Sage lands at his feet, distracting him just long enough for me to take my chance.
Lunging for him, I sink my teeth deep into the side of his throat and hold on. I feel blood against my muzzle, hear his choked breaths. He screamsand tries to wrench me off, but I growl and bite harder, refusing to let go. I thrash my head until I hear the first tear of flesh—music to my ears. I jerk again, blood splattering all across my chest and legs.
Rip stumbles, clawing at me and ripping into my shoulder with his fangs. The bite doesn’t hurt like it used to—now it only fuels the rage.Never. Again. Asshole!
I bite again and again, reclaiming my freedom bit by bit.
Magic flares within me, red light cracking across my vision. Heat burns under my skin, spanning out to my toes. I smell my fur burning, feel my shoulder searing as if the brand is new all over again. The pain is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before—consuming. My inner wolf screams as his poisoned hold over me tries to force the magic back in. But the more he tries, the faster his strength wanes.
Images flash in my mind too quick for me to make sense of—a long brick hallway, arched entryways, a strange puddle on the floor. They vanish as fast as they appear. Then the red light turns into a brilliant white, spanning out across the entire field.
Rip chokes, giving one last vain effort to push me off.
It’s now or never.
With one last thrash of my head, Rip’s throat finally gives way. His scream cuts off, wet and final, before we hit the ground together. I scramble away, staring over his limp body and catching my breath.
Then silence.
Almost.
The rest of the world filters back in, quick and unforgiving. Screams and fire, wolves snapping, the stench of burning. Above it all, Jericho says something I can’t understand. A second later, the sharp whistle of wind above me, then heat.
A burning sphere the size of a baseball hits Rip’s corpse in the chest, and flames roar across Rip’s body.
I heave as I watch him burn, heart pounding wildly.
I did it. He’s dead.
Rip is dead.
Jericho is standing a few feet away, his hands blazing. His eyes meet mine—bright and terrified, yet heavy with relief. He opens his mouth to say something, but I can’t hear him through the surrounding chaos.
The world spins. I stumble backward, my paws slipping on mud. Rip’s body is gone now, nothing but ash. His sick hold over me is gone. Now all I feel is…
The tether in my chest shudders.
Rowen.
I snap my head toward him, only a dozen feet away. He’s barely moving, and in the dark, I can’t tell if he’s breathing. The smell of his blood hits me like a blow.
I creep closer, my sides aching with every breath. The fires behind me hiss and crackle. When I reach him, he’s still breathing, but it’s shallow. One of his ribs looks wrong, and his fur is matted, dark with blood. But he’s alive.
I press my nose to his paw, almost too afraid to touch him. He stirs weakly, a broken noise leaving his throat. His eyes flutter open for half a second.
Toby?
The sound is strange, tickling my brain, yet it’s definitely him.
I whine, unsure how to speak back. My heart breaks at how frail he is.
I startle when red light flashes from the other end of the field. Three bright red portals appear out of thin air. Orem steps through one, followed by three vampires. They disappear in an instant.
My whole body is trembling. The blood, the fire, the screams — they all crash into me at once.Oh, gods.
Ijump when someone runs by, certain they’re coming for me. The pack must be terrified of me now. Angry. I hurt so many of them…
I take a step back. Another.
