One by one, the werewolves shift into wolf form upon my go-ahead, chasing into the south corner of the valley through the forest. One-quarter of the valley that was once barren and burnt has begun to flourish with new growth. Just as Amos said, the Ashclaw territory is responding to something, but it isn’t to the horror and death the demons bring.
The valley is responding to Sophie—the Ashclaw Pack descendant.
And that’s why we’re rushing toward the screeches, planning to chase the demons away before they enter Red Moon territory.
“Where is the human?!”Conan shouts through the mind link as his wolves emerge from the part of the forest that leads from the Iron Breath territory.
“Shut up, Conan!”Heinrich barks, joining us from the east with his wolves in tow. “Leave her out of this!”
“We could have used her right now. There’s more than one!”
I snarl at Conan’s raven black wolf, baring my teeth before glancing at the meadow where a vortex of black smoke curls in the air. “You heard Heinrich! Leave her out of this. She’s not ready!”
Conan growls at me, but there’s no time for bickering and trying to figure out if he wants Sophie gone, or if he suddenly sees her as an asset, when a terrifying screech echoes through the forest, and a whoosh through the air is followed by branches snapping from the barren trees as the demons come swooping in.
What happens next is a blur of thundering roars from the wolves as we slash through the demons, staying in a group despite our differences with Conan. We work as a team, clawing through the demons as they come lunging toward us.
But as expected, none of our attacks seem to work, and the demons are able to nimbly dodge each attack, spreading out in mist before morphing back into treacherous creatures with black pits for eyes and yellowing teeth when they snarl.
Something slams into me from behind with crushing force.
The impact drives the air straight out of my lungs as claws made of condensed shadow rake across my back, slicing deep enough that white-hot pain detonates through my spine. I hit theground hard, dirt and ash filling my mouth as I roll instinctively, barely avoiding a second strike that shatters the earth where my head had been. My vision blurs for a heartbeat, stars bursting behind my eyes, and I snarl as I force myself back onto my paws, muscles screaming in protest.
Pain doesn’t slow me down. Rage does the opposite, but there’s no water close by to tap into for the sake of elemental magic.
Heinrich tries lifting a rock, his wolf straining because of his pack’s weakness without a fated mate by his side. So I pivot, launching myself at the demon with a roar that shakes the clearing, slamming into its chest and tearing upward with my claws. This time, the resistance is undeniable. The demon shrieks as black grime spills freely, its form destabilizing as it reels back, smoke unraveling in violent tendrils. But it’s only a matter of time before it gathers its form once again.
It won’t die. Not without Sophie here, and there’s no way I would have brought her into the throes of danger.
“Fight, wolves!” I roar through the mind link.“Let them tire out, until they retreat, but don’t let them touch you!”
Around me, the battle rages on; Heinrich barreling through one demon’s misting form, Conan’s wolves snapping and regrouping, James fighting with reckless determination despite how recently he woke from death’s grip.
But the demons aren’t retreating.
The first demon surges forward again, its form denser now, heavier, as if feeding off the chaos and pain saturating the air. It moves in tandem with the other, flanking me with terrifying precision, and for the first time since the fight began, a sharp thread of unease cuts through my fury. I twist to block onestrike, jaws snapping shut on shadow, but that leaves my side exposed.
The second demon takes full advantage of the exposure, and its claws punch into my abdomen with brutal force, tearing through muscle and flesh as if I’m made of nothing at all. A raw, involuntary howl rips out of me as I’m lifted off my feet and thrown across the clearing, my body crashing through a fallen tree in a spray of splintered wood. Pain consumes everything: my vision, my breath, my movement, my limbs refusing to respond as I hit the ground and skid to a halt.
I try to pick myself up, but my body refuses to comply.
Blood pools beneath me, warm and slick, my breath coming in shallow, ragged pulls that do nothing to steady the roaring in my ears. The world spins around me, the sounds of battle muffling as if I’m sinking underwater, and I feel my inner wolf clawing desperately to keep me conscious, but my human body is slowly coming back into form.
The demons screech again, emboldened now, and through the haze I see James fighting his way toward me, Heinrich barreling into one of the creatures with a roar that vibrates through the earth. The shapes of wolves, shadows, teeth, and smoke move all around me, but I can’t focus, can’t rise, can’t command my body the way I always have.
For the first time since the incident in Hamilton that nearly cost me my arm, I’m down.
And the last thing I’m aware of before the darkness starts to creep in and consume me is a single, terrifying thought.
If they don’t end this fast, the demons are going to find Sophie. I can’t protect her. I can’t…
***
“Sophie!” I exclaim, air burning my lungs like a scorching fire, my eyes snapping open to a yellow light as bright as if I were staring at the sun. I shield my eyes with one hand, blinking to readjust my vision, my airways recognizing her even before I can see her.
“It’s okay, Damian, you’re fine,” her timid voice whispers, and I remove my hand from my eyes to see her perfect, round face staring at me, blinking, long lashes flapping like a fairy’s wings as she reaches out toward me with a hand of divine healing.
She places a hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me back. I follow her command, naturally, and take a deep breath to fill my lungs with her sweet essence.
