Page 57 of Luna Cursed

"Thanks, Arawan." Tor chucked Ciara under the chin and sent love through the bond.

Ciara nodded.Love you too. Be safe.

Tor shifted with a flash of magic and raced over to the other wolves. He wasn't using his alpha magic to influence them, but just for once, he wasn't trying to hide it. The wolves circled him, and Tor turned towards the forest.

"I can't believe you're getting to tap that on a regular basis," Lachie said beside her with a whistle.

"Me neither," Ciara replied, her cheeks pinking.

"Come on, you two, let's go wake up Varg," Imogen said, her eyes turning black in the dawn light.

"Looking forward to it," Ciara replied, and they followed the wolves into the trees.

* * *

Varg's camp was already awake and bustling by the time they reached the borders. The wolves went around to the north, the elves to the south, and Ciara, Arawan, and Imogen came from the west. They would pin Varg's back up against the river and give the rat nowhere to scuttle off to.

"He has civilians amongst the camp dwellers, including Tor's sister, so only attack people who attack you," Ciara warned.

Arawan chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, cousin. I'm not an amateur." His power whipped out of him, grabbed hold of the fencing, and tore it to shreds as if it were paper.

"Show off," Imogen said fondly.

Arawan drew his sword. "Try not to be too aroused by my prowess, darling."

"Don't tell me what to do."

Ciara shook her head at them, and Lachie chuckled. Layla and Arne had gone to fight with the elves, and everything felt like the calm before the storm.

Tor's howl echoed through the forest, and her heartbeat tripled. She didn't like them being separated, but she would deal with it.

"Sounds like your boyfriend is kicking off the festivities," Lachlan said. "I got your left flank, big sis."

"Watch your ass. One of us getting bit is bad enough."

Wolves howled through the camp, and Ciara pulled out her long knives. She no longer worried about Tor. She went deep and pulled out the Wolf Slayer.

"Here they come," she said, and wolves raced across the camp towards them. Something opened in the bond, and the dim dawn light shifted to something sharp and bright. Tor had given her his animal eyes.

Ciara laughed as the first wolf leaped for her and found her gone as quick as the wind, her silver blades raking down their side. The wolf's yelps of pain were silenced as Imogen came up behind them and took off its head with one mighty swing of her ax.

"One down," she said cheerily and threw herself into the snarling mass of wolves closing in around them.

Ciara fell into the emergency of the fight, slicing, shooting, and weaving through the battle like a shadow. Her new strength raced through her, making every blow lethal. The shields built into her suit stopped her from getting disemboweled by sharp claws more than once.

Everything became screaming chaos, blood and mud soaking everything around them. Lachie kept pace beside her, his shotgun booming over and over as he filled Varg's cultists full of silver shots.

Varg had so many more warriors than they had seen on their scouting trip the day before, and Ciara tried not to let the thought overwhelm her. They had to keep fighting. She checked for Linnea in every tent she came to but didn't find her.

Arne, Layla, and the elves were pouring down through the forest, pining the wolves in and driving them towards the center of the camp. The world turned to fire as tents caught ablaze. The Ulfheðnar tore through Varg's forces, teeth and claws destroying anything in their path.

Tor appeared from behind a car and shifted beside Ciara and Imogen. He was covered in scratches, but none of them were too deep.

"There's no sign of Varg or Linnea. I think they are in the caves, but they have been sealed up again," he said.

Arawan appeared behind them. "Show me the doorway, and I will open it."

Tor spared Ciara one glance before shifting again, and the two males fought their way in the opposite direction.

---