Page 54 of Lycan and Lark
“Lark felt something. It’s out there, in the forest.” A blood-curdling scream tore through the woods, followed by another.
Gideon tensed. “Someone is in trouble.”
“Aaron,” Lark ground out. More screams filled the air and the group jumped into action, tearing through the trees at full lycan speed.
“Where are we going?” Aria cried out.
“Follow the screams,” Lark called back to her. The screams were getting louder now, and along with the terrified cries came another sound. The shriek pierced the air and Lark shot his gaze toward Leah. She was looking at him as well with a queasy expression. This was not good.
The team burst into a clearing where the ten recruits and Aaron were fighting for their lives. A Veil Wraith fed on a lycan woman high in the sky. Her body jerked violently before the Wraith dropped it to the ground. Lark heard Aria scream as the body hit the earth with a sickening crunch and splat. The Wraith was already hoisting another trainee in the air. The man screamed as his blood was leeched from his skin. Lark and Leah raced toward the Wraith. Lark needed to electrify the air, but he couldn’t do it while the Wraith held its victim.
“Get in position to catch him when he falls,” Lark called out. The lycans spread around the area, trying to guess where the Wraith may finish his meal.
Something blurred out from the tree line and slammed into Lark. Black ichor spilled out over Lark’s skin. “Not another one of these,” Leah gritted out next to him. It was a Durucai, a venomous demon from the Veil. Lark jerked his head to the side, just barely avoiding the black tarry substance the creature was trying to force into his mouth. The demon was thrown from his body as Leah’s black wolf plowed into it.
Lark sprang to his feet. The Durucai jerked out from beneath Leah, and shot away into the woods. Lark turned his attention back to the Wraith. It had another victim now, this one in wolf form. Fuck there wasn’t going to be anyone left alive if he didn’t get these monsters back into the Veil. The Wraith dropped the animal and swooped down for another victim. Lark shot his electrical currents forward, caging in the monster. It shrieked and screamed.
Leah’s wolf and Romani sprinted for it. On Romani’s signal, Lark released it, allowing Leah to grab hold. The group disappeared from sight just as the Durucai blindsided Lark yet again. This time Lark was quicker to react. He flipped the creature, burying his hands in the thick black mess that protected the demon’s body and latching onto the gill-like slits beneath the creature’s ribs. The monster howled in fury and pain before laughter spilled from its gaping hole of a mouth. The sound was a mixture of static, breaking glass, and nails on a chalkboard.
“Fools. Kill me or not, it won’t save you. The Forgotten God is coming. Fjor will take your souls and the Veil will be reborn on earth.”
Lark felt the color drain from his face.
Leah and Romani appeared by his side. The creature howled and cried as Leah took hold of it. The trio vanished once again and the field fell silent. Aria dropped down in front of him. Her mouth was moving, but he couldn’t make out the words. Lark could only hear the blood pounding in his ears. He looked up, seeking out Romani and Leah. Did they know about Fjor?
Instead his eyes landed upon the mass of blood, death, and carnage all around. He shook his head to clear it. Survivors were the priority now. “Where are the survivors?” he yelled out. They needed to be treated immediately to have a chance of living.
“Here!” Dahlia’s voice cried out to him. He found her sitting with Gideon and two victims. Lark recognized one as Aaron. The other was a small blonde woman. Their bodies were badly battered. He transported both, along with Aria, to the med bay.
“Take care of them.” He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before heading back to the site of the attack. “Who else?” He looked around but the lycans were silent.
“There is no one else.” Gideon’s eyes were glowing brightly. “The others are beyond saving.”
“All dead?” Lark’s voice cracked as he spoke. The air was thick with the scent of blood and death. His eyes scanned the clearing, taking in each unmoving form.
Romani and Leah were huddled together. Lark moved in close to the pair. “It’s worse than we thought. Did you learn of Fjor in your time in the Veil?”
Romani grimaced. “I did.”
“Who’s Fjor?” Gideon’s voice thundered across the space.
“He’s the self-proclaimed Forgotten God, an incredibly powerful being from the Veil.”
Romani was shaking his head. “It can’t be possible. We can’t beat him. If he is involved...” His words trailed off.
“Why?” Gideon’s agitated wolf was close to the surface. Lark felt the air press in around him.
“Because before he was trapped in the Veil, Fjor was a Celestial.”
Epilogue I
Lark’s wolf flew through the woods as if his four paws were flying. Aria was just ahead of him, her brown wolf darting in and out of trees. She was even faster in wolf form, but over the last two months Lark had gotten a good handle on his own, and his long strides pulled him across the vast space with ease.
The revelation of Fjor being involved in the Veil attacks caused the complex to up its security, including new border patrols. It had taken a few weeks of practice, but once Lark was able to prove that he and his wolf were working as a unit, Gideon allowed him and Aria to join in the perimeter sweeps and do their part to keep the area safe. It felt good to be given an important task. Lark was earning their trust day by day and every opportunity he was given was a step in the right direction. Plus, it was freeing to have a reason to run through the mountains and forest and escape the confines of the complex. He was still getting used to being around so many people—and their thoughts—all the time.
Getting an opportunity to be alone with his mate in the middle of the nowhere every day didn’t hurt either. Aria’s wolf let out an excited yip as it leapt over a fallen tree and headed toward the clearing.Time to show her this chase is over.Lark liked the chase, but he enjoyed what happened next even more. His wolf cut to the right, taking a path around the side of the clearing and picking up speed. The wolf moved faster, the thrill of catching his mate urging him on.
Aria’s wolf raced forward, completely unaware of him sneaking up from the side. She turned, and startled blue eyes went wide seconds before he tackled her, rolling them both out into the clearing beyond. Aria giggled as she shifted back. “How the fuck did you do that?”
