chapter eighteen
That night, and early into the next morning, the elders, Francine, Kallie, Trish, and Aden were far from Tabor’s mind. Any rancor or concern he felt for his fellow pack members disappeared when alone with Sasha. Pity they had to climb out of their cave, get dressed, and join their pack for their morning meal.
Usually mornings were quiet, but today the women gathered in small groups whispering and tossing coy smiles. The men were even worse, strutting around and speaking at high volumes—their laughter deafening.
A fight broke out between two males. Tabor smirked as he watched Raider break it up. Sasha sidled up beside him with two heaping bowls of grains, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow.
“Don’t look so smug,” she said. “Not that long ago you were the one fighting.”
Tabor lifted his chest. “You’ve done the impossible and made a respectable pack member out of me.”
Sasha gave a laugh as she handed Tabor his breakfast. “Only a pureblood could manage such a feat.”
“No, only you could.”
A wave of sadness crested over Tabor’s heart as a sudden memory of his mother came to him. He wished she could have seen him happily claimed, and not just to any shifter, but to Sasha, a pureblood.
With that last thought, Tabor wolfed down his porridge.
Sasha laughed. “In a hurry, are we?” she asked in a teasing tone.
“To get you alone? Always.”
Sasha didn’t eat as fast as Tabor, but she always had a hearty appetite that made her meal disappear quickly. After their meal they headed for the cave. Tabor could have walked to it with his eyes shut, he’d become so familiar with their routine. There they undressed, watching one another strip with unabashed delight.
Sasha shifted first, followed by Tabor, and they got a good run in to the bluff. Tabor gave Sasha a playful nudge. Her lips lifted slightly, but she didn’t growl. He nudged her with his nose again. She walked several feet away, gazed into the sunlit sky, and closed her eyes, a contented smile on her lips.
Tabor walked to her side and stopped.
The morning air had a crispness to it, but the sun warmed his fur.
Sasha turned to him and licked his face. Tabor’s wolf grinned and rubbed against her. They stared at one another and carried on, nuzzling one another affectionately until their cuddling was interrupted by the hideous screams of vulhena.
He had to have misheard. They sounded too numerous.
The hairs on Tabor’s back rose and he joined Sasha in snarling. The threat wasn’t immediate, but near enough. His ears twitched, picking up on the horrendous sound in the distance. It came from the valley below and rose in their direction, cascading over the hilltop.
They rushed to the edge of the bluff and looked down.
Tabor’s heart stopped.
Black streaks ran screeching across the valley, at least sixty vulhena running toward the bluff.
Without realizing what he was doing, Tabor shifted. Still crouched on the ground, he gaped at the scene, frozen, as though trapped in a nightmare he couldn’t wake from.
Beside him, Sasha lifted her snout skyward and howled. Tabor covered his ears to protect his eardrums from shattering as Sasha’s warning echoed over the land.
In the valley below, the vulhena came to a collective halt at the sound of Sasha’s howl. They all got onto two legs and screeched in reply.
Sasha howled again, ending her call with a snarl directed at the vulhena, which dropped to all fours and resumed their charge. It looked like a swarm of famished locusts moving much too quickly along the valley floor in their direction.
A symphony of howls rose up from various areas throughout the hollow, but they were too far to reach them in time.
Tabor wanted to speak to Sasha, to convince her to fall back until reinforcements arrived, but her wolf had turned manic, howling and snarling, fangs bared, hair standing straight up. A chill froze down Tabor’s spine. She looked rabid.
Sasha took off running along the edge of the bluff, heading for the trail down to the valley.
“Sasha!” Tabor screamed. His desperate plea only seemed to propel her forward.
There were too many vulhena. They would tear her apart, then Tabor, and after that they would kill every member of Wolf Hollow one by one. There wasn’t enough time for the pack to band together. The diabolical creatures would finish what they started three years before.
As tragic as those events would be, there was only one wolf who mattered at the moment. Tabor couldn’t lose Sasha.
The only possible way to catch up to her was to shift, but on four legs he wouldn’t be able to protect her from a horde of screeching vulhena.
They hadn’t reached the trail up the hill yet. There was still time.
Tabor got to his feet and lifted both arms into the air. His mind flipped to the journal page on knocking out bears. With every ounce of his being, he called upon the powers within himself, begging, demanding, pleading that it would be enough to incapacitate not one vulhena, but an entire horde.
