More arrows whistled around her as the humans fired at the vampires. The other five vamps woke and leapt to their feet. The vamp’s confusion didn’t last long as they took in the dead bodies surrounding them and the group standing in the doorway.
They charged toward them with murderous expressions on their faces. Aria aimed at the one barreling toward Tempest. Before she could fire, William swung his arm out, catching the vamp in the back of his head and sending him spiraling to the ground.
He pounced on the vamp, jerking his head back and to the side before wrenching it from the vamp’s shoulders. One of them leapt at her, but Xavier dove at him. His arms encircled the vampire’s waist as Xavier slammed the vamp into the ground with enough force to shake the building.
Three left. Aria released another arrow, taking down one of the three.
“You!” the word was spat at her from her left.
Turning to face the new threat, she didn’t get a chance to fire before something crashed against her temple and the side of her face. Her head spun as she took a stumbling step to the side and swung out with her bow at the same time something else cracked against the back of her head. Blackness swirled up around her. She tried not to lose consciousness, but her vision was becoming smaller and smaller as it crept down to a single bead of light in a world of shadows. She tasted blood in her mouth, her blood.
“Aria!” William bellowed as something else hit her and she saw no more.
***
Jack
The low growl on his left caused Jack’s lip to curl back and his hand to tighten around the rabbit he’d caught to feed to Braith. Blood dripped from the rabbit and into Braith’s mouth as claws clicked across the rock floor toward them.
“Enough already,” Jack grated and tossed the bloodless remains of the rabbit to Keegan.
Despite his new meal, the wolf glowered at Jack as he settled in at Braith’s side and rabbit bones crunched within his jaws. Ever since the wolf had arrived the other night, apparently drawn into the cave by the scent of his former master and Jack, Keegan had refused to go far from Braith’s side. Jack hadn’t seen Keegan since he’d returned to the wild after the war with Atticus. The wolf’s loyalty to Braith remained as true as ever though.
Jack could still recall the disbelief that had run down his spine when he’d poked his head around the corner of the cave wall to find Keegan’s emerald eyes blazing at him through the darkness. The wolf’s hackles had been raised, his head bent low as he eyed Jack like a meal. If he hadn’t recognized him as Braith’s wolf, he would have killed him before the wolf could try to feast on them.
Instead, he’d opened the gate for him. Keegan had given him a disgruntled look as he’d trotted by, his claws clicking over the rocks until he’d arrived at Braith’s side. The wolf had settled beside Braith and only left him to go to the bathroom in one of the other side tunnels or to eat.
Keegan barely tolerated Jack’s presence around Braith’s body. The wolf allowed him to feed Braith blood, but watched his every move and emanated a series of growls the entire time Jack knelt at his side. Despite his dislike of the animal, Jack wouldn’t turn away the added protection for Braith. Keegan also now disposed of the remains of the animals, and he only had to leave the cave once a day to hunt for them.
Jack wiped off his knees and rose to his feet. Keegan lifted his head, his lips skimmed back to bare his fangs. Jack gave him the finger before turning away.
Hannah’s lips clamped together as she resisted laughing at him. “He’s only an animal.”
“He’s a dick.”
“There’s certainly no love lost between you two.”
Jack shrugged as he climbed the rocks to sit beside her. “He doesn’t know me. When Braith got him, he was only a puppy, and I was getting ready to leave the palace to infiltrate the rebels. Keegan was ever-present at Braith’s side and served as Braith’s eyes while he was blind.”
Hannah rested her hand on his knee as she gazed across the cavern at Keegan. The wolf finished off his rabbit and rested his head on Braith’s stomach. His emerald eyes glistened as he focused on Jack and Hannah. His thick gray coat shone with health in the torchlight playing over it. He released a yawn that revealed all of his lethal teeth.
The wolf was a dick, but he was an extremely protective one and Jack admired him for it.
“He’s beautiful,” Hannah said. “I wish he would let me pet him.”
“Maybe when Braith wakes,” he replied.
“I like it when you’re optimistic.”
“One of us has to be,” he teased and nudged her side.
She tilted her head back to smile at him. “I always try to see the bright side of things.”
“That is one of the many reasons why I love you.”