Page 287 of Caelum

As I tore a male to shreds, then sliced into a female from throat to belly, my greatest fear manifested itself.

Another cluster of Ghouls appeared, rushing into us like a broken funnel wave that would have even the most experienced of surfers dunking into the big blue.

I focused on killing, maiming,hurtingwhatever and whomever I could, and then I heard it.

It was louder than Eren’s voice, sweeter, purer, so tantalizing that even my Hell Hound, so furious at being trapped by these bastards when we were so close to the finish line, listened, his ears pricking up and pausing in the removal of a Ghoul’s intestines.

As one, we all turned toward the voice that we were hearing for the second time that day, and as we stared, dumbstruck, I saw Eve, standing on the roof of the SUV, with her hair flowing around her like she belonged in some kind of anime movie. The sound waves themselves seemed to cause a disturbance on a visceral level, one that enticed us toward her, one that urged us forward.

I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t, and then, Eren sang, and his voice countered Eve’s. It was only then I realized only the other Lorelei among ushadn’t been affected by her song, and as he chimed in, my senses returned to me. He sang to us on a wavelength unique to our Pack, while her melody had the Ghouls mindlessly stepping toward our mate, their brains overtaken by the gentle harmony that urged them into action.

With Eren taking part, our Pack merged into the killing machine it was. We took the dumbstruck Ghouls down in minutes, leaving them torn apart in shreds, waiting on mercy from Frazer and Stefan as they returned them to their Maker.

The second the last one was down, I ran as fast as my four legs would carry me, desperate to reach my mate.

She’d taken a seat now on the roof of the vehicle, and I saw the tremor in her limbs as she fought to remain conscious.

I shifted the second I was close enough and reached up to haul her down into my arms. She clung to me and I to her, desperate for the connection, desperate for proof. I turned her face away from the warzone that had taken place amid the white lines of allotted parking and the dim overhead lighting that flickered in and out intermittently.

Eren, Samuel, and Dre had approached us, circling us as Nestor, his skin a shiny gray leather that spoke of hisgouille, watched over the mass of decimated creatures, while Frazer and Stefan took care of the last part of the battle.

I felt her tears dampen my throat, knew they were for us, born out of fear, terror that she’d lose us, and my heart felt full from the all-encompassing love that oozed from her.

“Can I?” Dre questioned, his hands outstretched, and the desperation and urgency in his voice reminded me of earlier that day when he’d hauled her away from the temple in his bear form.

I didn’t want to let her go, and my Hell Hound wanted it even less, but I recognized need when I saw it and reluctantly complied.

It was hard though, fucking hard, and I gently passed her over, touched when his arms tightened around her in a hug so fierce she squeaked before squeezing him back just as hard.

Why the hell he was fighting this stuff was just beyond me.

“You were supposed to stay locked in the car, dammit,” he ground out, his lips close to her ear, his eyes so tightly clenched I could see the tiny muscles in the lids flickering in response.

“What, and let you guys get your asses whooped?”

Eren snorted. “We had it handled.” The look he shot me saidwe didn’t.

And yeah, that was the truth.

Fuck, we truly were a Pack. This wasn’t about us just protecting Eve,we protectedeach other. As a unit. As a family. With one of us down, we were weaker, and that was just how it was meant to be.

The thought settled deep inside me, calming me in a way I could never have anticipated. The Hound, still thrashing around in its endless fury at being contained, ceased its struggle, content in the knowledge that it was home.

At long fucking last.

TWENTY-FOUR

EVE

Over Dre’s shoulder, I peered at Stefan and Frazer. I was curious, I wasn’t about to lie about that, and watching as they killed the Ghouls who’d attacked us was enough to make me glad that once we erased the final Original, neither of them would have to do this stuff anymore.

Frazer’s method was the worst. He seemed to have to hover over them, his jaw almost dislocating as he did something weird that took the Ghouls’ souls away from them. There was no visual, nothing that made this scene make sense. I just saw his jaw get wider, his mouth twisting somehow before it closed up moments later and he moved on to the next.

Stefan’s was grosser, but he didn’t have to get as close. He squished both thumbs into the Ghouls’ eyes, did something that made those thumbs glow, and soot appeared, poofing out of the eye sockets and making the Ghouls instantly turn slack.

It was kind of cool if you liked horror movies. In fact, Nestor had made me watch a movie calledPlunkett and Macleanwhich I’d really enjoyed until it had gotten to the part where the ‘baddy’ had gone around squishing people’s eyeballs.

It made perfect sense why the guys had started chuckling when I’d made mock-vomiting noises and had covered my eyes.

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