“Ferus matangi. Ferus vonku. Na veigacagaca alle. Khob hostis cov lus no,” Tabor screamed, spreading his arms wide.
As the final word boomed across the valley, a vulhena stumbled and fell to the ground, unmoving, as though struck dead. The excitement that fluttered inside Tabor’s chest died when he saw the rest of the horde had not been affected by his spell.
There were too many vulhena and they were coming too fast for Tabor to take down one by one before they reached the bluff.
He looked down the bluff trail. Sasha had disappeared. Even the dust she’d kicked up had settled like ash over the earth.
No, Tabor thought. He couldn’t lose her. There was no life without Sasha.
He crouched into a sprint and took off down the trail. Ahead, the edge of the bluff curved into a pointed shelf shaped like an arrowhead. The trail continued straight, connecting along the bluff ahead. They usually kept away from the ledge where it jutted out into an unstable shelf eroding down the steep wall of the bluff.
Rather than skirt the precarious ledge, Tabor walked right up to the pointed edge and looked down. From this vantage, he could see where the trail from the bluff ended on the valley floor.
A ferocious gray wolf barreled down, skidding to a halt near the trail’s end. She snarled and held her ground, guarding the narrow trail.
Tabor’s heart constricted. He knew what Sasha meant to do. The vulhena would have to run single file up the steep trail’s narrow path. She would try and fight them one by one as they funneled into the trail.
His inner wolf howled to join her, but it was too late. Tabor had made his choice, and he feared it was the wrong one. He felt an insane urge to pitch himself over the edge of the bluff. It was the only way he could make it to her side in time, but he definitely wouldn’t be any help if all his bones were broken or he was dead.
The vulhena slowed as they approached the hill. They got to their feet and screeched as Sasha snarled. The first vulhena to return to all fours raced forward.
Energy zipped through Tabor’s veins and shot to his fingertips. He aimed his hands at the vulhena charging Sasha.
“Formella lavita,” he growled, calling forth the same spell he’d used to fling Zack onto his ass.
The vulhena flew backward, crashing into several of its pack mates. Unlike Zack’s friends, the rest of the creatures didn’t stand around gaping. Those that had been on their feet got onto all fours.
Two ran at Sasha.
Tabor sent them hurtling back the way they’d come.
At least this spell worked, but it was difficult to keep up with the onslaught of vulhena. He’d send one or two flying back and there’d be two more to take their places, running for the trail and Sasha.
One got through then screamed when Sasha tore into it. Her snarl sounded energized, as though she’d been handed a treat.
The ground trembled beneath his feet, rattling his rib cage and knocking everything else inside him loose like tumbling rocks in an avalanche.
Seeing even one vulhena near Sasha sent shock waves of fear and blinding outrage through him.
“Formella lavita. Formella lavita. Formella lavita,” Tabor cried until his voice became hoarse.
He pushed both hands outward, sending two vulhena flying through the air.
Howls from the hollow’s pack members were getting closer, but Tabor barely noticed them above the screeching below and his chanting above.
Five vulhena approached the trail at once, hissing as Sasha tore open the neck of the creature she’d attacked. Its blood dripped from her mouth. She snarled at the encroaching vulhena. The first one leapt forward and promptly flew back under Tabor’s command, but this time, the others jumped aside in time to avoid being knocked down as their companion zipped past.
He was still directing his energy at pushing the first vulhena away when the other four rushed at Sasha single file.
Tabor hurried to push them off with his magic. He tried all four at once, but only managed to knock one over on its side. It righted itself almost instantly.
Tabor bellowed in anguish and frustration, redirecting the spell at a single vulhena, the one waiting for a turn at Sasha as she fought the new leader. Tabor feared if he aimed at the one fighting her, he might accidently send Sasha hurtling into the middle of the angry horde.
He’d have to pick them off one by one before they had a chance to join in the fray.
Tabor pushed the vulhena off one at a time, but more ran forward to replace their companions. The ones Tabor threw off got back up and ran forward just as quickly. So much energy was going into getting them away from Sasha as fast as possible, he was having trouble throwing them far.
Sasha gave a yelp of pain. It was the most terrifying sound Tabor had ever heard.
The screeching increased. The damned creatures sounded excited.
As Tabor threw another vulhena off the trail, two more grabbed Sasha and dragged her into the valley at the base of the trail.
No.
