Chapter 24 The Fight of Your Life
Bane
Whoa! I barely dodge sideways as Adelaide lunges, her massive copper-furred form hurtling toward me like a freight train.
I dodge and spin, ready to counterattack, but Cierra’s dark mass barrels in from the opposite direction, forcing me to weave between them.
Dammit! As far as I know, Adelaide and Cierra spend all their time sparring or screwing, with occasional breaks for eating and sleeping. It’s paid off. They move in effortless harmony, and it’s all I can do to avoid their attacks and not get cornered between them.
They weren’t always so in sync.
For the first few years of my sister’s union, we worried one of them would kill the other before the fight ever came. Then they learned how to stop battling each other and focus on fighting everyone else.
Adelaide and Cierra have been nearly unstoppable ever since. They were madly in love now, two fierce, bloodthirsty warriors. How can I defeat them on my own?
When I spring away from Adelaide’s snapping jaws, Cierra’s ready for me. I let out a guttural growl as her claws rake across my flank. The pain is sharp, but I push through it, twisting around and sinking my teeth in near her right hip.
But she’s quick, shaking me off with a fierce snarl that echoes in the arena. I hit the ground hard, the impact jolting through my body.
I scramble up, they’ll pounce if I’m down too long, but as I push off my back paw, a sharp pain shoots through my leg. Fuck! I shake my head, trying to clear the haze of pain clouding my thoughts.
Cierra lunges again, her jaws snapping mere inches from my face, and I barely manage to sidestep.
This can’t go on much longer. I need to find a way to turn the tide.
Except it’s all I can do to keep moving. I’m spending all my time dodging and trying not to get caught between them, and it’s hard to find an opening to attack.
Adelaide slams into me, sending me toppling to the ground. I struggle to stand, unsure if there’s any point in getting up at all. Cierra circles in behind me while Adelaide looms large ahead.
Admitting defeat puts a sour taste in my mouth, but they have me right where they want me. Hurt and trapped.
This is it. It’s over.
Adelaide and Cierra advance slowly, waiting to see if I fight the inevitable and resist. What’s the point? I gave this battle everything I could but there’s nothing left. Nothing I can do will turn it around now.
I close my eyes, ready to accept defeat. They were too much to face alone. I brace for the inevitable strike, the final blow.
I wait to be knocked out. And wait… and wait.
But the final blow never comes.
I open my eyes. A shimmering barrier surrounds me, a strange glowing light that smells of something herbal and otherworldly at the same time. I blink, trying to comprehend what’s happening.
That glowing light—magic. It’s magic. Josh.
My wolf smiles, its tongue lolling out. I’m not done after all. There’s still a chance.
Josh is here.
~
Josh
A translucent blue dome made of magic covers the cornered wolf. The other two back off, wary of the strange barrier. Unlike the challengers, my big wolf’s shoulders relax after clenching for the final blow.
The dark brown wolf was alone and now he knows he’s saved. He knows I’m here.
I saved him from one blow, but we aren’t done fighting yet.
The light shining on him ripples for a second, lowering as I step inside the glowing circle and join him.
Bane lets out a pained growl as he slumps against me, his eyes fixed on his sister.
Breathing hard and unsteady on his feet, at least he can rest for a moment.
His fur is coarse and matted with dirt when I place a hand on his shoulder, and he leans heavily into my side for support, but he’s not finished yet.
We still have a chance to turn this around.
“Easy, big guy,” I murmur. “I’ve got your back.”
And my new craft helps me do just that.
My specialty? Defensive magic.
Bane figured it out. He’s the one who reminded me that it’s a good thing we don’t share the same strengths. We’re complements. Our strengths balance out the other’s weaknesses.
Tough and strong, he’s always ready for a physical confrontation. So, if he’s offense, I should be defense. Someone has to watch his back and make sure he gets home in one piece. As soon as I started trying some defensive spells, something clicked into place.
This is the craft I’ve been searching for. Defensive magic is my calling.
Adelaide and Cierra close in around us, prowling outside the protective circle that shields us from their wrath.
Adelaide lunges forward, trying to break through the shimmering barrier, but she’s met with a force that pushes her back.
Adelaide snaps her teeth at me, ears flattening against her head as she slams her shoulder against the barrier. It holds firm against her attempts.
Adelaide’s eyes narrow, irritation on the wolf’s face as her lips pull back in a silent snarl. From what I know of her, she isn’t the most patient wolf. Sure enough, she claws at the barrier again, trying to take it down with willpower and claws alone.
