Something was wrong.
“You’re going into heat,” he informed me, his breath hot on my neck. “Give in to your wolf, my Goddess. Let her come through.”
I knew what he meant the instant he said it.
My wolf clawed at me from the inside, a new and ancient beast, both at the same time. She had only just been born because her soul was linked to mine, and yet I held the heart of the Goddess inside, giving me power and wisdom beyond my years.
My head snapped back as pain shocked through me, my bones cracking as the impossible began.
I was going to shift.
Fucking hell. I hate it when Kaito’s right.
The portal closed behind me as I surveyed the landscape, one that reminded me of the training forests Logan used for our wolves regiment at Fortune Academy Underworld.
He’d told me about this place, one where the Moon Goddess lived and where his ancestors thrives. After his memory had returned, he wanted me to come here when I checked on the status of all the known deities.
Although, I doubted it was in this capacity.
One where I hunted deities infected by Calamity in order to preserve what was left of humanity.
By the looks of it, we had almost been too late. A small village tumbled with humans near the outskirts of the forest, the land turning black with a thick line to mark the territory of supernatural and human. They looked weak and worked to rebuild their homes that had been battered from a storm.
I was familiar with those storms. When corruption gathered in one place, it formed a noxious gas that rained down like acid, destroying what was left of the fragile mortal race.
A race that I had vowed to protect. Humans were what kept the realms all in balance. Without them, supernaturals wouldn’t survive. We already had war and plague decimated over the supernatural wars fighting over what humans were left.
If they knew I’d found a trove of them here lingering on the edge, this world would be destroyed and them along with it, casualties of greed.
No, I had to save them, to snuff out whatever corruption had taken hold and then leave them in peace.
A legion of Hunters formed a wall at my back with my General taking the lead. An immortal by the name of Xenos. He’d proven himself as a trusted member of my race, and in return I would trust him with our dirty little secret.
“Does Logan know we’re here?” he asked, raising a dark eyebrow, his metallic orange eyes similar to mine.
“Yes,” I said, tilting my head with admission. “Although, he doesn’t knowyouare here.”
Xenos hummed in approval. “Keep it that way. I doubt he’ll approve of us killing his goddess and all of the wolves that have been infected, even if it’s what must be done.” He glanced toward a rocky landscape where the power we’d felt a moment before shimmered and echoed. “Whatever caused the compass to trigger, it’s there.”
I pulled the compass from my pocket, a contraption Hendrik had made. There was little a powerful Dark Mage like him couldn’t do. The gold burned with inner Hellfire and an arrow of flame pointed north.
I pocketed the compass and drew my blade. “Let’s move.”
