Page 98 of Unleashed

The beasts darted around him, none so much as looking at him. The air disturbed by their speed brushed over his fur.

They have her blood scent.

He turned to pursue them, to keep them off Nina, but the trail of blood led away, around the platform, and the beasts were ignoring it. Instead, they charged Kelsharn. Vortok released his hold and shoved Kelsharn into the swarm.

The sharp-toothed mouth beneath Kelsharn’s eyeless mask opened in another scream, a blood-curdling cry as bestial as those of the attacking creatures. They leapt onto him, burying him in their thrashing bodies. Bits of flesh and black blood flew into the air.

Fire coursed through Aduun’s veins. Vengeance over a thousand years in the making washere,now. Kelsharn faced justice tonight.

He stalked forward, shoving through the slavering beasts; his tribesmen ignored him, too focused on the blood-scent of the one who’d changed them, too consumed with revenge even when given fully to their beasts.

A wave of power erupted from within the ravenous pile. Many of the creatures flew backward, and more fell to the ground as though they’d been swatted down by a giant hand. Aduun felt that force around him again, felt Kelsharn attempting to exert his will, but Nina somehow maintained the shield.

Kelsharn struggled onto a knee at the center of the stunned beasts. Black ichor seeped from dozens of open wounds, but somehow the Creator was still moving, still alive.

“I…will not be overcome…by animals such as you,” he growled through bloody teeth.

Vortok grasped one of Kelsharn’s massive horns in each hand and forced the Creator’s head back, exposing his throat. When Kelsharn struggled, he jabbed a knee into the Creator’s back.

Aduun stepped over a disoriented, crawling beast and stopped in front of Kelsharn.

The creator lashed out wildly with both hands, splattering ichor on Aduun’s chest.

Aduun caught Kelsharn’s arms at the wrists and wrenched them apart. He leaned forward. Heavy breaths wheezed through Kelsharn’s teeth, and fresh blood oozed over his thin lips.

“No one will hold your vigil,” Aduun said. “Sonhadra rejects you,Creator.”

“I will—”

Aduun lunged forward and clamped his teeth over Kelsharn’s neck. Bitter blood filled his mouth; once, it might have been the sweetest of tastes to him. He jerked his head back, pushing down on Kelsharn’s arms for leverage, and tore out the Creator’s throat.

Blood poured from the gaping wound, bubbling as Kelsharn produced gurgling, choking noises.

Releasing his hold on the Creator, Aduun turned his head and spat the flesh from his mouth. Vortok shoved Kelsharn forward as the surrounding beasts recovered and swarmed him again. The snarls and growls of their feeding drowned out any cries Kelsharn might’ve made.

Without another thought for Kelsharn, Aduun ran toward the platform, following the trail of blood. Vortok’s heavy steps sounded immediately behind him.

Nina’s bloodflowed warm over Balir’s hand. He pressed harder on her wounds, desperate to stop the bleeding, but even if he could do that with her stomach, she was still bleeding from her nose and ears. His heart thumped, its slow beat matching not his panic but Nina’s weakness. She’d given so much of herself. Too much.

“Nina, stay,” he breathed, clutching her tighter against him. His hand shook on her stomach. The scent of her blood was everywhere — on his skin, on the ground, invading his senses — and yet his beast did not stir in hunger. It whined with worry for its mate.

She touched his cheek; her fingers were cold. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. If he’d never known fear before, he knew it now.

I won’t be able to hold them back, Balir.

Her words flowed into his mind, but he wanted to hear them from her mouth. He wanted to be able to look into her eyes, to comfort her, to tell her she would be fine and know he’d spoken true beyond any doubt. He needed tohelpher.

Find their heartstones in the base of the platform,she continued.There is a hollow within. Vortok, help him.

“I cannot leave your side,” Balir growled as their companions came around the platform. Aduun and Vortok’s footfalls were overpowered by the sounds of eating from the other side; gnashing jaws, cracking bones, tearing flesh.

“I will help her,” Aduun said, crouching beside Balir; the scent of Kelsharn’s blood clung to him. A rustling of hide signaled he was rummaging through one of the bags, and it was followed by the sound of water pouring onto the ground a moment later. Aduun’s hand was cool and wet when he slipped it beneath Balir’s to stem Nina’s bleeding.

Balir tensed; hecouldn’tleave her, wouldn’t leave her, not when she was so hurt, not when she needed him the most.

Her voice brushed over his mind in a gentle caress.I’m not going anywhere. Get the heartstones.Your tribeneedsthem.

He clenched his jaw and carefully passed Nina to Aduun. Though she wasn’t limp, she was greatly weakened, holding up little of her weight on her own. His arms felt empty without her in them, and the helplessness that had seeded in his gut sprouted roots and grew.

---