Cierra joins her, adding her own might and bashing up against the defenses. Both wolves attack with relentless fury even as the magic shield harmlessly deflects their attacks.
After a few minutes, they must realize it isn’t working, though that isn’t stopping them.
“Are they just going to keep trying?” I whisper.
The wolf beside me shrugs. His sister bounces off the barrier again. Guess so. The stubborn determination might be amusing in other circumstances, and letting them tire themselves out is tempting, but we might be here for a while. Is there a better plan?
Bane and I turn to each other while the opposing wolves keep slamming against the shield. It’s hard to come up with a detailed plan and be totally confident we’re on the same page when our opponents are right there and also Bane can’t talk. But I think we figure something out.
When I look back at the persistent wolves, Adelaide has backed up to the farthest corner of the arena.
She lets out a thunderous roar and charges, barreling right for us.
Her four massive paws cross the distance in no time as she builds up power, and soon she’s throwing her entire body against the shield, ramming into it at full force.
A second later, the barrier protecting us shudders and blinks out before returning. Uh-oh.
That’s all the incentive the predators on the other side need.
Adelaide and Cierra leap on the shield eagerly, snarling and spitting, using their claws, teeth, and shoulders to hit the barrier relentlessly.
I grit my teeth and grip Bane’s fur under my fingers. He lets out a frustrated growl as I fight to maintain our defenses. The magic around us grows weaker. They’re going to get through.
“I can’t hold it...” I gasp, the words escaping my lips before I can stop them.
Adelaide and Cierra take notice, perking up like dogs who hear the doorbell. They coordinate their attacks and leap as one, targeting the same spot and slashing and biting ferociously without letting up.
I try to channel all the power I can. The glow from the shield begins to dim, the blue light growing weaker and weaker. Bane and I back up, putting space between us and the eager wolves on the other side.
A snapping sound echoes in the arena. Our opponents freeze, watching as the barrier in front of them splinters and breaks apart.
I conjure a new barrier made of weak blue light a second later, but it doesn’t discourage them.
Adelaide’s tail wags, happy she’s found a weakness to exploit as her prey nears defeat.
Both wolves back up and prepare to charge.
I ready all the energy I can channel.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as the new barrier sputters and fades.
Already restless and eager to finish this, our opponents don’t waste time. They charge forward, barreling right for us.
Praying my timing is right, I use the energy I’ve been channeling, creating a shield with more weight. The one before was something like rubber, but this one has the consistency of solid, thick stone.
If Adelaide and Cierra notice, they’re already too close and they crash into the wall of magic with a thunderous impact. The force knocks both of them off their feet.
It worked! They bought my ruse, my act of weakening magic. To them, I’m just a new witch and inferior wolf. Of course they thought my power couldn’t hold strong against their might.
To be fair, my endurance might not be excellent when it comes to my new craft, which is why we needed to make them think the barrier faltered before they actually succeeded in bringing it down.
I drop the barrier, and Bane lunges forward, pouncing on his sister and seizing her throat in his jaws. Adelaide growls in defiance. The deep sound echoes through the arena as the spectators grow quiet, holding their breaths to see if this is really the end.
The threat of Bane’s teeth hold her in place. After what feels like an eternity, the fight drains from Adelaide. She lets out a low whine as she yields. When Bane finally releases his grip, Adelaide lowers her head in submission, acknowledging Bane’s dominance.
The crowd goes wild.
I think we’re declared victorious, but I don’t hear it. I watch in awe as Bane’s massive wolf form shifts and contorts, the fur receding as his body transforms. In the blink of an eye, the powerful wolf is gone, replaced by the tall, muscular man I’ve come to know so well.
He’s dirty and naked, heavily favoring one leg, but his victorious grin is huge, and I’m so glad to see him. High on the adrenaline from his victory, it doesn’t even look like the scratches and claw marks littering his body hurt him, though they make my heart clench painfully.
Bane strides toward me and pulls me into a fierce embrace, his strong arms enveloping me. He’s okay. Everything is okay as we hug.
“We did it,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear. “We won.”
“So glad you’re okay,” I say. “Sorry I was late.”
“You’re right on time.”
Before I can say another word, Bane’s kissing me. His lips crash against mine with an urgency that sends my heart into a wild, uneven rhythm. It’s a kiss filled with passion, with relief, a kiss that makes me forget the danger we were in and even where we are now.
I melt into him, my fingers instinctively finding their way into his dark hair and pulling him closer as I return the kiss with everything I have, giving him my all.
What we accomplished together is amazing, and we’re just getting started.
We did it. We won. Together.