Page 55 of Wolf Marked

Astrid’s scream of warning ripped from her lungs, but like her brother’s, it was muted by the chaos. Erec’s arms were tight around her as he continued to tug her backward. Then they both hit something, and his sudden sharp intake of breath was full of pain. She glanced over her shoulder to see that he stood against the crystal wall, his body creating a protective barricade between her and the jagged stones. The scent of his blood filled her nose.

“Don’t move!” She read his words more than heard them.

Her gaze whipped back to the scene before her. She could do nothing but watch in horror as the arrows met their marks, one after the other. Being close to the wall kept her and Erec out of range, but the loud howls of pain confirmed Astrid’s biggest fear. The fleeing bystanders who hadn’t found shelter in time dropped to the ground like rocks. Arrows stuck out of their backs and shoulders, reminding Astrid of porcupine quills, and another scream tore from her throat. Blood splattered across the whiteness, and its distinctmetallic scent rode the wind.

Her stomach lurched. The figures in the snow—not just bodies, but her friends and pack mates—didn’t move. Tears prickled in her eyes. No, they couldn’t be dead.

Astrid launched herself forward, wanting to help them, but Erec’s hold tightened, keeping her against him.

“Wait,” he ordered. His voice was nothing but a buzz near her ear. “Jerrick’s trying to draw us out of Svanna Rock. More arrows will be coming.”

As the words left his lips, another wave of arrows flew over the wall. This time, their tips had been lit on fire, so when they landed on the wooden or cloth roofs of houses, their flames spread quickly. Smoke billowed to the sky, and the memory of what had become of Mikel’s pack flashed across her eyes—a field littered with charred bodies. Men, women, and children, all brutally murdered and fed to the fires.

Astrid’s bones seemed to be rattling beneath her skin as her panic mounted. That wouldn’t happen to their pack. It couldn’t.

She needed her spear. They couldn’t just stand here and let Jerrick destroy everything they had built and slaughter everyone they loved. They needed weapons. To fight. Something. This wouldn’t be another massacre.

Astrid ripped Erec’s hands away from her and sprinted away. His shouts followed her, as did his footsteps, but she had to get to the weapons in the training area and fast. She ran as hard as she could, and when she reached the back of Svanna Rock, she was thrilled to see the men and women from the sessions already passing out weapons to any waiting hands. Filip was there, too, but Astrid’s relief quickly turned to dread when she saw the blood coating her brother’s upper back at the shoulder blade.

“You’ve been hit.” She touched the red stain on his coat.

Filip winced but only slightly. His determination reigned over all other emotions in his face. “It’ll heal.” He unsheathed the sword at his hip. “This is it, Ash. We can’t let Jerrick take us, too.”

He was right. She couldn’t be afraid now. She had wanted to fight alongside her brother, and it was time to do just that. Time to defend her family, her home. Astrid nodded.

Erec was at her side in the next second. He held out a spear to her and gave her a wary smile. “Are you ready?” he asked.

She wrapped her fingers around the wood; it felt good to have her weapon in herhand, like she was reuniting with an old friend. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Erec pulled out a pair of daggers from a belt around his waist and turned to Filip. “The arrows are meant to draw us out. Jerrick knows there’s only one way in and out of here, so we can cut him off if he enters. He has more of an advantage if we leave Svanna Rock.”

“So we won’t then. We stay put,” Filip said.

Astrid glanced at the stone wall in the distance. No more arrows sailed across the blush-colored sky, but that didn’t stop the worry lacing through her veins or the frantic beating of her heart. “What about the arrows? What if there are more?”

“If that happens, stay close to the wall,” Erec answered. “It’ll keep you out of their trajectory and safe when they land.”

Filip repeated those orders to the men and women then said, “We do not leave Svanna Rock. The moment Jerrick’s men cross through the entrance, we attack.”

The group grunted in unison and raced across the camp, weapons in hand. Filip went, too, and when Astrid tried to follow, a hand wrapped around her wrist and spun her around. Erec’s mouth was on hers suddenly, kissing her hard and desperately, stealing her breath. When he pulled away, his gaze searched hers for a long moment, but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. His kiss had said it all. He loved her, and if this truly was the last time they were together, he wanted her to know it.

All she could do was offer him a faint smile.

Erec grabbed her hand, and together, they dashed toward the entrance of Svanna Rock. An eerie silence had engulfed the morning. At the front of the campsite, her father had joined the others, his giant axe in one hand and a shield in the other. A look of childlike excitement was on his face. He glanced their way, and to Astrid’s surprise, he didn’t say anything about her being a part of the fight, instead giving her a firm nod of approval.

The thunder of footsteps snapped her attention back to the entrance’s passage. Heart pounding, she held her breath and widened her stance, spear pointed forward. Tension rolled through every muscle, and for a split second, Astrid wondered if she really was ready for what lay ahead. Maybe Filip, her father, and Erec had been right. Maybe she shouldn’t be fighting. This was real. She could die.

No, you’re just as good as the rest of them.Her grip tightened on her spear as her courage pushed past the doubt.It’s time to show them all you aren’t the little girl they think you are. You’re a warrior.

As a parade of grotesque-looking men pushed through the sliver between the pink rocks, a fierce growl rumbled in the back of her throat. Ready or not, it had to end here. Now.

The rising sun’s rays glinted off the men’s weapons as they stormed into the clearing. She didn’t have time to count those she could see, but she estimated about thirty of them, tall, with bloodthirsty snarls on their faces. Her brother’s mighty howl split the air, followed by her father’s. Their group rushed forward, clashing with the oncoming wave of Jerrick’s fighters. Henrick and a few others dropped to the ground immediately and let the shift take over. They charged the enemy, jaws snapping at flesh and tearing.

Before Astrid could blink, a skinny man with missing teeth rushed at her, snarling. She spun last minute, dodging his dirty fingers from snatching her, and smacked him hard in the back with the blunt end of her spear. He stumbled forward before whirling around, shock casting over his sunken features. His foul odor assaulted her senses, making her eyes water. He smelled like urine and decay.

“Oh, this little miss likes to play.” He grinned. She didn’t have time to respond. He launched himself at her again, this time wielding a knife. He sliced at the air so fast, his blade was nothing more than a blur of silver. Astrid whirled the staff, deflecting two of his blows, but the third one skimmed her cheek. The pain was quick and needle-sharp but not enough to slow her down. It only annoyed her.

She planted her spear into the ground and used it as an anchor as she leaped forward and kicked him hard in the center of the chest. He flew backward, his head hitting the stone wall. There was a loud thud and a strong whiff of blood, and then he was deathly still.

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