Maverick jolts up to his full height, eyes narrowed on the tree line. He has me standing behind him in an instant, with Hendricks seeming to guard me as well. Jack cracks his knuckles and neck like he’s preparing for a fight.
“Wolves?” I ask. I guess being in the middle of nowhere it’s completely possible, though I would have expected a bear with where we’re at in the state. Or maybe this is just a part of their game. Something to get our adrenaline pumping just when we thought we’d have a moment to wind down.
“Get her to the cabin. Now!” Maverick yells as guests and scare actors begin to flee the area. I can’t see where my friends are. And then another earth-shattering howl pierces the night, and the music comes to a grinding halt.
Okay, maybe it’s not apart of the act.
Hendricks grips me about my waist, and I see Jack look between me and the danger.
“Wait. What are you doing?” I ask.
“Come with me,” he says.
“And stay with her!” Maverick yells out.
“Don’t worry, Hendricks will keep you safe,” Jack says with a wink as he runs off into the dark woods as more howls and screams erupt.
Before I have a moment to answer or figure out what’s going on, Hendricks has me hoisted over his shoulder. His bone digs into my hips as he runs the short distance from the beach to where my cabin is. I see Maverick disappearing into the trees before the door closes behind Hendricks and I, leaving the two of us alone.
Chapter 15
Maverick
Iturn into a bat leaving Lydia and Hendricks behind once they’re out of sight, careening through the dark woods to where the werewolves prowl. They’ve infiltrated our land for the last fucking time.
I know Hendricks will keep Lydia safe while I handle this mess.
Screams surround us from all sides, mixing with a chorus of howls.
Fuck, how many of them are there?
Off in the distance, I finally spot them. There are two fully grown werewolves ripping apart one of the guests limb from limb, like a game of bloody tug-of-war. The guy is dead by the time I transform. My feet hit the ground running as I tackle the one on the left.
Usually, I’d have Hendricks by my side, but he’s doing something far more important right now. Keeping our bride safe. Without him here, it’s two against one, but I’m more than capable of holding my own. I have speed, age, and agility on my side. The werewolves are slow, and stupid, and easy to manipulate if you can get them to look you in the eye longenough. They could have been one of us, yet they choose to attack us again and again. Wanting our land for themselves.
I’m extra pissed at these unwanted hell raisers for interrupting a perfectly wonderful evening with our girl. And I’ll make them pay for it.
The werewolf struggles beneath me, snarling and biting at the air trying to get me off them. He clocks me straight in the nose so hard that it cracks. Motherfucker. That hurts. My eyes sting and my nose wells up with a mixture of snot and blood. I land a punch on its elongated snout, making it yelp. Serves him fucking right.
That yelp garners the attention of his friend. He looks over at me, blood dripping from its teeth, head tilted. The arm of their unfortunate victim is still gripped in its paw with all the muscle and bone showing from where it was ripped off. The werewolf’s fur is matted with blood, and I can smell it from here. It smells like a mixture of wet dog and body odor. Nasty fucking beasts.
I finally find purchase around the oversized wolf’s neck and begin to squeeze, but not in time. The other werewolf lunges for me, making a leap from where it stands towards where I’m at. I manage to roll in time, avoiding the attack. But now both sets of wolves have their focus trained on me, and they’re easily a foot above my already tall stature.
They seem to communicate without words as I wait for them to make their next move. The one on the left goes for my ankles and the one on the right goes for my chest.
I transform into a bat once again, dodging their messy attempt to trap me. My wings flap hard as I fly around their heads. They try and swat me away, not paying attention to their footing. One of them catches my wing with their claw, making me spiral in a fit of rage and pain.
The taller one trips over a gnarled tree root and falls stomach down, hard. I’m on him in an instant, back in my vampire form,blood dripping down my side. My hands grip around his thick neck, and I twist hard. I hear the bones snap, feeling the bones break and muscles pop beneath my fingers as he stills.
A howl rips from the other werewolf, and suddenly I am surrounded. The whole pack must be out in force tonight, and I’m all alone.
My nose runs with blood, and I take a moment to wipe it with the back of my dirt covered hand, reading myself for another fight.
“Surrender, blood-sucker,” one of them says.
I let out a humorless laugh. “No thanks. I’d rather die than submit to the likes of you,” I say spitting on the ground. It’s probably stupid to taunt them when I’m outnumbered like I am, but I just don’t give a shit.
“I can make that happen, you little shit,” he says as a snarl leaves his mouth, and I know that I only have a few seconds to make a move.
