Orion thrashes around, trying to shake him off, but it's not working. Then he kicks out and Garrison is finally jolted off of him. Orion is able to walk, but his movements are slower. It’s easy to see how much pain he’s in.
Then Garrison is coming back, ready for round two, aiming for Orion’s spine again. But Orion has a burst of energy and spins as Garrison lunges. Orion gets a hold of Garrison’s neck as the other wolf twists above him. They’re rolling around on the concrete, leaving a bloody trail in their wake. Garrison's jaws snap at the air, wanting to get Orion. But my wolf doesn't let up. He holds on tighter.
Now that Orion seems to have an advantage, I search Travis out in the crowd and try to latch on to his thoughts. It’s not easy. I have to weed through everyone else’s. Travis is as pumped up as the wolves who are fighting are, but his thoughts reveal something to me. Garrison isn't fighting fair. A mage has given him an advantage. He has the ability to kill Orion with his claws. They’re tipped in poison. While I was talking to Orion, Garrison dipped his claws in the concoction. He has to sink them into Orion for it to work. Grazing his fur won’t cut it. It needs to be in his bloodstream. Travis asked him to drag out the fight. Not to kill him until they've battled for a bit so it wouldn't be suspicious. Oh, no.
Turning back, I focus on the fight again. The two wolves are no longer wrestling. Orion is bleeding heavily from the back, blood dripping from his fur, splattering on the ground below. Garrison is opposite him, his teeth bared, ready to go for the kill. They both run at each other. This time, Garrison ducks as Orion jumps. Garrison slides underneath him then immediately gets on his feet to spring toward Orion’s back. Orion is knocked to the ground not far from me, Garrison's teeth immediately go for his spine again. Then the grey wolf rears back, lifting his paw, his claws extended. I refuse to stand here any longer.
With strength I didn’t know I possess, I get away from Ford and rush forward before Ford can grab me again. If he were smart, he would have been listening to my thoughts; his focus must have been elsewhere.
I'm at the wolves’ sides, neither aware of my presence. They’re too focused on each other, Garrison’s face turned toward his prey. Ford and Paige are yelling in the background, Ford coming toward me. I have to move fast.
Lifting my foot, I kick Garrison in the side before he can deliver the final blow. Orion is startled for a second before he realizes Garrison is down. He lunges for him, his teeth tearing into his neck, ripping off a piece of his flesh. Fur and blood are flying through the air, Orion winning as he kills Garrison.
There's a growl at my back. I spin to find Javen in wolf form, prowling toward me, Ford on the other side of him. There’s no teleporting in here. The only way for Ford to get to me is by walking. I’m left unprotected.
“Call off your mutt!” I yell at Travis.
He smiles wickedly. “You broke the rules of the fight. No one is to intervene. Now, anything goes.”
“You cheated! Garrison’s claws were tipped in poison supplied by a mage!”
“Is that true?” Cace shouts from my side. When did he get over here? How did he get past Javen?
Travis doesn't reply. Cace shifts into a magnificent red wolf and squares off with Javen, putting his body between ours.
Ford and Kiara rush to me and pull me back to the sidelines.
“You shouldn't have done that, princess,” Ford hisses in my ear.
“He was going to kill Orion. I couldn't stand by and let that happen.”
“Then you should have told Cace or me so we could have handled it. Now, Cace and Javen will fight until one is killed.”
“What?” I scream. No, no, no! Everything is going downhill and it’s all my fault.
“Orion killed Garrison,” Ford states. “You remain his mate, but you intervened. Cace can only leave here alive if he kills Javen. He took your place in the fight. You got Garrison killed, now it's up to Cace to end Javen.”
My head spins with what I'm hearing. If only I went to one of them, this could have been avoided. I screwed up. But would Orion have died? Would Garrison have gotten his claws in him?
“That wasn’t up to you to decide,” Ford says, reading my thoughts. “This was a matter between packs. Cace would have handled it. You weren't allowed to fight, Ari.”
