22. Jytos

22

JYTOS

I wake with a start and my senses are instantly alert. The howls of the waira pierce the air, closer than ever before. Fuck. They're coming.

"Bella," I growl, shaking her gently. "Wake up. It's time."

Her eyes flutter open, confusion quickly replaced by understanding. She's on her feet in seconds, grabbing the makeshift bow and arrow we crafted yesterday.

"How close?" she asks, her voice steady despite the fear I can smell on her.

I cock my head, listening. "Too damn close. We need to move. Now."

We spring into action. Our plan soon unfolds with practiced precision. Bella heads to the cave entrance, ready to roll the boulder we'd positioned there. I stretch my tentacles and feel the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"Remember," I say, my voice low and commanding. "Stay behind me. No matter what happens."

She nods, her jaw set with determination. "I've got your back, Jytos."

Pride swells through me. My woman, ready to face down monsters by my side. But I'll be damned if I let any of those fuckers get near her.

I stride to the cave mouth, my muscles coiled tight with anticipation. The howls grow louder and echo off the mountain walls. I bare my teeth in a feral grin. Let them come. I'll tear them apart, one by fucking one.

"Jytos," Bella's voice pulls me back. "The traps."

Right. I nod, moving to check our preparations. Sharp stakes line the path leading to our cave hidden beneath a thin layer of snow. Tripwires crisscross the ground, ready to send boulders crashing down. It's not much, but it'll slow the bastards down.

I turn back to Bella, drinking in the sight of her. Her brown curls are wild, and her eyes are bright with determination. My chest tightens. I'll keep her safe. I have to.

"Come here," I growl, pulling her close. I kiss her hard, pouring every ounce of my need and protectiveness into it. She responds with equal fervor, her small hands gripping my arms.

When we break apart, she's breathless. "What was that for?"

I grin. "For luck. And because you're mine."

She rolls her eyes, but I catch the smile she tries to hide. "As if I could forget."

Another howl splits the air, closer still. My tentacles writhe with anticipation, itching for a fight.

"Get ready," I say, moving back to the cave entrance. "They'll be here soon."

Bella takes her position. I scan the snowy landscape, my eyes searching for movement in the shadows. Nothing yet. But soon.

"Jytos," Bella's voice is soft. "We'll make it through this. Together."

I look back at her, this tiny human who's become my whole world. "Damn right we will," I growl with confidence.

The howls are deafening now. At any moment, they'll crest the ridge. I flex my hands, feeling my claws extend.

"Get ready," I tell her. "It's about to get messy."

The first waira crests the ridge, its mangy fur matted with blood and filth. I bare my sharp teeth in a feral grin. Finally, some fucking action.

"Alright, Bella," I rumble, my voice laced with excitement. "It's showtime."

The beast charges at me, all gnashing teeth and razor claws. I meet it head-on, my own claws raking across its face. Blood sprays, hot and thick. The waira howls in pain, but I'm already moving, my tentacles lashing out to wrap around its throat.

"That all you got?" I taunt, squeezing until I hear the satisfying crunch of bone.

More of the bastards pour over the ridge in a seething mass of fur and fury. I laugh, the sound harsh and wild. This is what I live for.

I soon tear into them. My claws and tentacles are a blur of motion. Blood soaks the snow, turning it a sickening crimson. Limbs fly as I rip through the pack. Each kill only fuels my bloodlust.

"Jytos, on your left!" Bella's voice cuts through the chaos.

I whirl, just in time to see an arrow embed itself in a waira's eye socket. The beast drops, twitching. Damn, my woman's got aim.

"Nice shot, Bella," I call back, before diving back into the fray.

A particularly large waira lunges for my throat. I duck, then drive my fist up through its jaw. My hand emerges from the top of its skull dripping gore. I shake off the carcass, already scanning for my next target.

The air is thick with the stench of blood and death. Dismembered waira parts litter the ground, a grotesque obstacle course. But they keep coming, an endless wave of snapping jaws and raking claws.

I suddenly feel a sharp pain as claws rake across my back. Fucking amateur move. I spin, grabbing the offending waira by its throat. With a roar of rage, I tear its head clean off, tossing it aside like garbage.

"You okay?" Bella shouts, losing another arrow into the melee.