Her back was still protected, but the vulhena could now attack Sasha from three sides. They sprinted forward, taking advantage of her sudden vulnerability. Sasha tossed off one of the vulhena that had helped drag her down the trail. She grabbed the second one by the neck and shook her head violently. The vulhena yelped and screamed, blood spraying over the valley floor.
But while Sasha shook the life out of one vulhena, the others closed in around her, slowing their steps now that they had her surrounded.
Formella lavita! Tabor didn’t know if he screamed it aloud or inside his head.
Formella! What if he replaced the word hostis with formella in his earlier spell?
Hostis referred to enemy, but what if it only worked on bears? Formella referred to shapes or forms. All Tabor knew is that the word definitely worked when sending vulhena flying back. Perhaps it would work if he used it in the spell intended to knock them unconscious.
Everything stopped, as though Tabor had put the whole world on pause. Maybe he had. All he knew was something big was building inside his chest, power that pushed away his fear and anguish. His wolf seemed to whimper and curl up inside him, submitting to the power coursing through Tabor’s body.
He was done playing tricks. It was time to unleash his true power.
Tabor stepped so close to the edge of the bluff, rocks rained down the side.
When he reached back inside himself for the incapacitation spell the words blazed across his mind, a fireball of energy and intention exploding inside his subconscious.
“Ferus matangi. Ferus vonku. Na veigacagaca alle. Khob formella cov lus no.”
He shoved his palms to the valley floor and spread his arms apart, sweeping them in front of the vulhena.
They didn’t screech or fly back. The creatures all went silent then fell to the ground . . . as did Sasha.
Tabor dropped his arms, ready to collapse as the energy left his body completely. He teetered and nearly stumbled over the edge, but rough hands pulled him back and dragged him roughly by the arm to the worn path behind.
Once on steady ground, the hands that had grabbed him let go. Tabor blinked several times, Raider coming into focus beside him. The shifter towered above him, jaw clenched tight enough to break teeth.
“Are they dead?” Raider demanded.
“Unconscious.” Tabor placed a hand to his head and groaned. His brain felt like someone had driven shards of broken glass into his skull.
“How long?” Raider asked.
Tabor closed his eyes and groaned, opening them again when Raider took him by both shoulders and shook him. The jerky movements increased the throbbing inside his head.
“How long?” Raider repeated.
“I don’t know. Sasha,” Tabor breathed. “We have to get Sasha out of there.”
Raider released Tabor’s shoulders and nodded. “I’ll get her.”
A snarl rose from Tabor’s lips, stopping Raider in his tracks.
Like hell he would. Tabor wasn’t going to stand back and nurse his pounding head while Raider swooped in at the last minute like some kind of conquering hero.
“I’ll see to my female,” Tabor growled, getting to his hands and knees to shift.
“I’ll come with you in case the vulhena awaken,” Raider said.
Raider could have at the vulhena, but he wasn’t touching Sasha. He wasted no more time on conversation. Tabor shifted and ran ahead. Unlike Tabor’s human body, his wolf was fully charged and flying down the hill.
Even though they were unconscious, the sight of the black, lanky, cat-like creatures made the hair on Tabor’s back prickle. He rushed to Sasha’s side, relieved to hear the soft beat of her heart when he lay his head against her throat.
Tabor shifted and ran his hand over Sasha’s fur. As he stroked her, tears filled his eyes. He blinked them away as Raider joined their side and shifted.
Howls overhead caught their attention. Tabor and Raider looked up to see four wolves looking over the edge at them. They pulled away from the ledge and ran along the bluff to the trail leading below.
They waited in silence for their pack mates to join them. Dust clouds rose as the wolves made their descent; once they reached the valley, they all shifted. Naturally one of them was Aden; the werewolf was always ready to join the fray whenever there was trouble. His patrol partner, Emerson, rose to her feet beside him, along with her sister Jordan, and Hudson.
“What happened here?” Emerson asked with a grimace. Her light blond hair tumbled down her shoulders to her waist.
“Tabor used his powers to knock the vulhena out, but it’s only temporary,” Raider said. “We need to kill them all before they have a chance to wake up.”
“What’s wrong with Sasha?” Jordan asked.
“She was knocked out too,” Raider answered.
“She’ll be fine once she wakes up,” Tabor growled, placing a protective hand on her soft head.
