Page 5 of King of Moon and Claws

The water was murky and green and it smelled like sulfur, perhaps from the decaying vegetation at the bottom of the wetland. The brown trees were a stark contrast against the kelly-green of the surrounding area.

There were a couple of ducks swimming, which wasn’t unusual, but a white swan sat in the middle of the swamp. The incredible bird was certainly out of place for such an eerie environment.

Help!

Bastian whipped his head around, pulling his attention away from the lone swan and back toward the source of the cry.

She’s close, his wolf said. Let’s see if there’s a way around this swamp. I don’t trust that water.

He walked around the edge, careful not to dip a paw into its murky depths. Bastian half expected a hand to come out and pull him under, but nothing out of the ordinary happened. The swan simply sat in its center barely moving, its back to them.

The moisture in the ground began to lessen, indicating their departure from the wetland.

A scream of pain sounded in Bastian’s mind, so loud, it caused him to drop his head to the ground and paw at his ears.

We better hurry, his wolf chided.

He ran through the woods, keeping his attention sharp. At last, he noticed evidence of traffic. Broken branches, footprints, and drag marks gave the impression of many people in and around the area.

But where are they going? Bastian wondered. There’s got to be something nearby.

He searched, using his animal instincts and sense of smell to guide him. He followed a particularly strong though not unpleasant smell to the base of a large rock formation covered in vines and ivy.

Bastian realized immediately he was standing at the entrance of a hidden underground lair. The smell he followed led directly to the opening of a cave.

It’s a vampire lair, his wolf said, recognizing the scent.

Yes, and there shouldn’t be an issue. We have peace with all paranormal creatures, he reminded the animal.

Yet he was uncertain, filled with something akin to trepidation. The entrance was concealed in a cave and the moment he stepped toward it, vampires jumped him. This was not normal. There should be no reason why vampires would attack.

Even if there was a trespasser in the compound, they should ask questions first, not immediately try to kill. Bastian and his wolf agreed the vampires were hiding something.

The logical side of him debated on transforming into his human form and trying to reason with them, but her voice called out again, this time louder than before. With her desperation pounding throughout his head, he fought off the vampires.

At the entrance, five vampires stood guard. Bastian and his wolf were powerful, and it wasn’t hard for him to destroy the vampires with his claws and fangs while only taking minimal injury to himself.

Someone help me. Please!

The sound of her voice, now that he was closer, drew him like a magnet. Whoever she was, she clearly needed help, and he knew that whatever was going on in this bizarre cave was not good. The tunnels gave way to a cavern line with doors.

The screams of pain grew progressively louder the closer he got to the doors. After flinging one open, he came face to face with Vasilis.

Vasilis's eyes narrowed in recognition. He knew Bastian, and the Alpha Wolf King knew him.

The woman strapped to the table while blood pooled on the floor from Vasilis’s torture whimpered. Bastian snarled, and Vasilis, with a snap, turned into his bat form and flew away.

Bastian immediately took off after him, but his wolf growled in his head.

Mate.

Bastian froze and turned toward the woman on the table. Mate? He looked at her, and his world shifted. Her long, blonde hair hung over the table. Her eyes, wide and fearful, stared at him.

Help me…

FOUR

ELORA

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