Several more mutant beasts surged into the square.
Logan’s pack lunged forward, their movements swift and deadly. My breath caught as I watched them, five massive wolves cutting through the broken city like lethal shadows, their eyes locking onto the remaining beasts with feral intensity.
Logan didn’t look back at me, his focus entirely on the fight as he shifted back into his dark-coated wolf form mid-lunge. His claws raked across a beast’s flank, tearing deep into its flesh as it roared in pain. The creature swung wildly, its jagged teeth snapping at Logan, but he darted away with a grace that was beautiful to watch.
Another wolf from his pack—a sleek, sand-colored one with a long scar down its side—shot in from the opposite direction, its jaws clamping onto the beast’s hind leg. They worked in perfect synchrony, driving the creature down until Logan’s teeth sank into its throat, ending its struggle in seconds.
Beside me, Magnus let out a low growl as he barreled into another beast. Tobias was at his side, his jaws snapping at anything that dared get too close.
Killian, still in human form, slashed at a beast with a wide grin, his blade catching the creature’s shoulder before he dodged a retaliatory swipe. “Not bad, huh?” he shouted, glancing at me with a spark of mischief in his eyes.
“Focus, Killian!” Magnus barked, his voice rough as he shifted mid-leap to drive a blade into the neck of a charging beast.
Callum was closest to me, his gray wolf form circling protectively as he snapped at another creature trying to flank us. His teeth sank into its leg, dragging it to the ground as Thorne leapt onto its back, his white wolf finishing the job with a vicious twist of his jaws.
Logan’s pack moved with the same deadly coordination.
A dark gray wolf with piercing green eyes streaked past Logan, its lithe form weaving between the creatures as it tore into one’s hind leg, crippling it. A massive black wolf—easily the largest of the group—lunged at another beast, its jaws closing over the creature’s skull with a sickening crunch.
The last few moments of the fight passed in a blur. Logan’s pack worked seamlessly with mine, their combined strength overwhelming the remaining creatures.
Logan shifted back to human form, his chest heaving as he drove a blade into the final beast. It let out a gurgling roar before collapsing, its enormous body hitting the ground with a thud.
Silence fell over the square, broken only by the heavy breathing of the two packs.
When it was finally over, I stood frozen, my heart racing as I scanned the carnage around us. The bodies of the mutated beasts lay scattered across the ground, their twisted forms still and lifeless.
Logan turned to me, his dark eyes meeting mine. He was covered in blood, his hair wild, but his expression melted as he took a step closer.
“Zara,” he said quietly, his voice filled with sheer relief.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. I stared at him, tears welling in my eyes as the reality of the moment hit me.
It was him. My brother.Alive.
“I thought I’d lost you,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Logan’s lips curved into a faint smile, and he held out a bloodied hand.
“I’m here,” he said simply.
I reached for him, my hand shaking as I took his and he pulled me into a hug.
For the first time in a long time, I felt whole again.
We took a few minutes after the battle to simply sit and breathe, allowing the adrenaline to fade.
“Come on. Let’s get you somewhere safe,” Logan offered, gesturing for us to follow.
I nodded, pushing myself to my feet, my legs trembling beneath me.
“You’re Zara’s brother, I take it?” Tobias asked, his voice soft.
“Yes. Alive and in the flesh,” Logan smiled. “Come on. Follow me,” he added, gesturing for us to follow.
“Where are we going?” Magnus asked.
My brother turned, his eyes meeting mine for a moment before he answered. “It’s not far. My pack has a place—a good safe place. You’ll see.”