When Adres had mentioned love to his old friend, he hadn’t been sure he would get to experience the sentiment in his lifetime. But he was sure the intensity that he felt for his young wolf was indeed… love.
“It sounds as if the party is winding down. Thank heavens. Now we can go home,” Macauley said as they walked back towards the compound. “And we can start to plan our… vacation.”
Macauley was gazing at the faint curve Adres felt on his lips when he heard the faint whistle that propelled him into motion. It only took him a fraction of a second to reach behind him and pull his sword, the blade extending and batting away the two darts that flew towards his beloved. Adres snapped his sword in Macauley’s direction and threw a shield around him as he shifted into his animal.
“Go and warn your pack,” Adres ordered. Whoever had fired at them was already far too close to the compound, and he was concerned that no alarm had been raised.
I will not leave your side.
“I will be fine, you know that.” Adres whistled for his horse. Once Razboi flashed to his side, he leapt onto his back. “I need to push them further away. They’re too close.” Adres dropped down on the side of Razboi’s flank as a flurry of darts pelted off him. “Go, now!”
Macauley hesitated a second before he ran off, the poisonous darts being shot at him bouncing off the protective ward. Adres could hear a wave of movement coming in his direction as he summoned energy from his light. His core burned hot as he flung his arm forward, his gale force winds blowing past him and into the woods. Dirt, debris, and shrubbery were hurled across the earth, propelling his enemies farther back as he prepared to charge forward.
Before he could kick Razboi into motion, horrified screams rang out from the compound as the intruder alarm finally sounded from the Osceola Mountain top. Adres almost dropped his Hwando as a crippling wave of dread and pain enveloped his mind. Macauley! he blared through their link as he flashed towards the compound.
Adres was devastated at what he saw. He had only been gone a moment, but it was long enough for the pack lands to be ambushed.
The ground trembled, and Adres turned at the sound of a snarling black wolf. Adres held the reins in one hand and his weapon in the other, charging towards Wrath just as he tore the body of an assassin in half. His friend was a different kind of fighter in this form but no less deadly.
There is a sorcerer behind this. Wrath’s voice in his mind made his temples pound. Look at the sky.
The lights that once illuminated the courtyard had been burned out, and a dark veil of evil covered the territory, plummeting them into blackness. It was enough to disorient and frighten the shifters, sending them fleeing towards their cabins. Wrath and Belleron fought together while Adres searched for Macauley as more searing dread pierced his heart.
He rode across the grounds, swatting darts out of midair while he shielded some of the enforcers who had made their way to the fight. It wasn’t until he’d rounded the corner to Justice’s cabin that he saw the source of his anguish.
Macauley and Justice were on their hands and knees, crouched over their sister’s lifeless body. It looked as if she’d been struck in her chest with multiple darts as soon as she stepped out of the front door. They had been defenseless. Her betas and guards knelt nearby, crying as they tried to stay out of the line of fire, but not leave their alpha.
Taleb ran over, his guards moving with him as he fell to Farica’s side and yanked the three darts from her body. Justice noticed the moment Adres threw a shield around them as he got to his feet. “We need the pack doctors now!” he hollered.
Adres feared that wasn’t possible.
“Protect the cabins,” Justice told his enforcers as he covered his baby sister’s body with his own.
Adres could feel the devastation in his mate as he brought Farica’s limp hand to his cheek, begging her to keep breathing.
Get her inside, beloved.
Out of the corner of his eye, Adres saw two wolves leap and somersault to avoid the shots flying in their direction as they ran for safety. Adres threw his sword towards the hooded vampires who flashed after them, the blade cutting clear through their bodies before it came back towards him. The leather-bound handle slammed into his palm with so much force that it caused Razboi to rear up on his hind legs to prevent it from propelling them backwards.
The king had been at his beloved’s side, but the enforcers began to get overrun as more assassins descended from the forest in droves—making their final stand. Wick shifted into his white tiger and attacked two vampires just before they reached where Justice had been standing, their crossbows falling to the ground. Adres searched for the legion amidst the chaos of coven officers protecting their leaders.