Page 60 of Full Moon
My eyes narrow as I scan the landscape, the stark white expanse stretching endlessly. In the distance, a faint silhouette of a building emerges against the background.
Then I see it.
Movement. A lot of movement.
My fur bristles, and I glance back at my mates, letting out a short, urgent bark.
I see something moving in the distance.
The effect is immediate.
Diaval's face drains of color. His eyes flash with draconic slits as his shift rises in response to the threat.
"How many?" he demands, his voice sharp.
Easton's hand goes to his chest, and I see the flames flickering beneath his skin, ready to ignite. His jaw is tight, his body coiled like a spring.
Khal's eyes widen, then narrow. I watch his pupils contract into serpentine slits—his basilisk surging forward, ready to protect.
Even Torben behind me lets out a low, rumbling growl that vibrates through the ground.
A lot,I answer through the bond.More than Dunnum. A lot more.
"Shit," Easton breathes.
"Get ready," Diaval orders, his voice like steel. "This is it."
I halt them with a look and move further away, putting distance between myself and my mates. Tilting my head back, I howl with all my might—a primal call that resonates through the frozen air. The lands around me feel alive, as if welcoming me home. My voice carries and echoes off the mountains, triggering avalanches in several places. I sing of my bloodline, my parents, and the lands beyond the mountain pass. When my song ends, it is met with the answering calls of several dozen wolves.
Far more than I expected.
Far more than anyone expected.
Free Torben and get in the cart,I instruct my mythic mates, steeling myself.
Easton and Diaval move swiftly, informing Khal. As soon as Torben is free, he strides to my side. In the distance, I see a wave of white, cream, and light gray wolves swarming together, heading our way with purpose. There must be fifty. Sixty. Maybe more.
My heart pounds, but I force myself to stand tall.
"Torben, back up," Khal yells. "You'll make her appear weak if you face them with her." I nod, understanding the wisdom in his words. As I walk forward to meet this new pack head-on, I feel the weight of responsibility and the thrill of the unknown.
This is my moment.
The pack is the biggest I have ever seen, and I know this isn't all of them.
A sea of fur and snarls.
My heart pounds in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
A cream-colored wolf charges ahead, its eyes locked on me with fierce determination. As it gets closer, it realizes its error—skidding to a halt and barking frantically, calling for backup. Two more join it, their eyes gleaming with predatory light. Pound for pound, their combined weight may equal mine. My hackles rise as a low growl escapes my throat, teeth bared in clear warning.
The tension in the air is palpable.
A silent standoff that lasts only a moment before—against all logic—they attack as one. The first wolf lunges at me, and I catch it in my jaws, clamping down until I taste blood. The metallic tang fills my mouth as I fling the body aside. I turn just in time to face the second wolf tearing at my fur on my right side. Pain flares, but I push it aside, focusing on the fight. I lock my jaws around its hind leg and start pulling, feeling my teeth tear into flesh.
A fourth wolf joins the fray, and I feel my control slipping. My wolf is fighting for dominance, the primal urge to surviveoverpowering my rational thoughts. As I pull the wolf off my side, I snap its leg before flinging it away.
My eyes lock with Torben's one last time—a silent plea for understanding—before I give myself over to my wolf.
The moment she takes over, a deep growl builds in our chest, reverberating through the clearing. She shoves my consciousness back, protecting me from what she's about to do. I can feel her rage. Her instinct to protect and destroy.The last thing I see through her eyes is the wave of wolves crashing toward us.
And then there is only blood.
