“Thanks for saving me,” she said, sounding a lot more normal again.
“Just don’t do that shit again. Stay here until you’re ready. We’ll go at it again,” I added quietly. She nodded.
“Just give me a couple of minutes,” she replied hoarsely.
I promised Elijah I’d keep her safe, and I planned to. Standing up, I turned back to the commotion all around us. Wolves in all directions were engaged in battle but the enemy side was relentless and didn’t seem to be dying.
I saw Leo’s huge wolf. It was almost on par with Rayhan’s. He still had a few years to grow, and he wasn’t Alpha yet… but I could sense his power radiating off of him as he slayed wolves without hesitation. I could see he was sticking close to Marcel and realised he actually did think I would let him die.
I took a deep breath and mind-linked three of my warriors who were closest, including Carmen, to shield Scarlett until she healed. Rayhan came over, his green eyes blazing and blood dripping from his fur and teeth that were holding some sort of fabric, which he placed around Scarlett’s shoulders. Ever the gentleman.
I turned away, knowing she was fine, and looked at the main target once more.This fucker needs to godown…
I assessed the carnage, trying to see how we could get close to him and actually do some damage. Wolves clashed with wolves in every direction. I needed the help of the witches. They were fully protected and offered our kind protection, too. I knew that without them, we would probably have had a lot more losses by now.
I glanced towards Maria. She was fighting a few wolves, but she wasn’t overly exerting herself, saving herself for the last and final job. Darien wasn’t far from her, and I knew he had the dagger, ready to pass it to her when the time came. Four of the Black Storm Pack warriors surrounded her. Those were the ones we’d have to handle when the time came. They had been assigned by Raf to protect his Luna, and, until now, they kept that job.
I turned to the fucker, my eyes blazing with hatred.
“What the fuck do you want? We were willing to pay the debt if you told us what it was,” I growled, launching myself at the Crimson King and trying to buy us some time. I knew exactly what the back story was, but something told me the Escarras’ revenge was far gone and left behind. All that remained was the Djinn and his hunger for power.
Once again, a blast of fire threw me back. This time, I was ready and jumped aside as the ground trembled. Two witches raised a barrier between us, and his eyes flashed.
“Does the beast’s father still not know the answer?”
I shifted back, trying to reserve energy. I didn’t miss the knowing smirk on his face. He fucking knew I wasn’t at my usual level…
My men were going to begin to tire, unlike his wolves, which were relentless, just like they were the day Kataleya was kidnapped.
“Well, obviously, you’re referring to my son. Well, guess what? Whatever the fuck you want, you won’t get it because no one touches my pups and gets away with it,” I growled, mind-linking one of my men.
Milo, my sword.
“Shame you won’t be able to protect anyone,” he spat with hatred.
“That’s where you’re fucking wrong,” I growled.
The moment my hand touched the leather-bound long hilt, I smirked. Since I wasn’t able to keep my fucking Lycan form, we’d do this the other way. Six feet long and half a foot wide, this bad boy was made to chop fuckers to pieces. The moment it was in my hand, the weight of the adamantium steel was heavy yet perfectly comfortable in my hand. I ran at him, swinging it down. He jumped back, frowning as the blade hit the ground, creating a crack. I smirked coldly. When the magic of two of the strongest witches on the planet helped create this, it was no ordinary weapon – a gift from Del and Ri for my 40th.
“You do not even know what that boy is!” He spat, raising his hand and blocking the sword. Another huge wave of power came my way. One of the witches blocked it as I sliced through the force, trying to get at least one or two hits in.
“I know exactly what he is. He’s my son, one you tried to harm!” I growled.
I didn’t want anyone to know the truth. I wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible because if it got out… I didn’t even want to fucking know the consequences.
“What did you want him for?” I hissed as I swung my sword. I saw Scarlett, Rayhan, and Liam trying to get closer, but the sudden influx of wolves wasn’t helping.
“What do you think? Draining his vessel of blood will give me a permanent form on this planet, and then… the world will be mine.”
I snarled, “You ain’t fucking laying a finger on him.” I spun around, feinting a hit, and my sword connected with his shoulder.
“I will! As we speak, I’m getting closer and closer to him!” He shouted manically, not caring about the blood that spurted from his shoulder. A sliver of fear washed through me. Something in his eyes meant more…
Darien! Get someone to find out what’s happening back home. Tell Elijah to stay on alert!
A huge wave of power slammed us back. I felt a few more bonds snap at once as my pack members died. Fuck.
I was unable to look away from my target, knowing if I made one wrong move, I’d be dead. He slammed me to the ground, just as the witch who was creating the barrier around me was cut down by the fucker.
