Chapter 81
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
Chasen finally managed to best the hellhound. Its blood was smeared over his face as he pulled away from its lifeless body. No wonder they called them hellhounds. They were hell to kill. He glanced around him and noticed Brody was not far away, fighting against a hellhound of his own.
He took in a breath and prepared his fatigued body as he raced toward the hellhound fighting his brother.
He clawed into its side, and Brody lunged forward.
As the hound turned his head to defend himself from Chasen, Brody sank his teeth into its back.
With a forceful shake, the hellhound threw both Chasen and Brody away from him.
This one counts for both of us. Chasen stepped closer to Brody as his brother rose to his feet.
No way. I worked him down to size already. This one is my kill. Brody turned to face Chasen. The hound was barely standing. All that was left was the finishing blow.
SNAP
Chasen and Brody looked up to see Grayson’s bear's jaws clamped around the hellhound’s neck.
That makes four to me. How many have you two taken down? Grayson dropped the lifeless hellhound from his mouth and walked up to the two bears, who were looking at him in shock.
Uncle Grayson, that one was mine! Brody snarled.
Go get yourself another one, little cub. How many have you each taken down?
That would have been my second, Chasen growled.
No, that was going to be my second, Brody growled back.
Well, little cubs, that one was MY fourth. Slackers, Grayson gloated.
The bears looked over the battlefield. It felt never-ending. They were all exhausted and injured, yet there was no relief to be found.
Chasen looked toward where Hunter was fighting, and through the madness, he could see a familiar brown wolf lying on the ground. Brody took a step in shock.
No … Grayson said in disbelief. His bear roared loudly in sorrow.
He couldn’t believe it as he looked at the unmoving wolf.
In a new rage, the three bears dove back into the demon army, their hearts full of pain.
They lashed out, releasing their anger, spilling the blood of the demons.
They knew there would be casualties, but the reality of it actually happening was painful.
Caden’s brown wolf lay motionless on the ground.
He had taken the spear right through his chest. Sam’s wolf made his way to the body of his father.
He gently nudged his father’s nose, whimpering when he didn’t elicit a response.
Caden’s blood was pooling around him on the ground, and his heartbeat was growing faint.
Sam whined and began whimpering loudly. This was his father, and he was the best damn father he could have ever asked for.
He was their family’s rock and anchor through the storms. He looked at his father’s closed eyes and blood-soaked fur.
It was painful. He shook his head. This couldn’t be happening.
He felt helpless, but there was nothing he could do for him.
All he could do was use his rage and kill.
He leaned his head into his father one last time and turned a vicious eye upward, toward the incoming demons.
Ember had taken a protective stance in front of Caden’s body, not allowing the demons to get closer.
She wouldn’t have his body trampled by their filth.
Ciana swooped in, roaring loudly at the demons surrounding them. She sent a wave of energy toward them, forcing them backward.
“I’m sorry,” Ciana said quietly. His heartbeat was very faint, and he was already taking his last breaths.
She nodded to Sam. “I’ll get his body out of here.
” She eased her feet around him and grabbed onto Caden’s wolf, flying him out of the area.
His life was too far gone for her to be able to heal him.
She could at least take him away to die in peace.
She flew him out and toward the back of the lines, where she gently lowered him to the ground and stayed by his side. She could at least give him the comfort of having someone near him during his last moments.
Mira raced to the back of the battle lines and shifted into Lita.
She skidded into the brown wolf's side and held onto his paw, which was growing cold as life drained from his body. He was her first friend when she left her father’s pack.
Even before Asher, Caden became someone close to her.
She wrapped her arms around his body and began sobbing into his fur.
“Caden!” she wailed out in an ear-piercing sob.
Asher went into a rage. After seeing his friend’s lifeless body being carried in the air, he fought against the demons furiously.
His chest squeezed in pain as the memories of his friend flashed through his mind.
His beta, his best friend, the man who he’d always depended on.
He’d never thanked him enough. He’d never told him how much he meant to him.
They’d been through so many battles together, and Caden had deserved to have a peaceful life.
Caden … Bo’s eyes watered, thinking of his pack member.
His vision blurred and he had to blink the tears away.
This pain he was feeling was fueling his desire to kill the demons.
But he needed more strength. He needed more power.
Do you want more power? I can help you, a deep voice asked in Asher’s head.
Who are you? Asher asked as Bo savagely ripped a demon’s limbs from its body. The blood gushed out and splattered over his snarling muzzle as another demon’s body fell lifeless to the ground.
I am the earth separator and the tsunami bringer. I am the Kraken, and I will be your summon for this war only. Now, bind yourself to me as I will to you. Just as you breathe the air for me, I shall now breathe the water for you.
Bo snarled as the swarm of demons closed in on him.
Why? What’s the price for this?
My freedom for me, and life for you. Binding myself to you allows me to leave the sea and once again take human form on land. It will allow me to aid against the demons for you.
Why were you imprisoned? What are you? Asher felt hesitant hearing this. Though this wasn’t the time to be rational. Was it?
I am a cursed deity. Because of mistakes in my past, I was made an outcast and forced to remain bound to the sea.
But if I bind my life to yours, I can once again walk upon the earth.
I can break the curse the other deities set in place.
I will remain bound to you until the curse is broken but will not remain your summon.
There really wasn’t time to think this over. The demons were relentless, and they were all exhausted. He had witnessed the lifeless body of one of his very best friends being carried in the sky. Who else would they lose?
