Chapter 126 Peril at Crescent Moon pt 1
Julian
Duncan had barely gotten the orders out before we took off to the north side of the pack. We haven't had a serious rogue attack in years, but we were more than prepared for it. Our pack members knew where to go for safety or where to rally to fight.
Warriors fell in around us as we raced across the fields. The sounds of fighting reached us—snarls, growls, and yelps—and it only made us run faster. We jumped right in when we reached the battle, Duncan taking out two rogues in what seemed like one swipe. I took stock with a brief glance around to find at least a hundred rogues flowing out of the trees.
'Lucian, get Seren to safety, now! The rogues are flooding in. This has to be a targeted attack.'
'On it, Julian. We've almost got the pups in the safe room. She won't leave them, but Tristan, Blake, and I are right behind her.'
Satisfied that our Luna had the best protection she could, I engaged with the wolves around me. Two big brown ones, matted fur, stinking of decay, started circling me. I called the earth and split it open under their feet, trapping them in the crevice that opened and burying them alive. I moved on to the next, this one in human form, as he slashed out at me with a short blade. It whispered past my chest, leaving behind a line of fire, as I realized it was silver. I twisted out of the way of his swing, then slammed my arm against his, the impact vibrating up my bones as his knife clattered to the ground. His fist careened towards my face as I brought mine up into his kidney. He doubled over from the pain, and I brought my heel down on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious before I moved on to the next.
A flash of lightning sizzled behind me, and I turned to see a smoldering carcass, then met Duncan's eyes across the field and nodded a thanks before diving back into the thick of it. A part of me recognized when Eric and Alex joined us, bringing more warriors, but it seemed like the flood of enemies from the trees was endless. How could they all have gotten here without us realizing it?
The sheer volume of them was unnerving, a dark tide breaking against our ranks. Yet each engagement was a dance, a brutal ballet of instinct and skill. I barely missed being ripped open by dripping claws, twisting at just the right moment to tip the rogue's balance forward and away. A guttural snarl was my cue to shift, my bones cracking and reforming as I dodged a snapping jaw, then lunged, my own claws finding purchase in his flank. The air thrummed with the magic of it all, a chaotic symphony of destruction and survival, as we fought to protect our pack and those we loved.
'We need support at the south training field by the packhouse. We're overwhelmed and we've lost sight of the Luna,' Lucian's mental voice carried his exhaustion even as fear spiked. They've infiltrated there, too?
'Eric, take a unit to the south training field. Back up Lucian. Your luna's over there.'
A sharp whistle rang out, and a dozen warriors peeled off, Eric leading them to the training fields to do what they could.
I looked around for Duncan. Somehow I'd lost track of him in the chaos, and I needed to get back to his side. I saw him about fifty yards away, taking on five at once, surrounded by more as our warriors tried to fight their way to him. He had shifted into Conn and was fiercely attacking the surrounding enemies, swiping his claws down torsos and snapping at necks, but it was clear he was outnumbered and faltering. I was heading his way, fighting through rogues, when it happened.
Two rogues leapt on him from behind, one sinking his teeth into his neck and the other into his haunches. He tried shaking them off, but another took advantage of the opening and latched onto his leg, the snap of bone clear through the battle noise. Conn continued to fight, each movement getting slower, weaker, until he collapsed under the weight of the bodies on top of him.
Power surged out of me, the earth answering an instinctive call as I watched my Alpha go down, and roots and branches and vines ripped through the ground, wrapping around the invaders like nature itself was offended. Roots locked feet into place, vines wrapped around necks like nooses, branches speared through chests. Dozens fell as my power, merciless and brutal, sought out our enemies. I reached out and twisted the head of the rogue in front of me, dropping his body to the ground as I surged forward, hitting my knees as I slid to where Duncan had shifted back to human form.