pile into the room. He was outnumbered at least fifty to one.
“We have to do something,” I said, more out of desperation than hope.
Marlow looked at me with sad eyes. I could tell he felt as impotent as I did.
“What the hell was that?” Marlow said when the first explosion rocked the room.
I had no idea, but instinct told me Craven was behind it. More explosions followed, and then dozens of shifters piled into the room where Craven was being held. It was a blood bath. Craven was running towards one corner of the room—in pursuit of Milton. The elite guard were already beaten.
“Stand back!” A voice from out in the corridor. “Get away from the door!”
Marlow pushed me to the floor, and put his body between mine and the door. The explosion knocked the door off its hinges—splinters showered over us. I had to rub my ears to try to clear the ringing.
“Come on!” The two shifters who'd destroyed the door beckoned us out of the room. Once in the corridor, Marlow followed them, but I held back. I figured I needed to go in the other direction if I was to find Craven. By the time Marlow realised I wasn't behind him, it would be too late for him to do anything about it.
All around me I could hear the sound of fighting. I didn't know exactly what had happened, but I was absolutely sure Craven had been behind it. Amidst all of the pandemonium I'd noticed that the shifters who had overwhelmed the guard were a mix of Terroun and Maja.
I made my way to Milton's office which was now a scene of utter carnage. The fighting had moved elsewhere—all that was left was the dead and dying. I had to pick my path through the bodies as I made my way to the corner of the room where Milton and Craven had disappeared. As I got closer, I could see a crack of light in the wall. A small, concealed door was slightly ajar.
Something thundered into my side—knocking me clean off my feet. My head hit the ground—sending my senses reeling. Instinct took over. I shifted, and managed to roll to one side just in time to avoid the wolf which was following up its initial attack. It slid past me—giving me precious seconds to shed my clothes and shift.
The guard must have been skulking in the shadows. I'd been so distracted by the dead and injured that I hadn't seen him. He swung a paw as he leapt at me. I was too slow to duck out of the way. When his claws raked the side of my face, the impact sent me reeling. He was quick to follow up, and moments later, he had me pinned to the floor. I could smell his breath as he made a lunge for my throat. It took all of my strength to hold him at bay—his teeth were only inches from my throat. Saliva dripped from his mouth onto my face. His eyes were crazed.
I couldn't hold him off for much longer. I had only the one chance. If it failed, it would be all over. I planted my back right paw onto the ground, and pushed sideward. As soon as I felt him over-balance, I used all of my body-weight to tip him off me. In a flash, I was on him. The next thing I recall was the taste of his blood. My jaws were clamped tight on his throat. Beneath me, he squirmed frantically at first, but then more slowly as the life spilled from his body. His eyes met mine for a moment, but then the light left them.
Exhausted I managed to shift back to my human-form. As I did, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind the 'hidden' door. I waited—too tired to move. Had Milton come back in search of his mate? If he had, I'd be no match for him now. I was totally spent.
The door opened.
“Craven!” I gasped. A sense of relief consumed me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I'm fine. Where's Milton?”
“Dead. What about Marlow?”
“He's okay. I left him to come and find you. How did you manage all of this?” I gestured to the carnage in the room.
“The Terroun guard followed me here. The plan was that they would make an assault on Milton's HQ. I hoped we might free you and Marlow, but I wasn't
“We have to do something,” I said, more out of desperation than hope.
Marlow looked at me with sad eyes. I could tell he felt as impotent as I did.
“What the hell was that?” Marlow said when the first explosion rocked the room.
I had no idea, but instinct told me Craven was behind it. More explosions followed, and then dozens of shifters piled into the room where Craven was being held. It was a blood bath. Craven was running towards one corner of the room—in pursuit of Milton. The elite guard were already beaten.
“Stand back!” A voice from out in the corridor. “Get away from the door!”
Marlow pushed me to the floor, and put his body between mine and the door. The explosion knocked the door off its hinges—splinters showered over us. I had to rub my ears to try to clear the ringing.
“Come on!” The two shifters who'd destroyed the door beckoned us out of the room. Once in the corridor, Marlow followed them, but I held back. I figured I needed to go in the other direction if I was to find Craven. By the time Marlow realised I wasn't behind him, it would be too late for him to do anything about it.
All around me I could hear the sound of fighting. I didn't know exactly what had happened, but I was absolutely sure Craven had been behind it. Amidst all of the pandemonium I'd noticed that the shifters who had overwhelmed the guard were a mix of Terroun and Maja.
I made my way to Milton's office which was now a scene of utter carnage. The fighting had moved elsewhere—all that was left was the dead and dying. I had to pick my path through the bodies as I made my way to the corner of the room where Milton and Craven had disappeared. As I got closer, I could see a crack of light in the wall. A small, concealed door was slightly ajar.
Something thundered into my side—knocking me clean off my feet. My head hit the ground—sending my senses reeling. Instinct took over. I shifted, and managed to roll to one side just in time to avoid the wolf which was following up its initial attack. It slid past me—giving me precious seconds to shed my clothes and shift.
The guard must have been skulking in the shadows. I'd been so distracted by the dead and injured that I hadn't seen him. He swung a paw as he leapt at me. I was too slow to duck out of the way. When his claws raked the side of my face, the impact sent me reeling. He was quick to follow up, and moments later, he had me pinned to the floor. I could smell his breath as he made a lunge for my throat. It took all of my strength to hold him at bay—his teeth were only inches from my throat. Saliva dripped from his mouth onto my face. His eyes were crazed.
I couldn't hold him off for much longer. I had only the one chance. If it failed, it would be all over. I planted my back right paw onto the ground, and pushed sideward. As soon as I felt him over-balance, I used all of my body-weight to tip him off me. In a flash, I was on him. The next thing I recall was the taste of his blood. My jaws were clamped tight on his throat. Beneath me, he squirmed frantically at first, but then more slowly as the life spilled from his body. His eyes met mine for a moment, but then the light left them.
Exhausted I managed to shift back to my human-form. As I did, I heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind the 'hidden' door. I waited—too tired to move. Had Milton come back in search of his mate? If he had, I'd be no match for him now. I was totally spent.
The door opened.
“Craven!” I gasped. A sense of relief consumed me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I'm fine. Where's Milton?”
“Dead. What about Marlow?”
“He's okay. I left him to come and find you. How did you manage all of this?” I gestured to the carnage in the room.
“The Terroun guard followed me here. The plan was that they would make an assault on Milton's HQ. I hoped we might free you and Marlow, but I wasn't
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