Page 42 of Maddie

“Sorry, bloodsucker.” Dee giggled, pushing himself from the tree. “We needed to get back into our pack’s good graces, so they’ll help us get unstuck from this horrendous form.”

“You, motherfuckers!” Maddie hissed, lunging forward to grip the back of their shirts as they bolted toward the swamp. But they were slippery things and ducked before diving into the water. The little chicken shits swam away, not giving a second glance in her direction.

She was prepared to go after them, but Noah still hadn’t resurfaced. The twins’ betrayal didn’t surprise her in the least—they were werewolves, after all. At least she and Noah were at the cure’s location—he just needed to hurry his arse up before something arrived and found them.

What if there were no mushrooms left at the bottom of the lake? There was always the chance there weren’t any cures remaining, especially if she now knew why the werewolves didn’t want vampires to have it. Maybe they’d destroyed the mushrooms themselves…

Angry growls broke through Maddie’s thoughts, and she froze. Not just one or two—many. She jerked her head up as the land shook beneath her feet. Furred beasts, the colors of midnight, crimson, and tree bark, bounded her way, tearing across the land and swinging from trees. They hopped from landmass to landmass, headed straight for her from all directions.

Their frenzied roars grew stronger, boisterous, their shadowy shapes becoming defined as they drew closer. Maddie lifted her gun and fired a silver bullet, watching it rip through a crimson werewolf’s throat. A gurgling howl escaped the beast’s snout as it collapsed to the earth, its body quaking and disintegrating to fiery ash. Smoke billowed into the air.

Then she shot more and more, the savage beasts slamming to the ground. One through the eye, another the heart, the head, the stomach—each werewolf breaking into pieces. Her gun clicked—empty.

Maddie frantically fished out several cartridges from the front pouch of her backpack and reloaded with a click. Not in time, though, as a sharp pain pierced her back. She gasped, ignoring the throbbing and whirled around, coming face to face with an obsidian beast, its eyes the color of the orange sun in the mortal world—something she hadn’t seen in so long. Blood leaked from its razor-sharp teeth as though it had come from another meal. She pulled the trigger, aiming straight through its open mouth while the beast roared, her hair flying around her cheeks. Hot blood splattered her face and she spun around, just as another werewolf swung from a tree branch and crashed in front of her. A bullet escaped her gun and struck true in its chest, blood blooming to the wound’s surface before the beast fell to ash. These werewolves were about the size of one and a half of Noah—no matter how strong she was, she wouldn’t be able to defeat them with her bare hands.

Bang. Bang. She continued blasting the beasts, when a splash echoed behind her. Maddie knew it was Noah by the sounds of his swimming, yet she didn’t look back as she killed werewolf after werewolf.

Another gun fired from her right—Noah. Maddie wasn’t certain if he hit his marks, but she didn’t have time to check while shooting and reaching for more cartridges. She loaded and hurled bullets at werewolves on the landmasses farther away before they came nearer.

But the beasts wouldn’t stop coming. It was like sewing an endless circle around and around a hat.

“We need to leave!” Maddie shouted, her heart almost breaking her rib cage as it thundered. “Those little twin bastards called their pack here. Did you get the mushrooms?”

“Yes, get in the swamp and go!”

She didn’t just yet—she stayed shooting as he shoved the black and white striped mushrooms into his backpack. Maddie then grabbed her pack and jumped into the swamp, the freezing water wrapping its icy fingers around her once more, the glowing fish heading in her direction.

Maddie kicked her legs forward, dodging the bastard fish. She stayed below the surface for as long as she could until her lungs screamed for air.

Bursting through the surface, she gulped for oxygen. Noah trailed only a little way behind her, but the werewolves didn’t stop as they launched their bodies into the water. Their growls reverberated across the swamp, but they were distracted by the golden fish.Foolish beasts. At least they were making a meal out of those for the moment, though.

She ignored the screeching pain of her back where the werewolf had struck her and glided forward, never relaxing her tight grip on the gun.

The patch from which they’d come slid into view, and she hurried to push herself out of the water as Noah followed. A werewolf leapt out from a tree and she shot, missing. Shenevermissed. The beast soared toward them and, before she could pull the trigger again, Noah stepped between them. He brought his arm back and swung his fist, summoning every ounce of strength and speed he had, doubling down to do the most damage. Maddie steadied her finger on the trigger, waiting to fire. Noah’s knuckles slammed into the side of the werewolf’s head with acrack. Bright blood sprayed out from the wound as the body flew across the swamp, the beast’s raging roars reverberating. Maddie fired, the silver bullet piercing the air, striking the werewolf’s chest, just as its body splintered two trees in half. The beast landed in a shallow spot of water, its body convulsing before turning to smoke and ash. She didn’t miss that time, but it was teamwork.

“Fuck!” Noah shouted, yanking her forward. “Let’s hurry to Ivory.”

She didn’t know how many cartridges she had left in her backpack, but it wasn’t enough to take out an entire territory of werewolves.

They sprinted down the winding path, past curving and gnarled trees, then ran through a narrow passage until just ahead, the familiar werewolf village came into view. The rows of cages glinted from the fiery posts, burning with orange flames at their tops. They slowed, treading silently behind trees so as not to draw any unwanted attention.

Her gaze fell to one of the largest werewolves she’d ever seen, bright ivory fur, its arms longer than its legs. The beast gripped two young males—Dee and Dom. Maddie grinned as the werewolf shoved the twins back into their cage. Dee scowled while Dom spouted curses.

Ah, so the little weasels didn’t get the help they so desired. Maddie inwardly chuckled. The werewolf slammed the door to the cage shut, then thrashed across the ground in the direction Maddie and Noah had come from.

Once the beast was out of sight, she and Noah hurried across the land and back through the waist-deep swamp. Crows cawed from above while they trekked through the thick bog, until finally, out and away from the putrid smells, silvery trees interlacing with ivory ones appeared.

“Thank fuck,” Noah rasped, placing his empty hand at his chest, the other still clenching the gun.

“The territory line won’t stop all of them from entering Ivory. The bad apples will cross,” she said, glancing behind her, the coast clear for now.

As the adrenaline left her veins, Maddie stumbled. She peered down at her skin, paler than usual.

“Your back!” Noah’s eyes widened.

“I’m fit as a fiddle,” she slurred, losing too much blood from the gashes on her back. Before she could say anything else, Maddie collapsed into Noah’s arms.

Chapter Eighteen

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