Vameer
“Cool.” Orion gives Dread an impressed look before turning to us. “You sure about your girls showing up?”
Volik huffs. “Certain.”
“You really okay with them being here?”
“Better to have them where we can see them,” I tell him. “Sniff out the pup, then take our mates to help secure him when they get here. And double-check the scents. We didn’t find any signs of other kidnapped Alts, but let’s be sure.”
“Will do.” The wolf nods.
A portal appears on the far side of the clearing.
The wolf tips his head. “But first…”
A vampire sprints out.
Then another.
Six more, one after another.
Dread moves his hands.
And the portal snaps shut just as a vampire starts to run through.
The portal disappears, and most of a head falls to the ground.
The vampires running our way pause.
That’s right. Our druid is scarier.
The portal reopens thirty feet back.
Dread snaps it shut, and a hand falls out of the empty air.
I have to fight a smile.
The vampires face us again.
And gunfire erupts.
My gravito is already out, staying invisible but creating a wall ten feet in front of us.
Bullets slam into the barrier.
“Handy.” The shifter lifts a brow.
The fire is coming from an arc in front of us. But nothing from behind.
We found them all.
The glow of a portal is visible farther into the woods. And the vampires already here look at each other, then start sprinting.
“I’ll be back.” Dread snaps his fingers and steps into the portal that flashes in front of him.
Volik snorts; something about the phrase is funny to him, but I don’t understand.
Waves of gravito roll out of the vampires running our way. But their power bounces off mine.
“I’ll fuck ’em up.” The wolf shoves his drawers down. “You do your thing to kill them.”
“Deal.” Leaving my sword where it is, I reach across my body and remove one of the many daggers attached to my person. Ones that Dread magicked for us.
Orion takes a step forward, his bare foot at the edge of the rock. Then his naked ass jumps off.
Before he breaches the barrier of gravito, he becomes his wolf.
His dark fur absorbs a bullet as he hits the ground.
But Orion doesn’t slow.
More of the gunfire is aimed at him. And he speeds up.
Is he bigger than he was last night?
I can sense the gravito flying around the clearing, but the wolf stays low to the ground, the power mostly above him.
“Split them up?” Volik confirms the strategy.
“Split ’em up.” I agree. “After I watch this.”
Orion’s big paws push off the ground, and he leaps at two running vampires.
They should knock him back. Two vamps versus one wolf.
But the vampires slam back into the earth.
“I will take the east.” Volik jumps forward with his arms spread.
He plows into the line of vampires still rushing across the clearing, snagging several of them, using his momentum to drag them into the woods to the left, away from the hill with the tent.
A crackle of magic pulses behind me, and I reach my left hand forward, gripping the link to my gravito, and snap my hand back. Throwing my barrier wall behind me.
In front of Rune.
“Stay here on the north side,” I call over my shoulder.
“We’ll keep it clear. And when Orion catches the scent, he’ll bring you and Nix to the pup.
Barth!” I shout his name, certain he’s the one who brought our girls.
“As soon as they have the child, take them to Volik’s house and stay with them until our return. No exceptions.”
“You got it!” Barth, my cousin of sorts, calls back. No arguing. No surprise that I already had a plan for them.
I send out a wave of gravito, knocking a vampire back as it tries to land on Orion’s back. And three other vampires rock on their feet.
Tosa’s guards aren’t worthless. But they’re not as strong as he thinks they are.
Even with more coming from the woods, he did not bring enough.
Orion lets out a loud snarl as he chomps down on a guard’s skull, then whips his head to the side, ripping the vamp’s head off.
Gunfire focuses on the wolf. But it doesn’t penetrate his coat.
A male voice that I know too well cheers, and I finally turn to look behind me.
Along with the three I expected, Uncle Frio and Aunt Bridget are also standing behind my barrier, my uncle cheering on the wolf.
But my eyes are on my mate.
I am a warrior.
I have discipline.
“Prinsessa.” I growl my approval.
She’s wearing her robe that matches mine. Secured around her waist. Her hood is up, but her red curls are still visible. The hood is fitted over her horns. And the deep maroon looks so perfect on my mate it makes my fangs ache.
But it’s the shield she’s holding that makes her look like mine.
My warrior woman.
I growl again, with my appreciation.
She lifts a shoulder. “This old thing?”
My nostrils flare, inhaling apples. “Do as I say.”
She nods. “I will.”
“And show no mercy.”
“I know.” She winks at me.
I wink back.
Then I jump into the fight.