Page 21 of Wolf Heart

But the others are still coming.

Fucking undead wolves.

Aspen is fighting a small foe that he’ll dispatch soon enough. With my hackles raising, I face the others. My gaze locks on three more charging toward me.

I step sideways, except I’m too slow.

The wolf’s claws drag against my shoulder, shredding my flesh. The pain feels like a thousand needles jabbing into me. My stomach rolls, and I brace myself for the bite which will turn me into an undead. I stare into its eyes, waiting for the change.

Aspen darts backward and the wolf’s jaws snap nothing. Good thing it's not their blood or claws that are venomous, just their bite. And with all these mouths full of razor-sharp teeth, it's like playing the old game of dodgeball with grenades.

I swivel to face the next one.

And the next.

I fight and fight until I can’t fight anymore. My body is drenched with lost ones' blood. I can’t see straight and my legs feel like they’re made of lead.

I stumble to the ground.

The undead circle around me.

One of the wolves lunge, and I’m ready for it. I sink my fangs into its throat and the beast falls limp at my feet.

I’m not sure how many I’ve killed, but there seems to be no end to them.

Claws slam into my shoulder, reopening my wound, and I yelp. My shoulder burns, muscles tearing. Pain shoots through my body.At least it’s not a bite.

Shoving my head into the wolf’s foreleg, bone snaps. I jolt backward to avoid his retaliation and he crumples to the ground when he takes a step toward me. That will slow him down a bit.

I bound forward and knock another wolf aside.

Fucking wound in my shoulder stings, but with any luck, I might avoid infection.

A sharp yelp echoes from behind me. A whimper. Is that Aspen? My gut twists and I glance back to see that he’s a few yards ahead.

Aspen stiffens and lets out a loud howl of agony. He collapses to the ground as the pack surrounds him. The wolves pounce. We’re done for.

I charge in, shifting my body to tackle one of the wolves to the ground. It’s enough of a distraction to give Aspen the opportunity to run.

My teeth slash into the wolf. Its blood spurts onto my tongue and my stomach revolts, but I soon find myself in the middle of a sea of bodies. There’s too many of them.

I claw into the flesh of one wolf hoping to bite me and add me to its disgusting pack.

A sharp pain streaks down my arm from my damn injury.

Another wolf lunges at me. I throw my weight against his chest and he falls. Before he can get up, my jaw locks on the flesh and bone on the back of his neck. I shake my head and rip out a chunk of his flesh.

The wolf tumbles backward, and I push myself to my feet, searching for another wolf to kill. My lungs squeeze for air as I try to grab another enemy by his hindquarters. But the beast slips out of my reach. The agony of my shoulder sends my heart racing.

I can’t keep this up much longer.

A wolf pins me to the ground. I can’t breathe. I buck against it pinning me but can’t move.

The wolf’s hot breath blows against my neck. Any second I will feel its teeth and then I’ll be undead like it is.

I buck and twist as the wolf lunges for me, yellowing fangs gleaming. I’d rather be dead than turn into one of them.

My body tenses, but the wolf doesn’t get the chance to snap his jaws. Aspengrabshimby the scruff of the neck and hauls himoff me with a powerful jerk. The wolfstumbles back,earsflatandtailbetweenhis legs.Heshakeshishead,tryingto focus eyes that have suddenly grown too large for his face. Hestruggles tohisfeet, but Aspen is already on him, teeth bared, ready for another attack.

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