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“I don’t know. I’ve been on my own for so long.” Griffin smiled sadly, the light from the flames danced across his face.
“Just try, you might actually like it.”
Griffin sighed dramatically and I rolled my eyes before yanking him up. He followed reluctantly. He made his way to Cassian and soon they were laughing together.
Music started playing and the beat washed over me. Ember and I danced, and a handful of others followed. This was good, it was happiness and family. This was a happiness I hadn’t felt in a long time. No drama, no pain, just new friends, family, and happiness.
Some time later, the music quieted, cups were refilled, and we sat around the flames enjoying the evening. I could see Griffin next to Cassian, laughing with a few other wolves. Ember was next to me laughing into her cup at something Grace said.
I took a sip from my own cup and heard a crunch behind us and glanced over my shoulder. I couldn’t see anything through the darkness, but the hair on my neck and arms rose. I started to get a sinking feeling and the bubble of happiness popped. Ember shifted next to me and squinted into the darkness—she must’ve sensed what I did. Suddenly, she jumped up.
“Cassian! They’re here—” Her words were cut off when a huge body slammed into us. My head slammed against the floor and stars flashed in front of my eyes. I touched my temple, and my fingers came away with blood.
For a long moment I just stared at my fingers. My mind felt hazy, and everything sounded muffled. Eventually, yelling and screams of panic pierced through and I looked around in horror. There were people lying motionless on the floor, people I’d been dancing with only moments ago. I pushed to my feet and whirled around, I couldn’t see Cassian or Griffin and my stomach dropped. Chaos surrounded me; werewolves collided into each other. Some of them had shifted, others fought in human form, and I couldn’t tell who was who. What the hell is happening?I shook my head, attempting to clear the lingering haze. I was frozen in place. I didn’t know what to do, and all I could think about was finding Cassian, Griffin, and Ember. I need to keep them safe!
Jaws clashed against each other, bones cracked, and werewolves tore through one another. My breath came in fast pants. I wanted to use my magic, but I had no idea who was part of Cassian’s pack and who was attacking. I’d only ever seen Cassian and Griffin in wolf form.
Movement caught my eye and my head whipped to the source. I recognized Kellan standing on the edge of the warehouse. This was him! How did he get here? How did he know? His arms were crossed over his chest and a grin plastered across his face.
Anger took over and I lunged in his direction, but a hand wrapped around my wrist, almost causing me to trip.
“Emily! We need to get out of here!” Ember’s eyes were wide with terror.
“We need to help them!”
Ember shook her head and yanked me toward the cells, “It’s almost midnight. I’m a human, and you don’t have a strong enough grasp on your magic. When the curse sets in, we’ll both be dead.”
“But Cassian… Griffin… Grace,” I argued, dodging a huge wolf that flew past us.
Ember pointed, and I spotted Cassian and Griffin fighting together. It looked like they were dancing. Kellan’s pack fell around them. Grace wasn’t far, fighting with Sam and a whole group of wolves. We were the most vulnerable.
I groaned and let Ember drag us away. We ran up the stairs and bolted the cell door shut just as a werewolf got to us. I blasted him with a flame, and he cried out before falling to the floor in a mass of flame and ash. I really hope that was a bad guy…
“Emily…” Ember’s voice made my blood run cold. I joined her at the window. We had a clear view of the chaos below.
My eyes gravitated toward Griffin who was fighting off another wolf, but I quickly found Cassian; he was no longer standing. He knelt behind Griffin, a hand on his ribs. There was no way Griffin could hold off all the wolves alone.
Grace turned and noticed Cassian. She instantly ran toward him, cutting through wolves as she went. When she reached him, she slammed her claws into a werewolf that was coming after Cassian. She then bent to help Cassian stand.
She almost had him standing when Kellan appeared out of nowhere and sunk his claws into Grace’s back. Her eyes grew wide, her mouth open in a silent scream. Kellan’s sharp claws pierced through Grace’s chest, and she looked down at them in shock as blood dripped to the ground. She looked to Cassian, pain and love radiated from her gaze. A short moment later, her eyes softened, and her body slackened. Kellan pulled his claws free, and the mother of the Knox pack dropped to the floor.
Cassian’s shriek ripped through the warehouse grounds. I’d never heard anything like it. It was filled with pain, anguish, terror, and sorrow. The world seemed to shudder to a halt at the sound. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. He stared disbelieving at his mother’s motionless body, and from my viewpoint, I could see him start to shake. His expression changed to one of pure fury and fear pricked at my heart.
Cassian and Griffin lunged at Kellan simultaneously. The grinning bastard jumped out of reach as his lackeys reached for them. Griffin was knocked in the head and fell hard to the ground. He didn’t get back up. Cassian and another wolf tripped over him in a tangle of limbs.
Victor’s voice suddenly boomed through the warehouse. Kellan’s pack immediately stopped and retreated. Kellan no longer hid behind his lackeys and walked toward Cassian. In a final move, Kellan slashed his blood coated claws deep across Cassian’s chest. My best friend collapsed, and Kellan sprinted after his pack.
Sobs wracked my body and I knelt on the ground. “We need to get them.”
“We can’t. It’s too close to midnight. They’re carrying Cassian and Griffin in.” Ember whispered. I could hear cell doors open and close, people were crying and shouting.
Grace… Cass… Griffin…My mind was a writhing mass of panic and incoherent thoughts. I should have made more healing potions. I need to save them. Maybe I can bring Grace back. There has to be a spell to bring someone back! So much blood… How did they know where we were? Did someone betray us? I can’t remember how to breathe. I need to get out of here. If I catch up to Kellan, I can kill him. Grace… She was the mother I always wanted. This can’t be happening. No. No. No!
My magic pulsed inside of me, it coiled and pushed. It begged to be released. But the target was gone. Pain lanced from my head and down my neck. I groaned as the pressure of my thoughts and my magic overwhelmed me. Darkness took hold and I fell. My last memory was of Ember’s tear-stained face, her hands catching my head. “It’ll be okay, Emily...”
