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When both vampires, cheered on by their shrieking wraith-mates, stopped firing in order to rev up for a final blow, Seth knew the moment had come.
While holding his shield steady, he turned toward Lorelei and reached down to put a hand between her ears. Lorelei, I’m so sorry.
His heart felt heavy as hell. He didn’t really even know this woman, but she’d been his companion for the past month and he’d gotten used to her being in his life. And she sure as hell didn’t deserve to die like this. You have one of the sweetest spirits I’ve ever known. Thank you for making my solitary life a little less lonely.
The vampires drew close to his shield. He turned to meet his enemy square, facing death with as much strength as he could muster.
Then all at once, dozens of wolves ran in from every direction, filling the snowy ground all around the Loperz cabin. He couldn’t believe it, but a large portion of his Shifter Brigade had just come to the rescue and by the looks of it, not only from one pack, but from all four. Unbelievable.
They transformed swiftly from their wolf forms to upright warriors, clothed in their Shifter Brigade uniforms of leather, chains, snug black tees, and heavy black leather work-boots. Each fired blue streams of powerful energy straight at both wraith-pairs.
The vampires fought wildly in return, their energy blasts scattering all around them, but they wouldn’t be able to withstand so many shifters all at one time.
Seth threw himself over Lorelei, forming a physical shield against any stray hits. She breathed in light pants now, tongue lolling, eyes closed.
She wasn’t dead, but she was way too close to the edge.
A few moments more and the battlefield fell silent.
When he lifted up off of Lorelei, he saw that the two wraith-pairs were dead on the ground, the stench of burned flesh filling the air.
He picked the white wolf up and turned to Ephyx, one of the alpha males. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you got here. You’ve saved my life and hers.”
Ephyx stood six-five, not as tall as Seth, but bigger through the shoulders, chest and arms.
The powerful alpha glanced around, frowning heavily. He appeared to be confused. “Mastyr, we’re not sure what happened—what we’re all doing here.”
“What do you mean?”
He glanced at Lorelei. “Your bodyguard called the entire brigade from all over the Shauck Mountains.”
Seth remembered Lorelei howling just as the net trapped him. He glanced down at her, frowning heavily. Who was this woman? “She let out a long howl. That much I remember.”
“Yes, she did.”
“And you’re saying that when she howled, she reached the entire brigade? All four packs?”
“Exactly.”
“Sweet Goddess.” He turned in a circle. Wolves were still arriving from each point of the compass.
He turned to meet Ephyx’s gaze once more. “I have to get Lorelei to my Shauck Gorge house. After you’ve disposed of the wraith-pairs and
tended to your wounded, you can return to your territories. I’ll be in touch later. Continue on your patrols.” The Shifter Brigade worked the Shauck Mountains all night protecting the realm-folk who lived in the mountains, in the same way his Vampire Guard patrolled the southern part of his realm.
“Yes, mastyr.”
As Seth flew into the air, he contacted Aaron as well, letting him know what had happened and that the Shifter Brigade would take care of clean-up. He then headed in the direction he’d come, back toward Defiance Falls and Shauck Gorge. At the same time, he contacted his realm’s most powerful fae healer. The woman could fly, but even moving at her top speed she couldn’t cover that many miles in under an hour.
He told her to come anyway and hoped to hell he’d be able to keep Lorelei alive until she got there.
Somewhere in the depths of his realm-soul, he knew that he held the fate of all the Nine Realms in his arms.
Lorelei had to live.
When he arrived at his canyon ridge home, however, he found his front door wide open.
Chapter Two
