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Bree bit her lip. “Right. The attack. Yep, I’m still recovering. It made it kind of hard to fall asleep lastnight.”
Eurig still stood there gazing at her with raised eyebrows. “Why didn’t you say something? I could have tried to put a sleeping draught together for you. There are plenty of plants in these woods that could havehelped.”
“And have you stomping around in the bushes in the dark and alerting every creature of exactly where we are?” Bree let out a tense laugh. “Yeah, that was not my top choice in how to spend thenight.”
In the distance, branches cracked. Bree froze at the sound, her entire body going on high alert. The echo of crackling twigs was not far different than the dozens of others sounds that echoed throughout the forest, but Bree knew deep down in her gut that it was not the same. There was something more purposeful about these cracks. Like they were the result of approaching footsteps. Footsteps aimed right at theircamp.
Eurig met Bree’s gaze across the fire, and he motioned for her to move to his side. Swallowing hard, she joined him on the opposite side of the flames, reaching to her belt for the dagger she kept tucked in itsfolds.
He jerked his head, and then pointed to her fingers andteeth.
Bree understood in an instant what he meant. He wanted her to shift into her wolf in order to fight. Her heart raced at the thought. If that were the case, then whatever was out there must be far more terrible than she wanted toimagine.
By her side, Eurig’s body was already twisting and shuddering into his lion-like form. Closing her eyes, Bree followed suit. Her beast was eager to get out, its soul yearning to join the fight. It had been forced to take a backseat the night before, and now, it wanted nothing more than to rip the attackers toshreds.
Just as soon as her claws had fully extended before her, a half a dozen snorting creatures hurtled toward them from all corners of the forest. They landed in the clearing, their sharp, glinting fangs dripping with reddish saliva. It was a sight that made Bree’s stomach turn and one that made her beast bellow inrage.
They were half her size, but they were monstrous all the same. They launched onto her back, digging their sharp little claws in her skin. Pain lanced through her body, and the beast screamed in rage. She twisted and turned, trying to shake the creatures from her back. But still, they clungon.
Several others had launched themselves onto Eurig’s back, and one had bit a chunk out of his shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see them pile on top of his form. They had pinned him to the ground, and Bree was no better off than hewas.
They were going to lose. The creatures were going towin.
But then Eurig roared. The sound echoed through the forest and sunk deep into Bree’s bones. The creatures began to fly, Eurig’s strength returning to him in a flash of glory. He grabbed one after another and launched them through the air where they slammed into thick tree trunks or tumbled with a heavy thump onto theground.
Bree’s face was smashed into the dirt, and she watched it all unfold with only one eye open. The pain in her back was far too unbearable for her to do anythingelse.
When Eurig finally turned her way, she could have sworn she saw something akin to fear flash in the lion’s eyes. But that was impossible. Eurig did not truly care what happened to Bree, especially not in his lion form. He was only helping her because of Taveon. He probably thought he’d be better off without her in hisway.
But then he stormed over to her, plucking the creatures from her back and snapping them in two. He threw them into the forest, and the crack of their bodies against the trees made her stomach twist into knots. Soon, the pain was the only thing left. That and Eurig, who stood beside her with wild eyes and bloodiedclaws.
