Perfect Mate (A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance #2)(19)

He turned back to the leader. Jordan and the female seemed equally matched on the other side of the clearing. They were both being cautious; a good thing. It was good for the fight to take more time, now that their group outnumbered the other pack. Damien did not want to see Jordan hurt.

The leader backed up, his haunches to the bonfire. Dee and Damien circled around on opposite sides, closing in on him in the middle. Damien knew that attacking from two sides was always more than twice as effective, and Dee seemed to have the same idea. But with the fire so close, they could not get near him without the risk of being thrown in if he were to shove them aside. Jordan and the female clashed again, rolling toward the trees, and Damien knew that they must act soon to finish the fight. Dee tensed, and Damien moved in just a microsecond after she did. Trax spun to face Damien just as he moved in for a blow.

Suddenly, the heat of the bonfire dropped to almost nothing.

Damien was already in the middle of the motion and did not stop. He jumped forward and tore into Trax's hind leg with his teeth. The leader kicked out with his leg and shook Damien off, but the damage was done. Damien could hear his leg dragging as he spun toward Dee. He heard another snarl as Dee moved in and tried to snap at Trax's throat, darting back out after missing. She was too far away, entirely too far to do any damage. Was something wrong with her senses?

Then he realized that the bonfire had been covered with something to block out the light. It was his chance. He jumped forward again and landed on top of the leader. Quickly, he bit down on the scruff of Trax's neck. He tore at the wolf's back with his hind claws, slicing into his muscle. Trax reared back and howled. Dee lunged forward and bit at his underbelly. With one leg, Trax lashed out and caught her with his claws. Damien heard the flesh rip but held on with his teeth for dear life.

The scent of blood was overpowering, and Damien did not even smell the other wolves coming until they had already emerged from the trees. He heard Julia gasp, and the scent hit his nostrils all at once.

Kyle and Katherine.

Just at that moment, the leader whipped his body sideways, flinging Damien away. He flew across the clearing and hit a tree trunk. He slid to the ground, gasping for air. The breath was gone from his body. For a moment, when sound and air left the world, he thought that he was dead. How would he know? He might already be dead. Then the scents of blood and wolves came rushing into his nose, and he drew a ragged breath. He struggled to his feet, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

Damien shook his head but could not get his bearings. There were yelps echoing off of the cabin and the trees around him. His balance was thrown off by the ringing in his ears.

He gasped and breathed in the night air but there was not enough oxygen in it. He took a step forward, shaking on his leg. Under his paw he could not even feel the ground. The air grew warmer and Damien's ears began to separate out the sounds. He was turned around.

Turning back, he heard the leader's growl, the agonized squeal of Dee in pain. He lurched towards the sound. If he could only get one bite in, he would hold on for dear life. He would tear Trax's throat out. He would save Dee.

Then Kyle and Katherine's snarls sounded loudly in his ears. He stumbled, the tendon in his leg torn. He let out a yelp as he struggled to get up, but he could not walk.

"Take me," he whispered, but his words were lost in the sounds of the howling fight. "Take me instead."

His muscles gave, and he fell forward in surrender.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Julia watched in horror as the two people she loved most battled against the other wolves. Trax and his pack members seemed so strong, so much bigger, but as she watched, Damien won his struggle against the other wolf. Her heart leapt with hope as he turned to join Dee in the fight. The other wolf that he had injured lay bloody, his breaths shallow, just near Julia.

But she—she was a wolf too. She could shift. With a start, Julia realized that she would be able to fight if she’d just…

Just what? How do you change into wolf form? She focused her attention on her body and willed with all her might to shift. She imagined herself as a wolf, her hands growing claws.

Nothing. She couldn’t do it.

With every lunge as Damien and Dee fought the leader, Julia's breath was held. Trax's teeth gleamed razor sharp, and he snapped his jaws so closely to Dee that she could not believe her grandmother was able to retreat at every try. Damien pushed forward, but every one of his attack was parried with a swipe of the leader's claws. With his strength and size, Trax had just enough of an advantage to keep them at bay. Jordan and the female wolf were rolling in combat, and Julia felt herself torn with the desire to help. She had to do something to help Dee. To help Damien.

Julia looked at the bonfire, and before the idea was even fully formed in her mind, she was rising and letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. She whipped it around as she took the few steps toward the bonfire. It was searingly hot but she didn't care. She flung the blanket across the flames and immediately the clearing was thrust into darkness.

Julia backed away to the cabin, listening to the growls and bites, the snaps, scared to be caught in the middle of the fray. Jordan and the woman slammed into the wall of the cabin next to her and she shied away from them. Her eyes adjusted to the dimness and saw Damien coming in for a jump, landing on top of Trax.

Only a few seconds passed before the blanket caught fire and then there was light again, brighter than before. The leader tore Damien off of his back. Julia screamed as she saw her grandmother's neck torn by Trax's claw. Then his body twisted and he tossed Damien as easily as if he were a puppy, across the clearing and into a tree. Julia felt her heart stop as she heard the loud crack of his body against the trunk of the tree. She stepped forward to go to him but then her grandmother struggled up again and Julia froze, unable to tear her eyes away from Dee.