Deal. Asher answered the Kraken and immediately felt something unlock in his body. It was as if his lungs had filled with water, and a strange drowning sensation came over him. At the same time, a strength surged through his body.
Blaze sunk his teeth into the flesh of the demon Leoric, and a thick black liquid oozed from his body, his blood so tainted that it was no longer red.
Leoric slashed against Blaze’s neck in retaliation.
Red splattered over the ground as the Alpha King was knocked to the ground.
He was immediately back on his feet, charging back into the fight.
Blaze’s red energy attacked Leoric. He snapped at the demon as he dodged his attacks. They were both tiring from the seemingly endless fight, but neither one was relenting.
Sam’s wolf lunged at Leoric in retaliation for his father.
Leoric almost scoffed at his insolence, slamming his body onto the ground.
A high-pitched yelp escaped from his throat as his body skidded across the ground.
Blaze clawed and bit at Leoric’s side, making more blackness seep from the demon.
The black liquid burned over Hunter’s muzzle.
It was like acid being dripped over his body.
The pain from the acid was nothing in comparison to losing Caden, though.
The mental image of his lifeless body continued to fuel him as he fought against the pain.
The demon swung at Blaze. His claws connected beneath Blaze’s fur as he sent the wolf smashing into the ground.
Blaze climbed back onto his feet yet again, his eyes shooting daggers at the demon.
He felt a surge deep within him—a warm light embracing him, motivating him.
It was the warmth of his sister Reiya as she and Xander rallied the troops.
With their combined power, they were pouring out hope.
They were giving the army the motivation and second wind they desperately needed.
It was like a hug on the inside, telling him he could do it.
Just one more push. Just a little bit more.
He listened as all the wolves around him seemed to be fighting with more gusto and energy.
He could see their side picking up the fight around him, determination and perseverance kicking in.
The power to unite and motivate was a strong weapon indeed.
They fought through their fatigue as Reiya and Xander continued to share their gift, giving everyone around them a surge of adrenaline.
Hunter smiled inwardly as Blaze squared off with the demon again. One more strong push. He just needed one good opening—that was it. He would end this now. No matter what, this was going to be the end.
As if on cue, a red wolf leaped onto the demon's back, sinking her teeth into his shoulder. This rare moment gave Hunter the opening he needed. The demon roared out in pain as he tried to shake the flaming red wolf off of him, but the silver flaming wolf lunged forward, clamping his jaws around Leoric’s throat.
The black liquid pooled from his sagging body as the flames started to change colors.
The fire from the wolves could not injure Leoric, since he was immune to fire.
Sensing this, the fairy magic inside Freja adjusted the flames.
The orange light turned blue, and ice shards began stinging the demon’s skin.
The blue flames around the two wolves turned into one sapphire ball of freezing light, engulfing the three of them in a blinding flare.
Leoric let out a gurgling sound as the blood started pooling in his throat, his lungs also filling with his own black liquid.
He fell to his knees, then collapsed onto the ground.
It wasn’t until his signs of life vanished completely that the King and Queen of the Werewolves released their deadly grip.
They panted in exhaustion as they stared at one another.
The battle was raging around them, but for the second their eyes met, it was quiet.
There wasn’t a moment to take a breath, though.
The demons started pouring in toward them like a swarm of bees that had their nest attacked.
Ember stood by Blaze’s side as they both braced for yet another endless fight.
This time, they would fight side by side.
The light around them began changing its glow again, the orange light flickering as it awaited the incoming demons.
Then the world seemed to shake. Small tremors shook their feet as the earth growled angrily. Hunter and Freja looked at one another as the demon horde looked down in confusion. Something was happening.
The earth began to tremble as Asher listened to the voice in his head. It was guiding him as his presence began coming forward.
Let me use your body. You are inexperienced. Give me entry until my form can solidify here.
Asher hoped he was making the right decision as he told Bo to push backward as well.
His eyes glowed green as another entity entered his body.
It was like he and Bo were now watching a show as a presence took over them entirely.
Thunder echoed around them, but it wasn’t from the sky.
The earth groaned loudly as it began to shift to the command of the silver wolf.
Behind the demons, where there were no allies of theirs, the ground began to crack.
A cloud of dust erupted from the soil and filled the air.
A fissure formed beneath the demons and began swallowing them whole.
The silver wolf was glowering over the demons as the Kraken’s presence began to grow inside Bo. Bo couldn’t speak, but the Kraken could … even through the wolf’s body.
“Fools,” he said to the demons. “You continue to march toward me like a moth does to the flame of destruction. You cannot defeat me.” His green eyes glowed as a large creature of shadow rose over the wolf.
The silhouette revealed a large body with eight appendages spread out over it.
The sight was enough to make the demons pause.
Some even took a small retreating step backward.
A dangerous low laugh rumbled from the silver wolf.
“That’s right, you fools. I am the Kraken.
And now you know all hope is lost.” The Kraken was not an ordinary deity.
He was also another tier-one deity, like Leviathan.
But because he broke the deities’ laws, he was cursed by them and forced to live in the sea.
A curse that he now had the chance to break.
The shadow leaped away from the silver wolf, and a body formed above it. A young, tall, handsome man with brown hair and piercing green eyes solidified above the shadow. Bo once again gained control of his body and turned to look at the Kraken.
The man with green eyes smiled and nodded at the wolf. “I can take it from here.” He stretched his hands above him, smirking over the army.
“Now this is going to be fun.”