Page 97 of Pack Captive

The jolt from the crypts went through me. Shimmering mist floated over the battlefield.

I watched in stunned disbelief as several ghostly wolves materialized from Pack Terra’s corpses, shaking themselves as though they’d just climbed out of a lake, and plunged into battle at my pack’s side.

I’d called the spirits without trying. But I couldn't think about that now, while the wails of the pups were growing fainter by the moment.

I needed to get through that ocean of violence and claws to the door, but wolves were ripping at each other in front of me; I was just as likely to get disemboweled by my own people.

Then two of the spirit wolves broke off. They circled to flank me, pushing in tight at my sides, and waited.

I took a step, and they came with me.

They were making themselves into shields for me, giving me a way through to their children.

I jumped into the fray, and the spirits formed a wall between me and the others. Not even the shadow wolves were able to tear through their ghostly hides, and the spirits snapped back, ripping at anything that dared to attack me.

I crawled under the seething mass of the battle, whimpering when the wind blew red-hot cinders into my fur, where they smoldered painfully.

We had to circle the building, the spirit wolves protecting my back the entire way, until I found the front door. It was already creaking, the boards eaten away by the flames.

I coughed as ash filled my nose and throat, then rammed my shoulder into the door.

The boards rained down on my head, and I couldn’t see anything at first with all the smoke swirling inside.

My runes lit up, the brightness of the moon cutting through the darkness.

Several small, black-smeared faces looked back at me, streaked clean with tear tracks.

Three pups were crouched low on the floor, an empty jug on the floor beside them. Their hair was soaked, and they held dripping cloths over their faces, steam wisping into the air.

Come with me, I told them, and summoned my ghosts.

The pups’ whimpered at the sight of the spirit wolves, then broke into wracking coughs. Their eyes were starting to glaze over.

Panic bit at me, then I grabbed one pup by the back of his neck and shook him gently.

Shift, I told him, and he slowly slid into his wolf form, becoming lighter and easier to carry.

The other two pups followed, and the spirit wolves picked them up by their scruffs.

Mom, one of the pups cried, and the spirit wolf holding her growled reassuringly.

I’m here, the spirit whispered.

I wanted to cry, but the smoke was sucking all the moisture out of me, and over the crackle of flames we could still hear the fight.

I pushed back through the door, keeping my head tucked so the pup was near my chest.

We burst through the doors into a storm of cinders, the ground both hot and wet with blood underfoot.

It was nearly impossible now to tell the difference between my pack and the shadow wolves, except for the brightness of their runes. More spirits had risen from Terra’s dead, and fought at their sides, tearing through the shadows like they were nothing.

We carried the pups away, stumbling over the bodies of the dead, until we were out of sight.

Keep them safe, I ordered the spirits, and ran back towards the battle.

More misty spirits condensed from the air, gathering around me. We tore through, and I saw Ryden ahead of me, the building collapsing behind him as several shadow wolves piled on top of him.

The ghosts howled, and the runes of every Azuran wolf went white-hot.

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