Page 83 of A Vampire Bewitched
Suddenly, complete and utter chaos erupted around them as the wolves, in full-blown wolf form, arrived on the scene. Their guttural howls echoed off the walls as they tore into the creatures. Going for their throats, they ripped out jugulars, their long jaws snapping spines and nearly beheading them in the process.
Emma was happy Nik was still holding onto her, for she was momentarily stunned by the utter violence of the werewolves as he took full advantage of the commotion to get Emma the hell out of there.
Keeping a close eye on the battle around them, he tucked Emma up against his chest, hunching over her to protect her with his body as well as he could. Sprinting across the room at full speed right through the thick of it, he roared as the creatures slashed at his back and arms.
Knocked to the side by a flying corpse, Emma flung out her arms, but he quickly regained his footing, and deposited her in the hidden doorway just off the platform. The same doorway Aiden had disappeared through.
Nik planted himself in front of her and whipped around with a bellowing roar. As Emma huddled behind him, he swiftly annihilated any of the creatures who were unlucky enough to stumble near them.
Looking around for a weapon—a loose rock, anything—but failing to find so much as a piece of gravel, Emma quickly decided her best move would be to crouch down into the corner and try to stay out of Nik’s way. Magic sure would come in handy right about now, but unfortunately, it only seemed to make an appearance when she was angry. Not terrified.
Here and there, she’d catch a closer look at the wolves between his legs.
Twice as large as their human forms, a perfect wolf/human hybrid, they were fearsome to behold. Sparse hair covered their powerful physiques, more muscular than normal wolves. Long snouts were lifted in a snarl, encasing rows of dagger-like teeth capable of ripping through both flesh and bone with ease.
Running at the creatures on all fours at supernatural speeds, their eyes glowed with an unholy light as they tore into their victims with a ferocity Emma had never seen before from any other animal.
How much of their human side was left when they were changed? Would they even recognize them as friends?
Wait a minute. She peered around Nik’s blood-covered legs as she searched the room. There were only two of them. Where was the other wolf? Was he hurt? She looked again. No, he wasn’t in the room. She only saw the one with the reddish fur and the larger, black one.
It scanned the room with glowing eyes, but when nothing moved, the largest one—Cedric?—raised up on to his rear legs, lifted his snout to the sky, and let loose another hair-raising howl.
An answering howl came from below, joined by a second one, and followed by a tormented roar that shook the walls so forcefully, Emma stumbled and would have fallen if she hadn’t caught herself against the door.
Then silence.
“Luukas!” Nik bellowed, as both the wolves howled again.
All motion stopped as everyone held their collective breath, listening.
Emma quietly rose from her crouched position, afraid to bring attention to herself in the deafening silence, and listened with the rest of them. Was her sister down there somewhere?
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three…
The ground rumbled under their feet, gradually gaining power, the floor vibrating like a train was passing underneath them.
Nik backed up, shielding Emma from the rock particles raining down from the ceiling as the rumbling grew stronger.
The wolves prowled nervously back and forth on all fours, occasionally glancing toward the passageway out.
Emma wondered why they didn’t leave. Were they waiting for the missing wolf?
The smaller one looked at the large, black wolf and whined softly, then shook the dust from his fur.
Emma shivered as the temperature suddenly dropped. The sound below them grew louder and louder still, until she had to shout to be heard above it. “Whatisthat?” she finally yelled.
Nik glanced over his shoulder, one side of his mouth turned up in a relieved smile. “My brother.”
Chapter 47
Suddenly, a blast of ice cold air shot across the room as a large portion of the wall exploded out from within, sending pieces of rock flying, and causing the wolves to scamper frantically toward the protection of the tunnel.
Nik spun around and hunkered down over Emma, protecting her as well as he could from the flying debris.
