Mitch spun with his sword out. Alek picked up Wylder and rushed forward to deposit Wylder into Dario’s arms.
“What the fuck!” Wylder yelled.
“Shh,” Dario whispered against his temple as dark shadows stalked into view.
“Alek,” Mitch growled. “I count four.”
“Six over here,” Alek replied.
Ten. There were ten displaced beasts circling them.
Guess they weren’t going to make it out of the dark forest unscathed.
“What are those things?” Wylder squeaked out.
Dario squeezed Wylder hard before letting him go. “Brace for an attack.”
The beasts moved as a pack. They were pure black, panther-like, but with tentacles sprouting from their shoulder blades. Their fangs glistened under the low light that peeked through the canopy of the dead branches.
Beside him, Wylder dropped into a low crouch.
“Don’t run,” Alek said quietly. “They will catch you.”
Stepping away from his mates, Dario began to undo the buttons of his shirt.
“What are you doing?” Wylder demanded.
“Helping in the only way that I know how,” Dario explained. He pulled his button-down and undershirt off then kicked off his shoes.
“Dario?” Mitch asked.
“Keep them off me for a few minutes,” Dario told him.
“Got it,” Mitch agreed.
Mitch stepped forward, twirling his sword. Behind him, Alek had two long daggers. Good weapons, but these beasts were feral. Fergie had told Dario stories of the carnage they could cause.
Removing the rest of his clothes, Dario called on the magical orb deep inside his core. He pulled at the pulsing light until the transformation began to overtake him.
Through the haze of magic, Dario watched as the first beast lunged for Mitch. In one solid swing, Mitch separated the beast’s head from his body. That didn’t deter the rest of the beasts.
The battle began.
For three minutes, Dario was helpless, doing anything to help his mates as they engaged against a full attack.
Wylder was moving fast, dodging out of the way of sharp claws and fangs. By Wylder’s side, Alek was swiping his daggers at every beast that came for him and Wylder.
The ground became farther away as Dario’s dragon form grew.
He rose and rose until his head crashed through the branches. This wasn’t the best place to shift but Dario had no choice when his mates were in danger.
Mitch spun, taking on three of the beasts at one time.
Dario’s mates were fighting for their lives and he was impatient to finish his transformation. The bigger the shifted form, the longer it took. Dario had witnessed Theo shift into his Maine Coon cat in just seconds.
As soon as the magic throbbed inside him, Dario stepped forward, making the ground under his massive feet rumble.
The beasts backed off but it was too late for them. They had attacked Dario’s mates.
