Collin ck’s POV
:
79
55 vouchers
“What is going on!?” Jason’s voice echoed through the chaos. “Why is- Aren’t those- Demon Fangs?”
The shapes that burst from the fog were nothing like the disciplined hunters the Cassian’s men were known to be.
They were the Demon Fangs. Even in full werewolf form, their movements were ragged. Fur was matted with blood, some theirs, some not. Gashes tore across shoulders and nks, deep enough to show bone in ces. One staggered forward with half an ear missing and a front paw dragging like the joint had been shattered. Another’s jaw hung at an unnatural angle, teeth bared but clotted with gore.
They were breathing hard, each inhale sounding like a growl dragged through a crushed throat. Several had arrows bristling from their hides, broken shafts still lodged deep. The stench of burned fur clung to them–somebody had used fire at close range.
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Didn’t they ambush Cassian’s troops? Why do they look like they were the ones ambushed?”
Collin stepped up beside him, scanning the line of wounded predators. “You’re certain Cassian took it?<b>” </b>
“I’m certain,” Jason said without hesitation. “I saw him drink it. Every drop.”
“Then is it possible they found an antidote?”
Jason shook his head sharply. “Impossible.” He nced back at the shifting line of his men, all watching the carnage at the fog’s edge. “But since we’re already here…”
Collin opened his mouth, but Jason raised a hand in a sharp signal for silence. His expression didn’t change, but the message was clear.
Collin’s jaw tightened. Memories of Cassian’s brutality came unbidden, how fast he could strike, how little warning he gave before ending an Alpha who crossed him. If Cassian wasn’t poisoned, if he’d survived whatever trap they’d set, the retaliation would be swift and
merciless.
Collin gave a short nod. Jason’s gaze stayed fixed on the struggling Demon Fangs as he spoke to his captains. “Attack the Demon Fangs. Kill them all.”
The order cracked through the ranks like a whip. Collin didn’t need more exnation. This fight would give them a clean excuse to enter the fog, and once they were in, Cassian’s
:
79
55 vouchers
position would be exposed.
Collin turned to William. “Take the front spears and nk them from the left. Archers, keep a steady line and don’t waste arrows. The rest with me, we drive straight through.”
Themands were met with a low chorus of acknowledgments. Shields locked. Spears leveled. Then, with a roar that cut through the fog, both packs surged forward.
The first sh was brutal. A Demon Fang lunged at a Howler’s shield, ws carving deep grooves into the oak, only to be met with a spear that punched through its chest and out its back. Another leapt at a Nightfall archer, snapping teeth inches from the man’s throat, before a sword came down in a hard chop, splitting skull and muzzle in one stroke.
The fog thickened around them, turning shapes into shadows until they were on top of each other. Arrows hissed past, some finding flesh, others vanishing into the white. Men shouted warnings and kills. Wolves howled in pain and rage. A spear team drove one Demon Fang to the ground, holding it pinned while another soldier mmed a hatchet into its neck again and again until the head rolled free.
One Nightfall fighter screamed as a Fang’s ws tore open his stomach. Blood poured over his hands as he fell, and the Fang lunged for another target, only to be smashed aside by a Howler’s shield, then finished with a thrust through the ribs.
A sound tore through the fog, a howl, but not the kind that roused courage or called for reinforcements. This one crawled along the spine, sharp and wrong, making the hairs on every neck stand on end.
The chaos faltered. Men froze mid–swing. Even the Demon Fangs, snarling and bleeding, halted like prey sensing a predator far worse than them.
Then a voice followed, loud and unmistakable. “Kill the Demon Fangs! Kill them all!”
Figures emerged from the <i>fog</i>, shapes sharpening into ck and red. They came in fast, weapons dripping, movements vicious and unrestrained. Cassian’s troops.
They weren’t fighting like soldiers, they fought like starved hounds let loose from the chain. des cut through flesh, ws raked bone, spears punched through ribs. Demon Fangs fell one after another, not just defeated but dismantled.
Collin and Jason locked eyes. This wasn’t the oue they had nned for.
Then a bugle’s call cut through the ughter, sharp and final.
From the ck–and–red line, a familiar figure strode forward, Physician Mendez. His armor was marked with fresh blood, his gauntlets dented from impact. He stopped a few paces from them and inclined his head in greeting, though there was nothing respectful in the look that
followed.
??))
79
55 vouchers
“This is… unexpected,” Mendez said, his voice carrying an ease that didn’t match the carnage still spilling behind him.
Jason was first to answer. “We received word of an ambush,” he said evenly. “We moved in immediately.”
Mendez’s mouth curved into something close to amusement. “How thoughtful.” His eyes flicked between the two Alphas, sharp enough to read more than they said. “But there’s no need to worry about us. The Demon Fangs are finished.”
He gesturedzily over his shoulder where thest of the enemy were being cut down. “Every single one who thought to harm us is gone.”
Jason’s brow drew down. “Then we’ll take our leave. This isn’t the time or ce for ”
“Celebration?” Mendez interrupted, tilting his head. “Why not? Victory is worth marking, don’t you think? And since you’re here, you should join us.”
Collin’s voice was clipped. “In the middle of a war?”
Mendez’s smile didn’t falter, in fact, it deepened. “What war? The Demon Fangs are dead. And while we stand here, another of ourpanies is… attending to other enemies.”
That sent a chill through both Alphas.
Jason narrowed his eyes. “What do
you mean by that?”
Mendez’s tone stayed light, but his gaze locked on them with unblinking weight. “That’s a secret. And if I told you, well… it wouldn’t be a secret anymore, would it?”
The way he said it left no doubt… he knew. He knew they hadn’te here as friends. He knew what they had nned for Cassian. The air between them thickened. Jason’s jaw flexed, Collin’s fingers curled against his side.
Mendez nced at their expressions, and a lowugh rumbled out of him. “Well.. since you are already here.. You must join us. Drink some good wine. Let’s enjoy the night, Alphas. You never know how many more you’ll get.” Hearing him chuckle, the soldiers behind him began tough <i>too</i>.
If you want strong female lead, Check out my new novel: His Dangerous Bride