Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Having insisted on taking the main entrance himself, Hunter stormed through the door.
He led the charge with Caden at his side.
They entered a dimly lit room, which was not a problem for them because of their werewolf sight.
The lighting wasn’t the issue … it was the smell.
The scent was burning their noses and confusing their senses.
They weren’t able to scent the witches over the irritating smell.
A couple of the wolves pawed at their noses in an effort to alleviate the burn.
It wasn’t just as simple as smelling bad.
It felt like red hot pokers were being shoved up their nostrils, making their eyes water and slightly blurring their vision.
Hunter scanned over the area. A gut-wrenching reality hit him.
They were waiting for them. They knew they were coming, which meant this whole house was one big trap for the wolves.
Freja, it’s a trap. Are you alright?
Silence.
Hunter, I can’t reach Sam, Caden said nervously after having tried to check in on his son and not getting a response.
Hunter sighed a bit in relief, though this still unnerved him. I can’t contact Freja either. There must be some sort of distant block? I mean, we can still communicate. Unless each room has its own barrier. Stay alert. They were obviously expecting us.
How?
Yes … how indeed. Hunter lowered his head and began to walk forward, searching for the enemy that was hiding behind a cloak of intense magic.
Someone had tipped them off, and he would find out who.
If those witches betrayed him, there would be hell to pay.
Though he knew Erica wouldn’t have led them into a trap.
He led his group of fighters further inside, slowly creeping upward when they reached the stairs that ascended to the next floor.
It was too late to turn back. They would just have to be cautious.
He raised his gaze to the top of the stairs and tried to focus on the task at hand. He needed to believe in the others.
Ander rushed inside with Chasen and Winston at his heels. Immediately, the strong scent began to burn their eyes and nostrils. Chasen snorted loudly and looked out over the room. Some strange incense was burning, creating a smokey haze and messing with their senses.
The witches didn’t follow us in. Winston looked at Chasen, who glanced backward briefly.
Hunter?! Jin?! Chasen growled lowly at the same time Winston did.
I can’t reach Adam. Winston danced on his paws nervously as he looked around the room.
Easy, Winston. There must be some sort of block.
I can’t reach Jin or Hunter either. Concentrate.
They must have known we were coming. A low snarl ripped through Ander.
Chasen immediately looked up, following his gaze.
They could see a light flickering from another room, shadows dancing on the walls. Someone was in there.
They would have to enter the room one at a time. It was dangerous, and more than likely another trap. Chasen took a step forward and looked at the leading wolf, letting him know he would check it out first.
The colossal bear slowly walked toward the door. His nose was numb from the incense, making it impossible for him to smell whatever was lurking on the other side. Whatever it was, if it wanted a fight, he would oblige.
Be careful, Chase, Winston said quietly through their link.
Chasen stayed focused on the door but nodded his head.
He needed to take down whoever was here so he could race to Jin and Hunter.
He didn’t like this situation one bit and was now beginning to worry about his brother and mate.
With fierce determination, he stepped into the room and toward whoever or whatever was waiting for him.
Tony crashed through the door with Sam while Jin flew in from the top, gracefully landing on her feet.
She looked back at the wolves, who were all shaking their heads and pawing at their noses.
The scent was strong but not unbearable for her.
It had to be something that affected shifters.
She looked around the foggy room with a frown. They were expecting them.
Chasen … Hunter? The odds that something had happened to both of them were low.
She reasoned there was something blocking the mindlink.
Jin stared through the fog. The wind began to swirl, creating a vacuum, suctioning the incense smell into it.
She was able to locate several sources of the incense, and with the aid of her wind, she pushed it all out the door.
Jin took in a breath of fresh air and looked down at the wolves.
“There … isn’t that better?” She giggled, then turned her attention forward and noticed Tony was beginning to act strangely.
He started pacing around the room, slowly at first, then more menacingly until his gaze finally locked on a door at the far end of the room.
Jin walked up to the door and quietly opened it. It was a set of stairs that led down into darkness. Something was down there … she could sense it. Suddenly, Tony shot past her and plunged into darkness, his pack immediately racing behind him.
Jin looked back at Sam with wide eyes. “Well, so much for having a strategy.”
Sam growled and shook his head as he walked up next to Jin.
“Well, I guess we go too,” Jin said as she bit her bottom lip. There was no telling what was waiting for them. She took a step downward, with Sam at her side. After only a few steps, she was blanketed by darkness.
The smell in the room beat against Freja’s face.
A couple of the wolves with her whimpered and shook their heads.
She immediately pulled cloth over her face.
Damn witches. She looked over the hazy room for a moment.
Then, with ungodly speed, she jumped to each corner of the room and gathered several bagged items, throwing them outside.
She brushed her hands together, clearing off any remnants of the incense, and looked at her pack of wolves.
“The scent will clear soon.” A frown formed over her lips.
The witches had not entered the house with them.
Were they waiting to see if they needed their help, or was there something else to it?
I can’t reach Winston or Hunter, Adam said through their mindlink in a startled voice.
