Page 76 of The Alpha Dire Wolf
With a growl that could only mean one thing, I dug my claws in deep for purchase on the grass, and then took off. Five sleek, powerful forms followed a heartbeat later. We flowed across the lands of our den, under the interlocked branches of the mighty trees, and disappeared into the forest beyond.
The night was dim under the leafy canopy but not impenetrable. Not to us. The silver-white and black contrast of our night vision was more than enough to allow us to run like the wind. Each paw struck the ground with sure-footed confidence as we cleared fallen logs, mossy rocks, and all other minor obstacles without slowing down. The miles melted away behind us as we swung wide around our territory and past Mount Blisbane.
Discipline reigned supreme as we cut through the land of the blood drinkers, reining in our natural tendencies to go after them. This night was not one of clan versus coven. It was oforder fighting against chaos. We had a bigger mission to fulfill, though that didn’t stop me from picking up the pace a little. Trusting vampires was risky business, after all.
So it was, when I pulled to a halt at the banks of the Dyne River, that all of us were breathing deeply, but not harsh. Taking time to recover, I scouted it out, not enjoying what I saw. The ground was mushy and soft, but not from the water. The undergrowth was rotted and dying.
It extended only a few feet from the sandy water’s edge, but that was farther than I liked. Looking across the water was worse. Just putting eyes on it pushed back the warm, thick hug that the forest usually blessed our people with. It wanted nothing to do with whatever lay on the other side.
The air was cold and empty. The winds carried only silence. Which was all the more reason to cross the water and see what the hell was going on in there.
Snarling loudly, banishing the evil of the night, I bounded forward and, with a mighty jump, cleared the waters with ease. The others followed suit. The ground itself was even squishier, and as my claws dug in, I was met with an uneasy, nearly squeamish sensation.
The forest did not want me there. We were unwelcome. Intruders. Something had twisted this place.
Baring my teeth, I looked at Gerratt and nodded. We split up into our groups. In one hour, we would meet back here and head home.
Padding forward, I led my group into the dark, shadowy heart of the forest. This territory was now claimed by the Chained. We moved slower now, without the breakneck speed of earlier. Our snouts swung left and right, absorbing everything as we moved.Every dead or dying tree, every twisted, gnarled collection of vines. Every shadow that jumped and writhed when it shouldn’t.
The air was stale and soul-clogging as we penetrated near to the very core of the heartlands. Where the Chained was bound. Everything reeked of evil and magic, and our steps were slow, cautious. We examined every shadow thoroughly. None had yet to jump out at us, but it was but a matter of time in my books.
I was right.
Though we expected it, when the first one lunged for Ryker, it still nearly caught us by surprise. One moment, all was calm, and the next, the shadows were swarming us. They slithered forward like snakes, wrapping tendrils around our legs and necks. We fought back, teeth tearing giant black chunks free and tossing them aside, but more shadows came on. They tightened around us, trying to drag us down.
Dire wolves didn’t lose to plant life.
Howling to the unseen moon and drawing on its power, we broke free of their grips. Shadows shattered and fell to pieces around us as we gained the upper hand.
That was when the next wave struck. A wall of mutated, warped creatures of the forest came at us. Squirrels with tentacles exploding from their mouths leaped at our faces, while more of those oversized and twisted raccoon-like things I had already fought came on after them.
Fangs glistened and slashed. Our paws were matted with thick clots of blood as we tore the Chained’s minions into pieces, blunting the first wave with sheer dogged determination. Together, we started to back away, toward the river’s edge, all the while watching each other’s flanks.
A ghost of a noise alerted me to danger from above, just as move creatures dropped onto our backs. Shadows came withthem like ropes, and the mouse-sized paratroopers wrapped loops around us, wrenching with surprising force. I staggered and nearly went down.
Ryker snarled, flexing his muscles and overwhelming his attackers before his jaws started flashing. Each time he crunched down on one of the things, spitting it aside before killing another.
A yelp of pain from my other side warned that Chase wasn’t faring so well. The young shifter’s head was pinned to the ground, and one of his flanks was bleeding profusely.
Barreling forward, I dislodged his attackers, freeing the off-white wolf to renew his attack. Not wanting to be thought of as weak, Chase raged around, tossing creatures left and right while crushing small ones with his paws and generally making up for getting caught.
That’s when somethingmuchlarger burst forth from the forest and caught him in the side. Hard. Chase yelped and went tumbling aside, landing in a bloody heap.
I turned the instant I heard the impact, knowing the situation had just gone from bad to dire. Facing me down was one hell of a warped deer-like beast. A young elk, perhaps, it was hard to tell. It stood as high as I did, well over five feet at the shoulder. Then there were the antlers. Splitting into three on either side of its head, the six wickedly sharp-looking ends were all pointed my direction.
The beast’s jaw hung wide open on a double-hinge that was far from normal, allowing the thick tongue to hang out. The red, meaty appendage was coated in a layer of thistles that looked ready and willing to peel skin from its victims with ease. The hide itself was shedding in places, exposing blood-red meat underneath.
Snorting, the purple-eyed beast lowered its head and pawed at the ground. I noticed its hooves were pronged. If it hit me with them, it would easily tear through my hide.
Get him moving, I snarled at Ryker. He was still fighting off the other creatures as he made his way to Chase, who was just now stirring, casually batting a chipmunk-sizedthingaside. The creature whistled through the air toward the elk.
Chomp.
I blinked as the beast simply ate its ally. Without breaking eye contact with me.
Smiling, I pulled my lips back, letting it see my fangs to show I wasn’t afraid. Not of it. I was of the alpha bloodline. I fought with the power of the forest and the moon at my back. No veggie-eating beastie was going to scare me.
In response, the elk-beast tossed its head back and howled. I staggered as the ear-splitting roar hit me like a wave. Chase and Ryker both let out yips of displeasure. Then the beast reared up on its hind leg, and slammed into the ground as it charged forward at me with blinding speed.