"Never better," I growl back, my blood singing with the thrill of battle. "This is just a warm-up."

I wade back into the thick of it, my tentacles lashing out in all directions. Waira after waira falls to my onslaught, their howls of pain music to my ears. But for every one I take down, two more seem to take its place.

A particularly vicious beast manages to sink its teeth into my arm. I snarl in pain and fury, my free hand plunging into its chest. I rip out its still-beating heart crushing it in my fist.

"That's for ruining my fucking day," I spit, kicking the corpse aside.

The wound on my arm throbs, but I ignore it. There's no time for weakness. Not when Bella's safety is on the line.

I chance a glance back at her. She's holding her own, her face set in grim determination as she fires arrow after arrow. Pride beams in me. That's my woman, fierce as any warrior.

"How you holding up?" I shout, my tentacles snapping the spine of another waira.

"Running low on arrows," she calls back, her voice steady despite the chaos. "But I'm not out of the fight yet."

"That's my girl," I grin, turning back to the battle with renewed vigor.

The ground is slick with blood and entrails, but I move with deadly grace. My claws find vital points with unerring accuracy, leaving a trail of corpses in my wake. But the waira keep coming, an endless tide of fur and fangs.

As I tear the throat out of yet another beast, a chilling thought strikes me. How long can we keep this up? There's so many of them, and only two of us.

No. I shake off the doubt. We'll win because we have to. Because I won't let those fuckers anywhere near my Bella. I bare my teeth in a savage grin, diving back into the fray with renewed fury.

"Come on, you mangy bastards," I roar, my voice carrying over the din of battle. "I've got plenty more where that came from!"

I tear through another waira, its blood splattering across my chest. My tentacles whip out, catching two more and crushing their spines with a satisfying crunch. But even as I dispatch these fuckers, I can't help but steal glances at Bella.

Holy shit, she's something else.

Her arrows find their marks with deadly precision, each shot dropping a waira in its tracks. She's transformed from the quiet village girl into a fierce warrior. I can't help but smile with satisfaction at her newfound skills. That's my woman.

"Way to go, Bella!" I call out as she takes down a particularly nasty beast that was creeping up on my blind side.

She flashes me a quick grin. "Just returning the favor!"

I laugh, the sound harsh amidst the chaos of battle. Fuck, I love her fire.

We fall into a rhythm, working in tandem. I draw the waira in close, my claws and tentacles dealing out death, while Bella picks off the stragglers with her arrows. It's a deadly dance, and we're the stars of this bloody show.

But just as I start to think we might actually pull this off, the air shifts. The remaining waira suddenly back off, their howls changing from bloodlust to... fear?

"What the fuck?" I mutter, scanning the battlefield.

That's when I see it. A massive shape emerges from the shadows, easily twice the size of the other waira. Its fur is matted with blood and grime, and scars crisscross its muscled body. But it's the eyes that grab me – cold, calculating, and fixed right on us.

"Bella," I growl, not taking my eyes off the newcomer. "Get back. Now."

"Jytos, what-" She stops mid-sentence as she spots the behemoth. "Oh, no."

The waira leader stalks forward. Its massive paws leave deep impressions in the blood-soaked snow. The remaining pack parts before it, whining and cowering.

I bare my teeth. Finally, a real fucking challenge.

"Well, well," I taunt, flexing my claws. "Looks like the big bad wolf decided to join the party."

The beast's lips curl back, revealing yellowed fangs the size of daggers. It lets out a roar that shakes the very mountain, a clear challenge.

My blood sings with anticipation. This is what I was made for. The ultimate test of strength and will. But as I prepare to meet this new threat head-on, a small hand grips my arm. Bella.

"Jytos," she says, her voice low and urgent. "Be careful. This one's different."

I turn to her, drinking in the sight of her flushed cheeks and fierce eyes. My woman, my warrior. I cup her face with one blood-stained hand.

"Don't worry," I growl confidently. "I've got this. You just keep those arrows ready."

She nods, firm determination blazing in her eyes. Fuck, I love her.

Turning back to the waira leader, I crack my neck and stretch my tentacles. Time to show this overgrown mutt who's boss.

"Alright, you ugly son of a bitch," I snarl, baring my teeth. "Let's dance."