Page 44 of Dancing Moonbeam

Instantaneously, the four Frost men transformed into their wolf forms, moving in perfect sync with each other. They all knew the stakes—they had to take down Vicino before he unleashed his powers or they would all die.

With a snarl, Jaytee lunged for the vampire, fueled by his personal vendetta against him for coming after Raidh and his family and for subjecting him to that disgusting display of vulgarity.

His gut also still ached from the asshole’s demonstrations of his power.

This was as personal as it could get.

Vicino’s loud roar reverberated through the forest and carried on the night air as Jaytee sank his teeth deep into the vampire’s huge bicep. A sharp pain exploded through his body, reminding him he had yet to heal his earlier injury when he’d jumped out the kitchen window.

Jaytee bit down even harder and deeper on Vicino’s bicep, simultaneously using his claws to carve out as much flesh as possible, releasing the sickening smell of blood into the air.

The pain intensified, and Jaytee realized Vicino was slugging him all over his body.

It was like a violent dance of pure chaos and destruction, frenzied movements between wolves and the powerful blows from the vampire. But Jaytee refused to let go. Raidh is counting on you. Don’t fail him by dying.

No sooner had those thoughts raced through Jaytee’s mind than Vicino let out another ferocious roar, his powers shooting outward. All four were violently ejected backward from the vampire’s body with the strength of high velocity winds. Jaytee was launched at such a speed he didn’t have time to brace for impact. His massive wolf form collided into his truck with such force it caused the vehicle to flip over several times and spin wildly before coming to a stop in a twisted heap.

But Jaytee kept going.

When he slammed into a tree, more pain detonated like explosions all over his body—his ribs audibly cracking as the tree was uprooted from the ground, as if it were nothing more than a twig in his path. He’d not only heard a million snaps as the roots were ripped out but felt something, probably a sawed-off branch, tear more of his already battered flesh open. Jaytee started to close his eyes. He just needed a moment to rest.

You have to get up. Get up! Raidh is counting on you!

But he couldn’t focus. The entire world was distorted, and his heartbeat pounded in his head—fast, loud, and deafening. It drowned out all the other sounds around him as he finally managed to get to his feet.

Now all he had to do was stay on them.

No doubt he’d just destroyed his truck if the smell of burned rubber was anything to go by. The metallic taste of blood coated the inside of his mouth, and Jaytee wished he could shift to spit it out, but he didn’t want to shift back to human form and leave himself vulnerable. Not until someone found the sense that just been knocked out of him and returned it.

Every step, every breath made his ribs send out shockwaves of pain so severe he should have passed out. As he tried to find his way back to the fight, his vision began to clear. Jaytee was making out more than just blotches now, and the world was no longer a spinning kaleidoscope.

But it was slow going since he’d probably busted every rib in his body. At least he knew he was still in his yard from the feel of grass under his paws.

For now, Jaytee was relying on scent, and he knew he was getting closer because the foul stench of Vicino was getting stronger.

When he finally made it to where he’d fought the vampire, his heart gave out. He shifted into his human form and limped as quickly as he could to where his twin lay in wolf form on the ground, unmoving.

“Damon.” He shook his brother after he lowered himself. “Damon, wake up!” No! “Wake up!”

With a trembling hand, Jaytee caressed the side of his twin’s muzzle, his fingers cascading over soft fur. He lay his hand on his brother’s chest, but didn’t feel any movement, and he couldn’t find the pulse of a beating heart.

Jaytee’s face tightened in torment as he scooped Damon’s wolf up and rocked his brother against his chest, uncontrollable sobs racking his entire body.

Please, not Damon. Please, please, not Damon.

He buried his face in the wolf’s fur, brushed his cheek over its pelt, and inhaled his scent before pulling back. Where were his dad and Jax?

Moonbeam?

As much as it devastated him to lay Damon down, Jaytee needed to find his mate and the rest of his family.

It was a struggle getting to his feet. Not only did it feel as if his body was on the verge of breaking down but so were his heart and mind. He glanced down at the wolf and briefly closed his eyes as pain ripped him apart. “I promise to come back, brother.”

The lump in his throat stung like a million hornets as he was filled with the need to find everyone.

But he had no idea where Elvine had taken Raidh, where to even start looking. In this very moment, Jaytee had never needed anyone as much as he needed his mate.

When he looked around, it was then he realized the vampires were no longer strewn everywhere, making it seem as if a battle had never even taken place.

---