Page 27 of Shifters Unifying
With that, we darted toward the nearest tree with a branch low enough to haul ourselves into the russet red foliage of the large Willow Oak. Soon, I was the last one on the ground. Kicking my legs and trying to catch the bark with my toes hadn’t help compensate for my useless arm.
“Fuck. Why didn’t you shift to take care of that?”
“Fine. I’ll stay on the ground,” I snapped.
Olivia straddled the low branch and squeezed it with her legs, so she could hook her arm under my shoulder on my injured side. “Give us a hand.”
Phil caught my other side and hauled me into the tree while Henry tried to stabilize him against my brunt of my weight. Blinding pain rolled through me, and I groaned. She was right, I should have taken the time to shift and self-heal.Go slow to go fast.
Behind us, another three shadows raised from the earth, taking the shape of men striding over the surface. None of them hurried. They took their time, likely confident of their eventual success.
“Shit,” I huffed. “There’s three more.”
Finally, they managed to lift me into the tree, and I scooted until I was on my ass on a thick branch and climbed to my feet. I risked a moment to check my bad arm. It wasn’t just broken. It had been shattered. Probably a skill Acheron had learned before he spread the bone shards for us to find.
Panting from the pain, I shook my head at the leisurely pace of our attackers. “These assholes here… taking their time.”
We each chose a different branch, careful to stay on the ones thick enough to hold our weight. The boughs sagged beneath us, but didn’t break. Auburn leaves fluttered toward the ground with each shake of the tree.
Six shadows circled the wide trunk, spinning around the base like an evil whirlpool. Each pulled themselves into standing forms with short, wide legs and elongated torsos. Their oval shadow faces peered up at us, and they chattered in the language we didn’t understand.
“What are they doing?” Olivia whispered.
“Making a plan,” I said. “Same thing we would be doing if our roles were reversed.”
“Shouldn’t we be making a plan?”
“I’m working on it,” I said.
Suddenly, they linked arms, and they shot back into the ground, leaving dark stains on the red leaves. A rumble quaked the ground, and a flood of leaves rained down. Again, the tree shook, and bark exploded off the trunk and scattered in mulch confetti.
“They’re taking out the tree,” Olivia murmured. “From the bottom.”
“Well, shit,” Phil said. “I thought the tree was going to work.”
A revelation struck me. Emma wasn’t with us, and we had no idea if she was okay. Were they just a distraction meant to keep us from Emma? Was Acheron waiting for her in Willow Creek?
Bright hot fury erupted in the center of my chest.How dare Acheron threaten us! How dare he attack us! How dare he hide here, so close to Emma! My mate!She twirled into my mind, carefree and laughing in her melodic voice.I’ll always keep you safe.
“That’s it,” I shouted.
Olivia startled. “Wait, Logan, don’t?—”
“Too late!” In my spot on the thick branch, I shifted—a frothing, rabid wolf in a tree. Then I leaped with my paws outstretched, soaring through the air, relishing the sensation of the wind fluffing my fur. With a grunt, I landed on all fours on the other side of the dark spots. Snarling and snapping to draw them out of their subterranean mission.
They raised slowly from their task of taking down the tree, and they turned to face me, each dark slash of mouth turned upward, mimicking a sickly smile. It was the confirmation I needed. Of course, Acheron had given them instruction to focus their attack on me. Emma would be weaker without me. Did he already know we were fated?
I shifted back to my human form, checking the state of my arm. Almost as good as new. At least I’d have two good arms to fight.
“Logan, what are you doing?” Olivia shrieked.
“They want me! Acheron always wants me,” I called. “Get Phil and Henry back to Six-Mile. Find Emma.”
“Don’t be stupid, Logan!” She jumped from the tree, and the other two followed her down to the fresh bed of reddish leaves. But the mages didn’t react to them at all.
“Too late,” I muttered under my breath. “Get out of here. That’s not a request. It’s an order.”
Phil backed away.