Freja looked around the room. “They must have made barriers throughout the house. One thing is certain … they were expecting us.” She hadn’t expected these dirty games the witches played. It wasn’t her style. Go straight for the kill. That’s who she was. Yes … that's exactly who she was.
Freja looked around the room. They were in a kitchen that led to a large dining hall.
Beyond that was a door that was cracked open halfway.
She closed her eyes and searched for the energy in the room.
There were three semi-strong energies waiting for them.
Upper-class witches. The room was obviously a trap for the werewolves.
But … she wasn’t just a werewolf. She was so much more. She quickly created a plan of attack.
They’re waiting for us in the next room, Freja said to her pack of wolves.
I must not keep them waiting. That would be …
rude. A crimson smile spread across Freja's lips. She didn’t wait for the wolves.
She was the demon huntress, on a mission to kill.
In a blur, she dashed forward and into the room where the three witches were waiting.
She didn’t hesitate. The moment she entered the room, she’d already made her decision. One. Two. Three.
Slice. Stab. Slice.
Blood splattered over Freja’s face, and as the wolves arrived, just a second behind Freja, three bodies fell to the floor.
She looked down at the dead bodies and clicked her tongue. “Some people should really learn their limits when it comes to hosting a party.” A smile rose over her face and she rolled her shoulders back. “On to the next room.”
The wolves stood there, frozen, looking at the dead bodies.
How did she kill them so fast? They were right behind her.
Adam watched as the blood continued to spill on the floor from the lifeless corpses.
Inwardly, he was smiling. When he’d had to work in groups for projects, he’d always pick the team where he didn’t have to do a lot of the work.
He would take naps while the other people did all the research and presentations.
Then he got full credit for their hard work.
Looks like he got paired with a good group once again. Lucky!
“Well, you coming?” Freja smirked back at Adam, who wagged his tail in response.
Freja was in her element, and her pack members were in awe of her lethal skills. She didn’t know it, but they were on cloud nine. They followed proudly behind Freja, knowing they had the most badass luna in the world.
The door slammed shut as soon as Chasen walked through, the sounds of growls and paws scraping the door echoing behind him, but the wolves were not able to break through. The door had been fortified with magic. Chasen looked into the new room and noticed several silhouettes in the shadows.
“Well, what do we have here?” one of the voices hissed.
Three witches walked up from the dark corner they were standing in and came into the light.
“I haven’t seen a werebear in quite some time,” a witch with blonde hair and ivory skin said with a sadistic smile.
Chasen growled at the woman. He could feel some sort of pressure holding him in place. He kept his eyes on the women, who were gloating in their capture.
“What’s the matter, big, scary bear. Can’t you move?” A woman with brown-gray hair snickered with a smirk on her face.
Chasen let out a low grunt as he began to feel like his body was being whipped by a lead pipe. Whip after whip, all while the strong pressure continued to pull him down.
“Aww. Poor fella. He won’t be able to last too much longer.” A woman with black hair pointed her finger at Chasen and twirled it around, increasing the whipping.
“Drazelle, quit playing with him already. We still have those mutts in the other room to deal with.” The blonde woman sneered at Chasen.
“Yeah, and the self-proclaimed Werewolf King to kill. They better not have started torturing him without us,” Drazelle said, impatiently.
The three women were relaxed at this moment, not afraid of Chasen at all.
In fact, they had completely underestimated him.
Stupid witches. He wasn’t just a werebear.
He was a guardian. They’d made a fatal mistake.
Chasen had waited to see the extent of their power and strength, and it seemed as though that was it.
Pffft. Parlor tricks. Chasen straightened up and took a strong step forward.
The three witches looked at him in fear. “He-he moved.”
“How was he able to move?” Drazelle said, a quiver in her voice.
Chasen snarled as he took another step toward the witches.
He maybe could have let it go if it was just about injuring him.
Hell, he could have given them leniency even over wanting to injure the rest of the pack.
But they had lit a fire inside of him. They had talked about killing Hunter.
They wanted to see him tortured and killed.
That was the moment Chasen knew what he was going to do.
There was no forgiveness when it came to Hunter.
None. He took a couple powerful steps closer and glared at the three witches.
They were no match for a guardian. He lifted his front paws in the air and stomped down forcefully with an ear-shattering roar, creating a powerful surge that knocked the women down, stunning them.
Chasen quickly swiped his claws over each of the witches, splattering their blood throughout the room. He didn’t even blink at killing them, focused only on the fact that they wanted to kill Hunter.
He stood in front of the bodies, heaving angrily. He had no remorse as he watched the blood pool on the floor. The only thing going through his mind now was getting to everyone else. He needed to find Hunter and Jin.
As the last witch quit breathing, the door behind Chasen was torn down, the magic having died with them. He turned to see Winston and Ander run up and look over the dead bodies.
Damn, Chasen, you don’t mess around. Winston wagged his tail as he panted happily, glad to see he was okay.
No time to celebrate. We have to find the others. Chasen turned and proceeded to the next door. The faster they eliminated the enemy, the better. He just hoped they weren’t getting more tangled in a dangerous web.