Page 46 of Toward Immortal Ruin

One set of teeth connected with Nero’s defensive arm, and the other, with his shoulder. Grunting as fangs lodged in his flesh, he braced himself when agony burned down his arm and his knees met pavement.

The wolf hadn’t only sunk teeth into the meaty part of his shoulder, but was scouring deep gouges with its claws in his side. The muscle beneath the animal’s teeth shredded, his arm becoming near useless as a result of torn tendons and severed muscle.

Though Nero was nearly indestructible, the pressure from the vice-like jaws would be enough to break his bones if he didn’t resort to extreme measures.

He let loose his panther’s unholy roar, vocalized from a human throat. It temporarily made the wolves freeze, all he needed to gain the upper hand.

Though the beasts had taken him to his knees, it didn’t matter. Nero’s right fist pummeled into the wolf who’d locked onto his shoulder, one blow effectively shattering its cranial bones. His enemy collapsed, unmoving.

The second wolf grew wise.

Doubling down on the effort before Nero could react, the feral creature snapped the bones in his right forearm, and a wave of agony reverberated through him. It was trying to render Nero entirely defenseless. Blood gushed from his wounds, coating the wolf’s grey muzzle crimson red.

A shout registered, and then the pressure on Nero’s arm disappeared. He opened his eyes to confirm the wolf had been taken care of, belatedly registering that someone was gripping both of his shoulders.

Red hair. Jeremiah.

The Elemental was in front of him, his mouth moving, but no sound reached his ears. Dizziness swam through him, shifting his balance so that he teetered even though he was on his knees. He was losing too much blood in too little time, the consequences of the fight written in the rapidly growing pool below him.

Jeremiah was shouting now, and a blast of the Elemental’s panic tore into Nero’s psychic radar.

“I’mfine, Jer’miah,” Nero slurred, trying to raise his arm to grip his clan mate. He couldn’t drum up enough energy to be worried about it when he failed. “Just—just tired.”

Unconsciousness pulled him under, and Nero surrendered to it with one last word.

“Eden.”

Chapter Sixteen

The morbid thoughts abouther impending death never left her. Despite how far she’d run, and how quickly her life circumstances had changed, the shadow of the grave continued to haunt her steps.

Now that she’d been marked by a werewolf, Eden’s life expectancy had gone from less than a year to less than a week.

Eden had made peace with her cancer. The daily regimen of pills had become routine, almost comforting. She’d chosen not to subject herself to radiation or chemotherapy, not wanting her last days to be filled with nausea and pain.

Becoming a werewolf would change everything. In a handful of days, she’d most likely met her end as a creature of myth and legend. Unfathomable.

It was fitting, in a way. Eden would attempt a shifting process she’d studied her entire life. What a horribly marvelous way to die.

Anxiety pooled in her gut from the moment Nero had teleported away a half hour ago. Luna and Key were joined byZia, and the trio hovered around her as she stood at Nero’s kitchen island.

“Nero is involved in the group of immortals who combat theCitizens’attacks,” Zia explained. “Right now, he’s working with my husband, Jeremiah, and several others to clear the scene and make sure no one is injured.”

“And ensure no humans discover us,” Key added.

“Who is he with?”

“Other sovereigns, a couple of werewolves, and a vampire or two.”

Eden’s head hurt. It had all been too much too soon. She didn’t blame Nero the way he blamed himself for not waiting until the perfect moment. Learning fiction and conspiracies had been reality all along was overwhelming, no matter the context.

Massaging her temples, she asked, “Is Nero going to be okay?”

“He’s done this plenty of times,” Zia said.

“TheCitizens, the people behind this, who are they really? I’ve come across their materials during my research, but I thought they were an indoctrination cult that had lost contact with reality completely.”

Luna shifted uneasily in her chair. “They are a terrorist organization who think immortals are unnatural. Because of that, they believe we should be exterminated.”

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