“Careful of your movements, Evan,” he said, voice rough. “Gods be damned. The beast is too close to him.”
The beast? I pushed to my feet, wincing as I put weight on my left knee. “He’s only growling because he’s scared. He’s not a—”
“It’s a Fenrir, Ev!” Callum’s voice broke.
Ice spread through my veins.
Fenrir were the most feared demons in the dark wood. They were lightning quick and ferocious, able to tear apart a grown man in seconds. The scars on Maddox’s ribs and belly had come from a Fenrir attack. An attack he’d barely survived.
“What?” Blood pounded in my ears. I glanced at the puppy. “Are you sure?”
Oreo didn’t look like a demon. He wasn’t evil or ferocious. After realizing I wasn’t a threat, he’d licked my hand and butted his head against it for pets.
“We’re fortunate it’s only a pup.” Baden readied his sword. “I’ll slay the beast.”
Slay him?
“No!” I jumped in front of Oreo and faced the knights, holding out my arms. The pain in my knee was all but forgotten as fear took root. “Leave him alone.”
“Listen here, boy,” Duke said. “I know you have a gentle heart, but it’s wasted on that creature. If not slain now, it will grow into a bloodthirsty beast that will kill any human it comes across. Adults are a lot harder to take down. Many good knights have been torn apart trying to do so. Is that what you want? More future bloodshed?”
“N-No, but—”
“Stand aside, Evan.” Callum mirrored Baden, readying his sword.
“He’s just a baby!” I cried. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. Please don’t hurt him, Cal. Please.”
Grief touched his expression. “That’s one request I can’t obey. Not when your safety is at risk.”
There was a nudge against my leg, and I looked down at the puppy. He wasn’t baring his teeth anymore, and his fur had returned to its fluffy softness. Demon or not, he was innocent.
“I won’t let them hurt you.”
He cocked his head, one ear flopping like before, and whined. Then, he bit the bottom of my pants and tugged at them.
“I can’t go with you.” My vision blurred.
The knights closed in on us, and the puppy’s ears shot back as he growled and trembled.
“Run, Oreo!”
He released a little growl before shooting off into the bushes. Lightning quick.
“It’s getting away!” Baden roared and lunged forward.
“Leave him alone!” I spun around to the knights and placed myself in their path, pushing against Callum’s chest. Evenputting my full weight behind the push, he didn’t budge an inch. “He’s just a baby!”
Quincy, Duke, and Baden shot past me, their boots crunching through the fallen leaves. Moments later, they cursed and stopped their pursuit.
“The beast is long gone now,” Duke grumbled, returning with a defeated slump. “No sense in tracking him.”
Oreo was safe. Relieved, the fight left me, and I slumped against Callum.
“Did it hurt you at all?” Callum touched my temple and down my cheek before wiping at the blood. They were only minor scratches. Battle wounds from the evil thorn bush.
“N-No.”
“Good.” He crushed me to his chest and dropped his face to my hair. “When I saw that demon so close to you… gods, Ev. I forgot how to breathe.”
