Page 148 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

“Where the hell did that come from?” Luka asks, but I’m as clueless as he is. That thing wasn’t there a minute ago.

We move towards the beast instead of away because why the hell not? My wolf is itching to get out and play. Even with its towering height, I know our chances are good.

The closer we get to the demon minotaur, the more I realize how slightly off my description of it was.

It’s even uglier up close.

Black slime drips and oozes from its snout and onto the ground in front of it. It sizzles, burning through the ground like acid. Drooped curved ears sit under its large horns, looking like sacks of extra hanging skin.

Its eyes are blood red and rimmed with black, the same shade as the matted fur that runs down its chest and surrounds its wrists and ankles. The rest of its body is covered in a dark leathery skin, making it look like it had been out in the sun for far too long.

The demon minotaur spots us as we make our way towards it, pausing its destruction. Its nostrils flare. Tilting its mammoth head, it raises it and sniffs.

“Mmorrttemm.” Its deep voice growls, echoing around us.

Luka raises a brow, giving me a look.

“What the hell is it saying?” My wolf pushes forward, wanting blood. I hold it back a moment, seeing if we can get any information on this thing before we take it down.

“Morrrteeemm.” It repeats itself again, this time dragging out the word like it’s trying to sound more intimidating.

If it is trying to scare us, it picked the wrong people. All I feel right now is pissed. Pissed that this fucker is wasting our time when we could be searching for our mate.

“Either go back from where you came from, or let’s get on with this. We’ve got somewhere to be.”

It growls, lifting an arm up like it’s reaching out to us. Instead, its hand merges and expands, curving upward and transforming into a thick blade the same color of its skin.

Stomping forward, it swings its weapon at our heads. We both duck in time, rolling out of the way.

The shift comes over me, sliding down my back and across my body with ease. My body expands, becoming larger than it was before, becoming a beast that’s also far more vicious.

Blue flames coat my form like a second skin. Together, my wolf and I feel powerful, untouchable, all thanks to our mate.

Landing on all fours, I become part of the shadows, slipping into them and appearing behind the demon minotaur’s trunk of a leg. I latch on.

The taste of rotten eggs and ash invades my senses as my teeth puncture its leathery skin. The demon doesn’t make a sound or cry out in pain as it raises its weapon and slams it down towards my head.

I release its leg and move out of the way just as the blade hits the ground, cracking the concrete with the force behind it.

It doesn’t feel pain,my wolf says, noticing the same thing. Guess we have to get a bit more creative.

The demon transforms its weapon back into its hand and stalks forward.

Black slime drips from the puncture wounds on its leg, leaving behind a trail of small holes where it drops.

Standing still, I wait for it to come to me, unleashing my fire the second it’s close enough. A blaze of blue and white flames engulfs its meaty arm as it reaches forward.

It pauses, examining its arm as it slowly melts before its red eyes.

The fuck?

It drops its arms as it melts away, leaving only a black bone like substance behind. Its eyes now turn to examine me once more.

“Morrtteeemmm.” Its deep voice vibrates through my sensitive wolf's ears, making us cringe.

This thing is obviously missing a few screws. It is time to end this.

As if it has the same thought, it takes a step forward, only to pause and tilt its head.

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