Page 69 of Eclipsed Heart

I growled, drawing their attention away from their prey to the incoming threat.

The auburn wolf spun in my direction, taking eager steps toward my left side while the slate wolf charged at my right. Timing it so that she was a few steps behind the slate, the auburn wolf picked up speed to attack a few seconds later.

I hunkered down, ready for them. The slate wolf lunged, mouth open wide as he aimed for my neck, while the auburn one locked her gaze on my left leg.

I forced myself to wait a second more, not wanting to alert them to my next move, then stood on my hind legs. Without my body to stop its forward motion, the slate wolf fell in front of me. I sank my teeth into his shoulder, pushing him back as the auburn wolf crashed below me. I dug my claws into her back, leveraging her body to help slam the slate wolf’s head to the ground.

With a loudthwack,the slate wolf hit his side, and I jerked his body, so he then landed on his back. My right paw dug into his stomach while my left one dug into the dirt.

Keening, the slate wolf frantically thrashed, trying to throw me off as sounds behind me hinted that the auburn wolf was back on her feet.

Before I could react, the auburn wolf landed on my back, digging her claws into my side. I released my hold on the slate wolf and threw myself backward so that all my body weight landed on the auburn wolf.

As she rolled, I lunged forward and sank my teeth into her throat. She shoved her paws into my chest, drawing blood, but she didn’t manage to get too deep before I ripped out her throat.

The slate wolf slammed into my side, causing me to roll over the dying auburn wolf. When my feet were underneath me, I rose just as the slate wolf bit into my right shoulder.

Pain blinded me as I swiped his left leg, making sure to hit him hard enough that his leg gave out. He jerked, his hold loosening, but still maintained a strong enough grip for his teeth to slash through my skin.

Callie,Bodey linked, his fear tightening the thread of our bond.I’m coming. Hold on.

Putting all my weight on my back legs, I clawed the slate wolf’s shoulder, giving him an injury matching my own.

He snarled and jumped back to his feet, my blood dripping from his teeth and staining the dirt. He inched toward me, wanting me to cower like the wolf I was protecting.

I lifted my head, doing the exact opposite. I refused to give him even the illusion of being stronger than me. Wanting him to attack me, I pawed at the ground and bared my teeth, meeting his gaze. Challenging him to fight me.

That was enough to make him snap. He lowered his head, clearly planning to steamroll me by aiming for my injured shoulder. I spun left, barely avoiding him. I heard him stumble as my gaze landed on a dark-blond wolf sneaking up on one of my pack members from behind.

No.

I surged forward as I pulled on the tether that attached to my unsuspecting pack member and linked,Watch out.

Before she could react, I slammed into the dark-blond wolf, knocking him into a fir tree that was maybe five feet away.

The targeted wolf pack member glanced over her shoulder as the other wolf she was fighting bit into her side. She yelped, turning her attention back to the more immediate threat, just as slate fur flashed in the corner of my vision and something sharp pierced my back left paw.

A cry bubbled in my throat, but I swallowed the noise and moved to the right. I kicked the slate wolf in its face with my back right leg, the impact straining my injured shoulder.

I stumbled back to face both my attackers. The dark-blond wolf swiftly faced me, and the slate wolf growled as blood poured down its split ear.

My back left leg wobbled, struggling to support my weight, and my right shoulder throbbed from the bite. The magic inside me, trying to repair my injuries, wasn’t anywhere close to witch magic.

The slate wolf smiled, his teeth tinged pink from my blood. My chest tightened, fear that I might not make it out of this without getting seriously hurt taking root.

Their eyes glowed as they no doubt talked strategy, and I forced myself to take deep, steady breaths to keep my mind as clear as possible. They moved in tandem, each focused on one side of my body, and lunged, going for my shoulders, knowing that my back paw was severely injured.

Gritting my teeth, I rose on my hind legs and jumped, certain they wouldn’t expect that. I put as much weight as possible on my back right leg, but the jarring was horrific. I forced myself to remain standing, and both wolves corrected, ready to lunge at me once more.

Callie!Bodey linked, his worry so thick that it added to the terror strangling my heart.

I dropped one front paw on each of their backs and ignored the agony surging through my shoulder. My muscles felt like they were separating as I shoved both wolves to the ground, their faces hitting the dirt.

Dust kicked up around us from the impact, burning my eyes, but I blinked through it, focused on my end goal.

Survival.

Both wolves recoiled, and I dug my claws in and ripped from midback to the tops of their heads. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to dig as deep into the slate wolf since he was on the side of my injured paw, but at least I got in another swipe.

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