Jordan twisted her head from side to side, taking in all the black bodies strewn over the ground. Releasing a deep breath, she said, “We have to shift and finish the job.”
“I’m staying with Sasha,” Tabor said.
He wasn’t about to turn his back on her for a moment. He gathered her furry body into his arms and moved her away from the vulhena that had been inches from attacking. Carrying her wasn’t an easy feat, even though she only weighed roughly sixty pounds in her wolf form. The spells he’d performed had sucked out most of his energy, turning his limbs to rubber and making his legs feel as though they would buckle.
Once out of the way, his pack mates shifted and began the bloody task of ripping out the throats of every vulhena littering the ground. Despite the numbers, finishing them off didn’t take long with the vulhena incapable of fighting back.
A brief jumble of excited snarls and ripping flesh filled the valley floor. Tabor barely registered it from where he sat, stroking Sasha where he’d laid her down on a smooth patch of earth.
Her chest continued to rise and fall. Tabor held his hand in front of her snout, maybe not the wisest move, but the feel of her breath, warm and moist against his skin, brought him comfort.
While he waited for Sasha to wake up, the activity around him became a blur until five humans approached, naked and bloody. Streaks of red smeared their bodies like warpaint.
“She’s still asleep?” Raider asked, an edge to his voice.
“She’ll wake,” Tabor said. He cradled Sasha’s head in his lap, whispering, “It’s over. You’re safe. The hollow is safe. Wake, Sasha. Wake up.”
Wisely, the others kept their distance, speaking in their own low voices.
“What do we do with the bodies?” Emerson asked.
“There are too many to carry to the wasteland,” Aden said.
“We can’t just leave them here rotting in the valley stinking up the hollow during the next southernly wind.”
“We should burn them.”
“All these bodies?”
As the discussion continued, Sasha’s head jerked up. She scrambled to her feet, snarling. Everyone went quiet. Relief flooded Tabor as he stood up. Once she’d looked around and sniffed the air, Sasha shifted and took Tabor’s outstretched hand as he helped her to her feet.
She stared past the other shifters, her gaze taking in the dead vulhena. Sasha shook her head as though trying to clear it. “How did you kill them all? The last thing I remember is being surrounded.”
“Tabor saved you,” Raider said, his deep voice gaining everyone’s attention.
Sasha looked from Raider to Tabor, searching his eyes. “But how did you do . . . this?” she said, nodding at the bodies strewn around her. She took Tabor’s hand and gripped it tightly, turning her head so only he would see her mouth the word, “Magic?”
Before Tabor could answer, Raider spoke. “I saw Tabor cast a spell that knocked out all the vulhena, and you too, Sasha. If he hadn’t done it, they would have overtaken you before either of us could have reached you in time. Once they were unconscious the rest of us tore their throats out.”
“Good,” Sasha said, spitting out the word. “They were trying to get up the hill to the hollow.”
“Do you think this was the pack that killed our parents?” Hudson asked grimly.
“I hope so. I hope we slaughtered them all,” Jordan said, planting her hands on her hips. A line of blood trickled between her breasts.
Howls caught their attention. More pack members had arrived at the bluff.
Raider’s head lifted to look at them. He lowered his gaze and glanced around the small circle they’d formed on the valley floor. “Time to go back and let everyone know the hollow is safe,” he said. “The council will discuss what to do with the bodies.”
Raider dropped to the ground and shifted, followed by Emerson, Jordan, and Hudson. They took off at a run up the trail. Aden’s brows pulled together as he looked back at Tabor and Sasha.
“Do you need any help?” His words were spoken kindly, but his offer made Tabor’s nostrils flare.
“We’re fine,” he snarled.
Aden frowned. Hair sprouted over his body as he shifted into a werewolf. He still had a human look about him, especially when he stood on two feet and stared a moment longer in Sasha’s direction. Before Tabor could snarl at him again, Aden turned and walked on his hairy hind legs to the trail.
As soon as they were alone, Tabor yanked Sasha against his chest and squeezed her against him. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”
“You saved me,” Sasha murmured, her head resting over Tabor’s heart. “You saved the hollow.”
“I used magic,” Tabor said with a grimace. Somehow it felt like cheating. When he’d seen the vulhena go after Sasha he’d wanted to rip them apart with his bare hands, not stand safely out of reach waving his hands in the air.
“I don’t care how you did it,” Sasha murmured. “You saved us all.”