Page 125 of Oath of Revenge

“Alright, but yell if you see anything suspicious.”

“You do the same,” he murmured, but she probably didn’t hear him. She’d already turned her horse and continued on the road.

He pressed his hands to his eyes and ground his teeth. Within a few deep breaths, he had himself under control and dropped his hands. A flash of light caught on the edge of his vision, and he glanced over.

His heart twisted painfully as he took a few steps forward, and he strode the few steps, kicking a pile of ash and broken lumber to reveal the shop’s sign. Half gone, but the faded green letters & SON were still visible.

His family legacy, fading away with each passing day. He had dreamed of passing on the business to his own son, but fate had cruelly denied him that chance. His daughter was all that remained, a reminder of the love he had lost when Mara succumbed to the fever. Once this trip to the Winter Palace was done, they’d return to Hartsgrove and finish getting the treaty approved by the people. When the Feral Forest was secure, he could go into Busparia with other Growlers and Hunters and find his daughter.

A shrill shriek pierced the air, and he spun to the road. A thick, ominous cloud engulfed one side of the walls, casting a dark shadow over the destruction. Broken stones and crumbled bricks littered the ground, a stark contrast to the grandeur that once stood there.

He jumped on the horse and raced to the cloud.

The shriek wasn’t Scarlet, but he knew. Where there was trouble, she’d be there.

It took too many precious minutes to reach the castle’s wall, the stone blackened but strong and solid. He raced along the edge of it and rounded the corner to see the black cloud coalescing into a darker figure.

A monstrous creature, its form rippling with foreboding black shadows, towered above them like a dark tornado. It loomed at least the size of a horse, dwarfing Scarlet and her steed in comparison. With one hand gripping the reins and the other brandishing a dagger, she faced the looming beast with unwavering determination. Her face was etched with grim resolve, unflinching in the face of fear as she prepared to do battle. He was proud of her for controlling her shift and not succumbing to the rabbit or deer.

Then the black clad figure grabbed her hand and yanked her off the horse. The dagger did nothing as if simply flying through air. But the unexpected movement made Scarlet cry out as she jerked her hand away and went flying.

The dagger clattered to the dirt, and she shifted in midair to a little red rabbit. Her clothes fell to the ground, and she burrowed inside them to hide from the shadow creature. It floated to her pile of clothes, and Wulfric roared.

The creature turned to him, and he didn’t even think. He shifted, his clothes bursting as he launched himself at the villain. The shadows wrapped around him, and the air grew thin. The shadows began to choke him, and he clawed and swiped.

The thing held him above the ground with a hand on his back leg. A hand… The thing was mostly shadows, but there was something solid within it. Wulfric closed his eyes as it swung him around, pushing past the dizziness and focusing on feeling the body.

He took a deep, slow, tight breath. White spots pushed on the edge of his vision. There. He found the creature’s body and dug his claws in. The shrill shriek reverberated through him, making his teeth chatter. With jaws open wide, he ripped into flesh that tasted of death and decay.

He tore it away as that piercing shriek filled the air. His head vibrated from the sound as he took another bite and dug his claws mercilessly into the black void. He couldn’t see anything through the blackness, couldn’t feel the ground. But he had to find the weak spots, the jugular, the primary arteries…

He tore bite after bite, never letting go with his left hand so he could maintain a tight grasp on the elusive shadow thing’s body. The screaming turned to moaning, and then he felt the body rip into two pieces in his mouth.

The shadows burst around him, and he drew a deep breath as he dropped the few feet to the ground. He shook his head to clear the dizziness and turned to where Scarlet had huddled next to the wall.

Instead of a scared little bunny, a beautiful red wolf stood with hackles raised, ready to pounce. When she finally saw him through the dissipating shadows, her fur smoothed and she sniffed the air.

“Wulfric? Are you alright? Is it gone?”

He grinned wide and bounded to her side. She took a step back, then they circled each other. Why was he always so sex focused after a fight? Damn, her scent was even better like this. He sniffed under her neck, and he wanted to howl that she let him that close to one of her most vulnerable places. Growlers were fiercely territorial over their weak spots.

Her wet nose nuzzled behind his ear, then over his back. He licked her side down to her haunches. A cold nudge at his crotch made him yip, and he turned to see her licking around his hidden cock.

Hidden no longer, his body knew his mate was here, sniffing for more. He chuckled as she dipped her head again, licking around his shaft as it grew and made itself known.

“Watch it, bunny, or I’ll mount you right here, right now.”

Her eyes flashed golden green and met his, the spark of mischief clear even in this form.

“So? My heart is still racing from that—that thing, wolfie. Maybe I need a good fuck to get my head back in the game and away from the shitty way I shifted and hid.”

The sparkle dimmed as she grew serious. He licked her cheek and nuzzled under her ear.

“You did what you had to to survive, love. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You were just waiting for me to show up.”

“Psh, I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.” Her words echoed in his head as she turned away with head high. He barked and nipped her tail, making her snarl and turn back to him.

“I know, bunny, but we’re a team. We’re stronger together, remember? Not just because we were mated, either. Side by side is how we’re going to see this through, alright?”

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