female clashed again, rolling toward the trees, and Damien knew that they must act soon to finish the fight. Dee tensed, and Damien moved in just a microsecond after she did. Trax spun to face Damien just as he moved in for a blow.
Suddenly, the heat of the bonfire dropped to almost nothing.
Damien was already in the middle of the motion and did not stop. He jumped forward and tore into Trax's hind leg with his teeth. The leader kicked out with his leg and shook Damien off, but the damage was done. Damien could hear his leg dragging as he spun toward Dee. He heard another snarl as Dee moved in and tried to snap at Trax's throat, darting back out after missing. She was too far away, entirely too far to do any damage. Was something wrong with her senses?
Then he realized that the bonfire had been covered with something to block out the light. It was his chance. He jumped forward again and landed on top of the leader. Quickly, he bit down on the scruff of Trax's neck. He tore at the wolf's back with his hind claws, slicing into his muscle. Trax reared back and howled. Dee lunged forward and bit at his underbelly. With one leg, Trax lashed out and caught her with his claws. Damien heard the flesh rip but held on with his teeth for dear life.
The scent of blood was overpowering, and Damien did not even smell the other wolves coming until they had already emerged from the trees. He heard Julia gasp, and the scent hit his nostrils all at once.
Kyle and Katherine.
Just at that moment, the leader whipped his body sideways, flinging Damien away. He flew across the clearing and hit a tree trunk. He slid to the ground, gasping for air. The breath was gone from his body. For a moment, when sound and air left the world, he thought that he was dead. How would he know? He might already be dead. Then the scents of blood and wolves came rushing into his nose, and he drew a ragged breath. He struggled to his feet, leaning against the trunk of the tree.
Damien shook his head but could not get his bearings. There were yelps echoing off of the cabin and the trees around him. His balance was thrown off by the ringing in his ears.
He gasped and breathed in the night air but there was not enough oxygen in it. He took a step forward, shaking on his leg. Under his paw he could not even feel the ground. The air grew warmer and Damien's ears began to separate out the sounds. He was turned around.
Turning back, he heard the leader's growl, the agonized squeal of Dee in pain. He lurched towards the sound. If he could only get one bite in, he would hold on for dear life. He would tear Trax's throat out. He would save Dee.
Then Kyle and Katherine's snarls sounded loudly in his ears. He stumbled, the tendon in his leg torn. He let out a yelp as he struggled to get up, but he could not walk.
"Take me," he whispered, but his words were lost in the sounds of the howling fight. "Take me instead."
His muscles gave, and he fell forward in surrender.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Julia watched in horror as the two people she loved most battled against the other wolves. Trax and his pack members seemed so strong, so much bigger, but as she watched, Damien won his struggle against the other wolf. Her heart leapt with hope as he turned to join Dee in the fight. The other wolf that he had injured lay bloody, his breaths shallow, just near Julia.
But she—she was a wolf too. She could shift. With a start, Julia realized that she would be able to fight if she’d just…
Just what? How do you change into wolf form? She focused her attention on her body and willed with all her might to shift. She imagined herself as a wolf, her hands growing claws.
Nothing. She couldn’t do it.
With every lunge as Damien and Dee fought the leader, Julia's breath was held. Trax's teeth gleamed razor sharp, and he snapped his jaws so closely to Dee that she could not believe her grandmother was able to retreat at every try. Damien pushed forward, but every one of his attack was parried
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