I bury my head in my hands. I didn’t think before I reacted at seeing Orion almost get killed. Cace took my spot. I wouldn't have stood a chance against a wolf. Javen could have ripped my head from my body in one quick movement.
Wait. I came here to get my friends back. But Travis wanted to sway me to their side.
I find him pacing along the sidelines, rooting Javen on as he and Cace go bite for bite and tear into one other. Within Travis' head I find the real reason he wanted me here. He wanted me dead. He wanted the upcoming war swayed in their favor. They wanted to kill Orion and Ford, knowing they'd come with me. Then he’d go for Kiara and Paige.
With us out of the picture, the pack would weaken. Aries would lose another family member. Who knows what that would do to him? Cace is a bonus. The Diaminsey Pack would have the advantage. They had no intention of letting me leave here alive. Once Cace is gone, they'll come for Orion and Ford. Kiara. Paige. Me.
It’s evident to me now, I can’t prevent the pack war. It’s not possible. All that’s left to do is leave here in one piece—all of us.
Orion limps toward me, clearly in pain.
“You have to shift,” I plead with him as tears run down my face. “You need to heal. We have to get out of here. Please, Orion.”
A gurgling yelp brings my attention back to the fight. Cace is on the ground, Javen towering over him, both covered in blood. Cace is barely struggling, blood pouring from his mouth. Javen leans down and sinks his teeth into Cace's neck. His jaw clenches, shaking Cace hard. There’s no fight left in Cace. His emerald eyes hold mine as they glaze over and life leaves his body.
“No!” I scream at the top of my lungs. Hot tears pour down my face. I start to run forward, but Ford is behind me again, holding me tightly to his body as I punch and kick the air, trying to get free.
“Cace! No!” I cry. Sobs wrack my body. The scene in front of me can’t be real. Please, let this be a dream.
Ford pulls me with him, retreating as far from the fight as he can get. His back meets the concrete as the Diaminsey Pack closes in on us. Orion is back in human form, but he’s extremely weak. Shifting once isn’t enough to heal him. Ford steps forward and pushes me behind him as Kiara does the same with Paige. We’re behind a wall of vampires as I continue to cry. Paige’s hand takes mine and grips it hard.
Many in the Diaminsey Pack shift. Wolves bare their teeth at Ford, Kiara, and Rion. Then Rion shifts again and it’s game on. He dives toward the closest wolf, regaining a sliver of his strength from the shift. Ford and Kiara jump into the fray, using their vampire strength to rip limbs from the wolves who attack them. But there are too many of them and not enough of us.
Travis enters my line of sight, still in human form, and prowls toward me. There’s no one covering Paige and me anymore. We’re left defenseless. I can’t teleport. All I can do now is protect Paige the best I can. Quickly, I cover her body with mine, my back to her chest, and press her into the wall. Travis reaches forward, grips my neck, jolts me to the side, and pins me to the cold, concrete wall. His eyes are green; his wolf in charge. Those eyes are the last thing I see before darkness consumes me.
The Story Continues…
Want more of Michelle Dare’s paranormals? The story continues in The Somber Call. Also, you can sign up for her YA newsletter to hear news about all things Avynwood.
Michelle Dare’s Newsletter
Other Books by Michelle Dare
Young Adult Titles
The Ariane Trilogy
The Ash Moon
The Somber Call
The Crucial Shift
Adult Titles
The Iridescent Realm Series
The Azure Kingdom
&n
bsp; The Pine Forest
The Fuchsia Lakes
The Arrow Falls Series
Where I End
Where I Am
The Salvation Series
My Salvation
My Redemption
The Heiress Series
Persuading Him
Needing Him
Adoring Her
The Ray Point Series
Floating
The Vault Series
Uncuffed
Unreserved
Standalones
Daylight Follows
The Unattainable Chief
Pleasurable Business
Her Forbidden Fantasy
About the Author
Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.
Newsletter Sign-Up
Connect with Michelle online at the following sites.
Facebook
Facebook Reader Group
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Website
The Ash Moon (The Ariane Trilogy Book 1) Page 22