Peri looked around the battle field as more trolls came. Wondering why the trolls weren’t filled with arrows, she looked around at the elves. Each elf was focus skyward, firing shaft after shaft into the air. Scattered among the clouds and rain were large swooping birds of prey. The elves were taking them down as fast as they could. The warlocks joined the wolves against the trolls. Everywhere men, monsters, and beasts hacked and slashed furiously at each other. Despite their teamwork, both wolves and warlocks were injured in the fighting.

“Rachel, you and Sally are going to have to go tend to the injured.” Peri yelled, handing Rachel some clothes that she had carried in anticipation of Rachel’s run to the battlefield in her wolf form. “There! She pointed to a wolf lying on its side. I’ve got your back.” She turned to a wide eyed Sally. “You head that direction; Jen will protect you. Remember; only heal what is necessary for them to get back on their feet. Reserve your strength. Don’t waste any time on those that aren’t savable”

Shaking, Sally took off, searching the ground for injured wolves. She wasn’t sure what she could do for any fallen warlocks, but she had decided that she would attempt to heal them as well if she could. Jen stayed alongside, her making sure no trolls got too close. Sally found the first one lying on his side, a nasty gash too deep to heal quickly on its own. She stepped forward and tried to radiate peace so that she would not startle the wolf.

“I’m going to touch you. If you lie still, this will go rather quickly,” she told the wolf.

He looked at her with glowing eyes, and then laid his head down. She took that as the okay to begin. She laid her hands on him and closed her eyes. She sent her spirit into his body, seeking out the wound and healing it from the inside out. When she pulled her hands back, the wound was completely healed. She stood up slightly wobbly and Jen pressed her large body against Sally to steady her. The wolf stood and crouched experimentally, then turned to her and bowed his head. She bowed hers in return, and then watched as he flung himself back into the fray.

Sally yelped when Jen suddenly pushed her forward and dove beside her. Sally slammed to her knees and winced as she felt her jeans rip. A crashing sound echoed in her ears as a large tree landed where she had just been standing. She turned and looked at her friend. “You rock,” she gasped.

Jen gave a small yip and a wolf smile, to which Sally shook her head at. “Not cool Jen.”

Looking out over the forest, they began moving toward more injured wolves.

Decebel was moving swiftly, bounding over bushes and around trees as he chased the pixies that the others hadn’t realized had joined in the mix. His wolf was relishing the hunt, enjoying the sport of chasing something so quick and cunning. He almost hated to end the chase by killing them. He rounded a large tree, just on the heels of a particularly fast pixie and slid to a stop when he saw his mate running through the middle of the battlefield following a very worn out looking Sally.

“What the hell are you doing?” He snarled at her.

“B, this isn’t the time to be an asshat over me being here. I’m protecting Sally while she heals injured wolves.”

“You’re in no shape to fight.”

“Sure I am. I’m in my wolf shape. I’m a fighting machine.” She tried to joke, to lighten the moment.

“You are pregnant.” Decebel’s anger and fear was climbing as he ran towards her, dodging around trolls and fallen trees.

“Am I? Damn, I almost forgot. It won’t matter what I am if you die, so at least let me help.”

“Well, it’s obvious I can’t stop you so I guess I have no choice.” The hurt in his voice made Jen feel like crap. She knew she had made him feel helpless to protect her and she hadn’t meant to.

“I’ll be okay babe,” she tried to reassure him.

He kept coming towards her and when he reached her, he nipped her muzzle and growled. She lowered her head, but he nuzzled her before she could drop to the ground in submission.

“Stay beside me,” he told her. She took a stance next to him in front of Sally and together they followed Sally from one wounded warrior to the next. Everything seemed to be going rather smoothly, Decebel having taken out several smaller trolls by himself and he and Jen together taking out a large one. Jen should have known things were going way too well.

Their heads whipped around as they heard Sally scream.

“COSTIN!” She was off in a dead sprint before they could take a step.

“GO!” Decebel yelled at her. Jen obeyed, immediately running after the healer. Decebel was on her heels.

Peri saw the three take off running. “Rachel, come on!” She yelled at the healer and headed after Decebel and Jen.

Costin, Skender, Sorin, Gavril, and Drake were the only wolves from his pack that he recognized as they closed in on Mona. They could finally see her. She stood behind Cypher, the Warlock King who was on his knees in a pool of his own blood. Costin could see that a river of it had formed and was flowing to a black seam that was ripping into the air of the human realm. Costin could see writhing forms through the opening, grotesque arms and legs, red eyes and sharp teeth. He shook off the feeling of oily hands rubbing over his body and growled when Mona turned and faced them.

“Welcome! So glad you could make it. Please, come have front row seats. That will make your death quicker at least.” Mona smiled as if she were inviting old friends into her home. The wolves continued forward while the elves stayed just beyond her vision, bows at the ready. Their weapons were the only ones capable of killing demons, so they would be ready when the veil finally opened.

Costin’s ears lowered and his lips pulled back from his wicked sharp teeth. He crouched low as he moved forward. Gavril, Sorin, and the other wolves moved along with him. Mona attempted to keep them all in her line of sight, but she had been cocky, or so the wolves crouching behind her thought.

Gavril lunged first, but his teeth only reached the bottom of her cloak before her hand flew out and sent him crashing into a tree. Costin had begun his lunge before Gavril had reached Mona and managed to sink his teeth into her leg. Each wolf lunged immediately after the other one, not giving her a chance to regroup. She pressed her hand against Costin’s side and he felt a pulse of electricity enter his body. He yelped and fell flat, unable to retain his hold. He felt his heart stutter from the shock and he had to focus to keep from blacking out. He didn’t realize that he had pulled on the healing power of his mate to steady his shocked heart, until he heard her scream.