SHADOW
Just after those explosions, I instantly felt everyone’s fear thickened in the air, probably mine too. I wasn’t used to fighting with other wolves to death, but those explosions and the packs of werewolves walking into the compound left me no choice but to defend ourselves.
“They’re here.” Just as I announced, the enforcers shifted to their wolves, leaving me and Califf, Duke, and Lyon still standing in human form.
As we marched, the two guards opened the gate for us, taking the fight outside. Our remaining six enforcers followed behind us while Lyon and Duke were on our sides.
Close to the trees, I caught sight of at least four vehicles parked with large numbers of members standing tall beside Keane, crossing his arms over his chest and showing us what he got.
“He’s trying to intimidate us.” I couldn’t help but snort at the ridiculousness of the number of shifters he brought with him against us.
“Ten against thirty or forty? I like the odds,” Califf said. His body vibrated with rage.
“We can do this,” Lyon took off his shirt. “Guys, be careful with the bullets. Make sure it’s a bullseye,” he talked to the guys from the guard post.
“I admire your confidence. I hope we can depend on our reinforcements. If there is, now is the time they should be arriving, don’t you think, Luna?”
“I hope so, Duke, or we’re doomed.” I looked at Califf. His jaw had been locked since we got an alert of a breach. “Let me guess. You saw your old friend on the line?”
“Yes. Everlee is in there.”
“Wow. So they’re like lovers now, huh? Well, if she likes to join the fight, be my guest.”
“Should we take your compound by force, or we just settle this, and you go on your merry way? Just give us Shadow without bloodshed and the compound. You will be the hero who has saved many lives today.”
“The audacity.” Lyon snorted.
“You’re welcome to try,” Califf said in disinterest/
“Do you think those explosions took my men down? By that time, my men are already inside your compound, ripping those little enforcers you have left.”
Califf’s chest heaved in anger, and I could feel it radiating through him. If Califf was enraged, it affected me, too. This gift, sometimes a curse, could do more harm than good.
“Easy. He’s trying to get into your head so that you will lose control,” I talked to him through our link. “He’s a manipulative son of a bitch.”
“You are surrounded by your men. Let them come and get through us. We’re outnumbered anyway, but I would never hand over Shadow and this compound to you without a fight.”
“Enough of this talk! You’re wasting my time!” Keane ripped his shirt off.
“Exactly! You came all the way here to waste your time. Back off now before it’s too late.”
“You, bitch! I’m not talking to you. If you stay with us or come with us now, your pack should still be alive. You’re mine. You know that. As you can see, this game is over!”
Growls of disagreement rumbled around me, protecting their Luna. Califf growled louder. His wolf was losing control as another Alpha just threatened his mate.
“Easy, guys. I got this,” I talked to them before I defended my own honor. “Did you just call me bitch? You talk too much, asshole! Lead the fight, and come and get me if you want to take a bite. And I say it’s game over when it’s over, coward!”
“Then you got it!” He growled before he shifted into a dark gray wolf. He was big, but he hadn’t seen my wolf yet.
Everyone shifted in his pack, giving us a glimpse of how strong they were.
My heart hammered at the thought of how this might end. I didn’t want to think of my bloody dream because no matter how strong we were, the odds of losing this battle were high unless our help arrived before we got slaughtered.
“I might have underestimated their numbers,” I said honestly.
“Hey, Shadow. If things go south, I want you to know you’re the best thing that happened in my life. I love you, and I love you in the next life.”
“I love you, too, but we’re not dying today. And I still have to wear a pretty white bridal gown and marry you on that cliff.” I winked at him, causing his eyes to glimmer with love and hope. I showed him my fingers. “Don’t forget my ring, Alpha.”
“You got it, Luna.”
I watched the wolves run in our direction. Their paws thudded against the shaking ground. Dust filled in the air, but it was halted by another explosion.
“It’s a trap.” I shrugged my shoulders, but not all of them were down. At least just a few that we didn’t have to waste our energy on.
Lyon and Duke were already in their wolf forms. Their clothes were shredded on the ground.
“Don’t die, Alpha.”
He grinned before bones popped, his body altered, and his clothes flew in the air just a second later and shifted to at least seven feet long and three inches high. Standing beside me was the biggest black shining wolf snarling. He looked as powerful and intimidating as in human form with his big muscles, strong limbs, his ears uptight, lips curled, showing his fangs as his rage-filled eyes zeroed on Keane. His growl was loud as he was ready to fight.
I patted his head, showing him good luck as he headed to fight with his enforcers alongside Lyon and Duke’s wolves.
I drew a deep breath and thought of Sebastien’s men as I watched one of the enforcers being tackled by two wolves from Keane’s pack.
Just as I was about to shift, a portal appeared to my left. Zarah and Aira appeared, chanting in a language I didn’t understand. The wolves tackling the enforcer just exploded. Blood was everywhere on the enforcer’s wolf’s fur.
“Thanks for the backup.” I shifted into my wolf. All my wolf could sense was threats as I launched into a sandy wolf about to claw Califf’s behind him.
I felt blood flow against my mouth as I bit the neck of a sandy wolf and ripped his throat out, making my wolf a satisfying purr.
“You look amazing,” Califf said to me, snarling. “Thanks for the backup, Luna.”
“You don’t need one.” I was about to lunge at the gray wolf when I realized who it was.
She snarled at me, exposing her fangs. She now realized who I was, but it was too late. Either she submitted, or I would rip her throat with my claws.
Before she could lunge at me, I caught her off guard, slamming into her and throwing us to the ground. I could kill Everlee in a snap with my superior speed and strength.
I growled at her and pinned her down hard, giving her a chance to submit, but as bitchy as she was, she would never give up.
“Then it’s your death today, not mine.” I snarled and bit her, enough for her to suffer and surrender. She whined in agony until she bowed her head down.
A gray wolf almost as big as Califf lunged toward him. The clashing of claws and teeth began, pinning down the black wolf on its leg, yanking hard with its jaw. As he was about to bite his neck, I crouched and rushed to save Califf, but a big and impressive white wolf taller and bigger than any of us, his stance oozed power and strength, halted me to a stop.
Wolves around us whimpered.
I growled at everyone as the backup had just arrived. “Got that, bitches!”