Page 59 of Midnight Moon
Seventeen
I’m notashamed to admit I screamed. I liked to believe I would’ve handled the oncoming threat with a little more dignity if it weren’t for my complete lack of energy. My contact with silver had rendered my body useless.
My shout did nothing to dissuade the oncoming animal from its attack. Instinct had me scrambling onto my hands and knees; I didn’t want to face the creature lying down.
Despite everything, the rules of the game were still in the back of my mind. I hoped to evade this animal’s attack in skins, but I would shift if it meant saving myself from being mauled by the beast.
As the animal closed in, I noted the emptiness in its abnormal eyes. Though it had the size of a shifter, I knew I wasn’t dealing with a creature with human intelligence. That didn’t mean it wasn’t a formidable adversary, but at least I could breathe easier knowing one of my fellow shifters wasn’t trying to rip me to shreds.
The wolf was less than five feet away.
I braced myself for impact.
A ferocious snarl erupted behind me. Asher leapt out of the pit with an agility that shouldn’t be possible, landing between me and the wild wolf.
Asher’s arms shot out, meeting the wolf as it lunged forward.
I cried out.
Asher pushed the animal’s snarling snout up and out of the way while simultaneously shoving its chest. The wolf flailed as it flew back several feet. My jaw dropped at Asher’s display of strength.
Undeterred, the wolf dropped back into a fighting stance. Its growl vibrated along the ground. Then, it leapt for another attack.
Instead of ducking like I would, Asher actually angled forward and met the animal head-on. His arms wrapped around the wolf, and they fell to the ground. The wolf landed on its back.
I sat on my butt and scrambled back to avoid the wrestling pair. My left arm slipped out from under me as it met the edge of the pit. I watched the fight in front of me with a mix of disbelief, awe, and fear.
I’d never seen a shifter wrestle a wolf in skins. Asher’s muscles bulged as he subdued the writhing creature, expertly avoiding its snapping teeth as he used his legs to pin the animal’s hind legs. His arms wrapped around its throat, and he pulled tight.
“Submit,” Asher barked.
Of course, the wolf didn’t listen.
Asher’s following roar sent a flock of birds flying into the air in panic. “I saidsubmit!”
I frowned.
Why in the world was Asher trying to reason with the wolf? It was a wild animal. It didn’t know commands.
If anything, Asher’s shout made the wolf fight harder.
Twisting its body, the animal nearly broke free of Asher’s hold. It snarled and gnashed its teeth, and I swore it looked right at me with murderous intent.
Asher growled.
Then, he moved his hands to either side of the wolf’s head.
A shout of protest flew from my lips, but it was too late. Asher twisted his hands in opposite directions.
Snap.
The wolf fell limp. Its eyes stared at the dreary sky, drained of life.
Asher pushed off the ground and, before I knew it, knelt in front of me. I almost leaned back, but I remembered the pit just in time.
I held my breath.
Asher didn’t physically touch me, but his eyes brushed over my body with an intensity that made my toes curl. “Are you hurt?”
