Page 77 of Shifting Fate
Dallon
Dreadhunters came from all directions, pouring out of the woods like they were born from them. Dreadwolves’ roars rattled the trees and my rapidly-beating heart.
Arias and I hit the ground running. No sooner had we thrown the front door open, our wolves surged to the surface. One moment we were on two feet, and the next, four.
Once we got to the heart of the battle, I paused to glance around. Amber Run wolves fought beside Foxgrove wolves as one, and the shrill of howls in the distance promised that Westwind was on their way, but god, Dreads wereeverywhere.
I watched in awe as Rhine launched himself straight at the throat of a knife-wielding woman in a metallic crow mask. His body collided with hers and his fangs sunk home. She landed with a thud, gurgling through the blood with her last breath. The moment she was down, Rhine was running towards the next enemy in line.
It was carnage.
One of the Dreadwolves lumbered into view. It threw back its head on a roaring war-cry. Arias caught my eye and dipped his muzzle towards the beast. I gulped and nodded, and together, we attacked.
From there on, everything else was a blur. Crimson stained the earth and our skin, soaking into our fur as our fangs snared and snapped.
My stomach churned with nausea as I buried my teeth into the gut of a man. His screams would haunt my nightmares, the sour taste of his blood forever ingrained into my memory. He shuddered as I tore entrails from his still-breathing carcass, all the while fighting down the urge to vomit.
God, Ireallyhated blood.
I let myself be folded back into the pack of warrior wolves. Their bodies pressed against mine like a living shield, but the only one I had eyes for was Arias. Fear nipped at my heart when I didn’t immediately see him. Where was my mate?
A quick sweep of the forest revealed Arias as human, gun in hand, fighting alongside his twin brother. Espen’s face was void of expression as he cut down the enemy. With a flick of his wrist, a crow went sailing through the air to practically wrap around a tree. She didn’t get up again.
To the left, flames roared from the palms of Ezra’s hands. The Dreadhunter he was battling screeched in agony as his skin bubbled and blistered. The stink of burning flesh and hair hit my nose, and I backed away.
A shaggy gray Dreadwolf went thundering past, a cluster of wolves at its heels, baying for blood like hounds on the hunt. Suddenly overwhelmed, I dove for cover behind a gnarled thicket of thorns. I just needed a minute to catch my breath. I panted hard, my tongue lolling out of my mouth.
A familiar voice shouted a warning. My heart in my throat, I scrambled to the side right as an arrow whizzed past me. Fucking hell! I did not sign up to be poisoned twice.
I whirled around to attack the bow-wielding Dread, but before I could make a move, an arc of light speared through his chest. He screamed, his hands curled into claws, fingernails tearing at his own flesh. Another agonized wail and he buckled to his knees, thrashing on the forest floor.
Harper strode up and snapped the man’s neck without a word. He looked me up and down, then pinned me with a look. “You alright?”
I gave a jerky nod. “I’m not going down that easily.”
His smile was proud. “Good answer. They’re thinning out. I don’t think she sent the entire horde, but Christ, when she does…?” He shook his head slowly. It didn’t need to be said. We already knew.
Without another word, he darted back into battle.
Before I could follow him, a scream shrilled in the distance and I swore my heart stopped beating. I’d know that voice anywhere. I spun around, breathing hard. The icy tingle of dread filled my veins.
“Tashi?”I called out.
She shrieked again, more frantic than before. Shit, shit, shit! It sounded like it was coming from her cottage. Unease prickled through me, my hackles standing on end. Then, without stopping to think about how I was probably waltzing headlong into danger, I bolted through the trees.
The loud crack of a gunshot stopped me dead in my tracks. My heart plummeted, panic taking root. Despite the battle taking place in these woods, the only sound coming from the cluster of small houses was silence. Complete and utter silence.
Not Tashi.
Shifting back to human, I crept up on my sister’s house. Her front door was smashed in, like someone had busted it down with a roundhouse kick. The wood was splintered near the doorframe. I grabbed my gun—the one enchanted to shift with me—and slowly made my way up the front steps.
I nudged the broken door open with my foot, wincing when the hinges gave a dying squeak. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Fear gripped me in a vice. I was terrified I was going to find my baby sister bleeding out on the living room floor.
But the living room was eerily quiet. No sign of my sister, or the enemy, for that matter. Had I just blindly walked into an ambush? Were the Dreadhunters waiting for me with their weapons drawn, ready to cut me down?
I eased towards the kitchen, and that’s when I saw it.
Blood trickled across the white tile, pooling in the grout lines. No… I swallowed my nausea and held my gun out in front of me, pulling the hammer back as quietly as I could, all the while thanking the gods that I’d grown up with a prepper for a father. He’d made damn sure Tashi and I could shoot a gun. You know, just in case of the apocalypse.
