52. Shya

Chapter fifty-two

Shya

T he battle raged on, intensity undiminished. Tristan's Pack, though battered, was far from defeated. I caught glimpses of Tristan barking orders, rallying his forces. His eyes blazed as he directed them, trying to regain control of the fight.

Mason and I locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between us. We needed to keep Tristan's Pack off-balance, prevent them from mounting an organized counterattack.

"To me!" Mason yelled as he and I moved as one, diving into the thickest cluster of enemies. We fought back-to-back, a whirlwind of claws, teeth, fists, and feet. Derek flanked us on the left, his powerful form bowling over two wolves at once. Sam darted in from the right, quick and agile, nipping at heels and keeping our opponents off-balance. Milly circled the perimeter, her eyes sharp, picking off any stragglers who tried to escape or regroup.

We were relentless. We pushed and pulled, scattering Tristan's wolves away from each other. Each time they tried to come together, we were there, breaking their formations, sowing chaos in their ranks.

Through the melee, AJ was still on his rampage, his roars shaking the very ground beneath our feet.

Good. He was keeping Tristan's forces busy so they couldn't attack us with more men.

Suddenly, a chorus of howls pierced the air. It was a sound I recognized, would recognize anywhere. One by one, the Bridgetown Pack arrived. Mom, in her massive wolf form, led the charge. Behind her, I saw Danni, Ivan, Ethan and Due-lah. Henry came next, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't lose him, but he was seventeen now, and this was his fight, too. Our enforcers came next, thundering through the trees in a wave of moving bodies intent on killing any who stood against them. After them ran a contingent of humans. Marnie was there, next Mrs. Patterson, and Mr. Johnson, and Ellen, of all people. They were fighting for our Pack, for our way of life, and I couldn't be prouder.

They hit the lines of Tristan's Pack, and the forest descended into a cacophony of snarls and screams. I yipped to get Mason's attention. With my Pack here, AJ needed to be gone. He would not differentiate between Tristan's Pack and ours.

He was already ahead of me, though.

"LULLABY!" Mason shouted, and immediately Derek, Milly, Jem, and Sam veered toward AJ. They began to circle him, taking turns to dart in to nip at his legs, attempting to herd him away from the main fight. It was a dangerous dance—one swipe from those massive paws could be fatal.

"Jem!" I heard Esme call out. "Now!"

I saw Jem dash to Esme's side, positioning himself protectively in front of her. Esme's face was a mask of concentration as her hands wove intricate patterns in the air.

AJ's movements became slower, more lethargic. His roars turned to confused grunts as he swayed on his feet.

I ran and joined Jem, Mason on my heels. We formed a protective triangle around Esme. Her spell was working, but it left her vulnerable. We couldn't let Tristan's wolves interrupt her. The thought of AJ going after my family made a surge of adrenaline spike inside of me.

A snarling wolf lunged at Mason, but he was ready. He ducked under the attack, then drove his fist up into the wolf's jaw with a sickening crack. The attacker crumpled to the ground, unconscious, as Mason swung round to block a silver knife slashing at him from the left.

I spun, keeping myself between the wolves and Esme. A low, threatening growl rumbled from my chest, a clear warning: They would not get past me.

Jem was a blur of motion, his speed making him hard to pin down. He zipped around the legs of a wolf, then darted in to sink his teeth into its haunches. The wolf howled in pain and tried to shake him off, but Jem held on.

Behind us, I could hear AJ's grunts becoming less frequent. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw AJ swaying on his feet. His eyes were heavy-lidded, his massive head drooping. With a final, confused grunt, the bear slowly toppled over. The ground shook as he hit the forest floor, sending leaves and debris flying.

For a moment, everything seemed to pause. Then Esme's voice rang out, clear and triumphant: "Lullaby complete!"

Tristan's head swung about at the sound of Esme's voice. His eyes locked onto mine.

Yeah, that's right. You're beaten.

I snarled.

I'm coming for you.

Tristan's eyes widened as he read the intent in my eyes. Then he spun on his heel and bolted. He slipped between the trees with the fluid grace of a predator, his form blending into the shadows of the forest. The rest of his Pack had seen his retreat, and they scattered.

Without a second thought, I took off after him. My paws pounded against the forest floor as I gave chase.

This ended now. One way or another, Tristan would never threaten me or my loved ones again.