The breath came again.
Deeper. Closer.
We moved before it did.
Kade lunged left—his dark wolf form snapping toward the edge of the cave mouth—while I veered right, claws skimming stone, Nyx fully in control now, teeth bared and eyes narrowed.
There, she hissed. Behind the ledge.
A blur broke through the trees.
Fast. Wrong.
It didn't move like it had joints. It slid, then leapt—long limbs bending in unnatural angles, claws gleaming black, eyes like shattered glass.
Kade met it mid-pounce, fangs sinking into its shoulder.
It screamed.
A noise that didn't belong in any world I knew.
The impact threw them both sideways. Kade hit the rock wall hard, his body shifting back mid-roll. Human again. Bleeding.
"Shit—" he groaned, clutching his side.
The creature turned its head.
And looked straight at me.
It smiled.
Nyx snarled. You little bastard.
I leapt.
We clashed mid-air—fangs to bone, claws to flesh. I raked across its chest, drawing thick, tar-colored blood. It moved with a twitchy kind of precision, too fast to track properly, like it didn't need to think—only kill.
We landed hard. I skidded across gravel, caught myself on all fours. Behind me, Kol shouted something I didn't hear.
The creature stalked toward me.
Limbs twisting.
Head cocked.
Nyx was foaming. Rip out its throat.
I charged again.
Faster this time.
We collided near the cave entrance. My jaws caught something soft—its shoulder or maybe its neck. It shrieked and threw me back against the stone.
I staggered. Regained my balance. Kade was trying to stand, blood soaking the edge of his shirt.
The creature turned to him.
No.
I bolted forward.
But it spun before I reached it.
Leapt.
Straight at me.
And this time—
I was too slow.