that ignites my soul and has me standing up to my full height on my wolf paws, squaring my eyes at the demon as it saunters toward me, its calculated steps floating over the ground it doesn’t touch. I have to be equally calculated in my defense, since the demon is immune to being physically harmed by a werewolf.
It’s the only reason we’ve been safe in the past, thanks to the witches in Girdwood. Their magic powers allow themto harm the demon’s spirit long enough to sever its ties to its underworldly psyche, snapping it into the full exposure of its physical body. That’s when we can impair it, do enough damage to draw blood.
Right now, on my own, I’m at a disadvantage, and my attacks will do no damage. All I need is a window of opportunity to distract it; then I can get Rissa and run the hell out of here.
But the demon is unpredictable, and it swirls back into a cloud of smoke that comes whooshing at me, engulfing me in the bitter coldness of its being. A rumbling growl resounds through the smoke as I snap my teeth all around me, but the demon pulls me off the ground, its tendrils wrapping around my throat before it strikes me in the ribs with sharp talons.
Whimpering in anguish, I howl at the top of my wolf lungs as I’m sent flying through the air, hitting a tree trunk to the sound of more cracking bones. My knee’s been hit, my front leg twisted, and keeping me pinned to the ground. Just as the demon begins to manifest in physical form again and I’m able to see, a strange energy rushes through me, igniting every particle beneath the layer of my fur and breathing strength into me as if I’ve just been given a kiss of life.
That’s when I see bolts of emerald light flashing through the air, slicing the demon and severing its ties to the spirit realm. Its smoke clouds disappear, and it’s left in physical form, screeching and crying, its attention fixed behind it.
As the demon becomes distracted by the sudden onset of magic that attacks it, my attention goes to the source of that magic.
Rissa Rudolph, jets of magic flying from her open palms that are directed at the malevolent being.
Her eyes are solid beads of vibrant, earthly green as if drawing her powers from the earth itself. She’s focused on the demon, shooting blades of power like thunderbolts at the spirit, leaving it open and susceptible to physical harm. I’m in awe of witnessing her wield her mystic gifts, but my wolf snaps out of the daze when I realize this is the window I need, and I spring into action.
