Page 45 of Aryn

“Cato!” I bellow as more silver-green eyes flare to life in the darkness. Four additional beasts burst from the trees in eerie coordination, drawn straight to the scent of blood pouring from my shoulder.

Cato roars and swings his machete, knocking one back with a slice across its face. He whirls to me, impossibly light on his feet, before driving the hilt into the one latched onto my shoulder. It shrieks as it leaps away, and the impact throws me off balance. I hit the snow hard, fighting the swarms of light sparkling in front of my vision, but Cato’s battle cry is enough to summon my strength. I roll to my feet, blade drawn as another launches itself at him. My tail lashes out, cracking across the creature’s muzzle and throwing off its attack.

“Get back to the others!” I shout, driving my sword through its neck even as the pain in my shoulder screams with every motion.

“No fucking chance,” Cato growls, planting himself stubbornly at my side. Blood drips down my arm, staining the snow dark beneath us as we stand back-to-back with our blades raised. The pack circles us now, moving like liquid shadows along the ground.

“What the hell did I say when we passed through that portal?” he asks, lunging at one that dares to inch closer.

“You said plenty,” I manage through a heavy exhale. “Most of it was complaining.”

A low, determined chuckle rumbles out of him, and he reaches back without looking to give my thigh a heavy pat. “I’ve got your back. You got mine?”

“Always,” I answer.

The largest one—the clear leader—lowers its head, lips peeling back from those cruel fangs in a snarl. Its warbling yowl echoes through the frozen night, so otherworldly it makes goosebumps lift along my arms. The beast charges straight at us and I rush forward to meet it, pushing through the way my injured shoulder flames in protest. I drive my sword deep into its throat before its jaws can close around me, and blood sprays across the snow as it collapses.

Cato fights like a solid wall at my side, his machete swinging in wide, powerful arcs that keep two more khraelyx at bay.

“Left!” he barks.

I spin without question, my tail whipping out to intercept the one leaping toward Cato’s side. The impact jars my wounded shoulder so badly that my vision blurs for a moment, but I manage to slash downward and open a deep gash along its flank. The creature screeches and retreats into the trees.

We fall into a rhythm like we’ve always done it this way. He uses his raw strength to batter them back, keeping their attention on him while I dart to finish them. One khraelyx tries to flank us, but when it leaps for me, Cato snatches it midair by the scruff and slams it into the ground. Another clamps onto my boot, but I drive my heel into its jaw until I feel bone crack beneath the force.

The few that survive turn and flee into the darkness just as Ronan and Lillith come crashing through the trees toward us. “Are you hurt?” I demand, yanking Cato’s arm away from his torso to check for injuries.

“No… no, Aryn, I’m fine. We need to—”

“What happened?” Ronan demands as he reaches us, nostrils flaring and pupils widening at the sight of blood steadily dripping from my arm into the snow.

The cold sinks deeper into my bones until I can’t hold back my shiver. “Khraelyx… a whole pack…” Exhaustion makes the world move in slow motion, my breath roaring in my ears as I fight the urge to close my eyes. I should feel heavy after the fight, but my arms feel like they’re floating and my heart that should be pounding slows beneath my ribs.

I toss my head back and forth, my thoughts sloshing together. “They’re gone now, we… we…”

“Aryn!” Cato shouts as the world goes fuzzy.

My knees buckle as the ground tilts beneath me. Strong arms catch me before I can fall, and Cato hauls me against his chest. His body is solid against mine, powerful enough that I know he can handle my weight. The thud of his heart booms against my ear, pounding so heavily that I can feel it through both our coats.

“Hey, I’ve got you,” he mutters, voice rough. “Got your back, just like I said. Stay with me, okay?”

I clutch weakly at his sleeve, trying to push myself upright, but my legs refuse to hold. Cato shifts me more securely against his side, his words growing distant even though his mouth is right by my ear. “He was bitten. It got his shoulder pretty fucking bad. He lost a lot of blood while we were fighting.”

Someone shouts for Taryn and calls for a fire, but I only press deeper into the warmth of Cato’s chest. “Cold,” I mumble against him.

“Can you walk?” he asks. I nod, but when I try to take a step, my legs turn to jelly beneath me. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Up you go.” There isn’t enough strength left in me to protest as he lifts me into his arms and carries me back toward camp.

“Thank you… for not leaving,” I manage, the words barely more than a breath.

“And let you have all the fun? What kind of hero would I be if I left the damsel there to fend for himself?” His voice carries its usual teasing edge, but it’s sharper right now—forced and afraid.

“Fuck you,” I rasp with a weak laugh, only for it to cut off in a groan as fresh pain lances through my shoulder.

“Although, if I’d known how heavy you were, this might’ve gone another way.”

Another vicious stab arcs down my spine, bringing with it a flash of memory. I grip his shirt tighter, breath hitching. “Venom,” I gasp. “Their fangs…”

“Shit. Okay—Ronan!” Cato calls out, far more panicked. “He says their teeth are venomous.”