Page 16 of A Luna’s Dynasty (Celestial #1)

L ita saw anger and fear flash in his eyes as he stared at her. “I’ll get you back to the house first,” he said hurriedly.

“Asher, I can fight.”

“It’s too dangerous, Lita. You’re not marked yet. They could mistake you for a rogue.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You’re too important to me. I need you safe.” Asher ran a hand through his black hair, frustration etched across his face. He needed to defend his territory, but he needed to get Lita to safety first.

As Asher began to escort Lita down the path, she planted her heels in the ground. “I’ll go back on my own, Asher. Go! Your pack needs you! I’ll be fine.” She listened as he growled, closing his eyes.

“Caden, don’t let anything happen to her.”

"I've got her, Ash," Caden interrupted, his tone reassuring. "You know I'll protect her with my life."

Asher nodded sharply, then turned back to Lita. His eyes softened as he gazed at her, a mix of worry and affection in their silver depths. Without warning, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Lita's breath caught in her throat, warmth spreading from the point of contact. Before she could react, Asher stepped back, his body already beginning to shift.

In a blur of motion, Asher's human form melted away, replaced by the massive form of his silver wolf, Bo. Lita watched in awe as he shook out his fur, muscles rippling beneath the shimmering coat.

Bo's eyes, still Asher's piercing silver, locked onto Lita one last time. A low whine escaped him before he reluctantly turned and ran. With a powerful leap, he bounded into the forest.

Hubba hubba! Mira wolf whistled in Lita’s mind.

My mate is fiiiiine. Lita couldn’t help but agree as they watched their mate sprint away.

She wished she could fight by his side, but he was right.

In the chaos, without being connected to the pack, she could be attacked.

Still, she felt anxious about Asher fighting.

“I hope he’ll be okay,” she whispered absentmindedly.

“Asher is a beast, and his wolf Bo is a whole other monster. Bo is the most powerful wolf around. They’ll be fine, but we need to get you to safety. Otherwise, Bo will take it out on me.” Caden stepped closer to Lita as they both grew tense.

The scent hit them first. The strange smell of moss and decay. A moment later, they heard a twig snap behind them. The two whirled around to see several large wolves stalking them.

“They smell weird. What’s wrong with them?” Lita gasped. She’d never smelled anything like it. She had smelled rogues before, but this was different.

“There’s demon in their blood. That’s where the scent of decay is coming from.” Caden stepped in front of her, his body tense and ready for action. The demon wolves prowled forward, their movements slow and stalking. The stench of decay grew stronger, making Lita's eyes water.

One of the demon wolves lunged forward suddenly, snapping its jaws. Caden reacted instantly, pushing Lita behind him.

"Run!" he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Get back to the pack house. I'll hold them off."

"But—"

"No buts!" Caden's brown eyes flashed with determination. "Go, now!"

In a fluid motion, Caden's body began to shift. Fur sprouted across his skin as his form elongated and changed. Within seconds, a powerful brown wolf stood where the man had been.

The demon wolves attacked en masse, a writhing tangle of decaying fur and snapping teeth. Caden met them head-on, his powerful jaws clamping down on the nearest attacker.

We can't leave him . Mira's voice resonated in her mind, urgent and resolute.

We're not running away. If we do, Caden is dead. He was heavily outnumbered, and it was clear what the outcome would be. Help would not be able to arrive on time.

Lita closed her eyes, surrendering to the familiar pull of the shift. Her bones cracked and reshaped, muscles stretching and reforming as fur erupted across her skin. In mere moments, an enormous black wolf towered over where Lita once stood, her green eyes fixated on the battle.

Mira's massive form slammed into the nearest demon wolf, sending it flying off Caden with a yelp of surprise. Her jaws snapped shut on another's throat, the taste of decay filling her mouth as she shook her head violently.

Mira whirled, her claws raking across the face of another attacking demon wolf.

The creature howled in pain, its corrupted blood splattering against Mira's midnight fur.

She didn't hesitate, lunging forward to clamp her powerful jaws around its neck. With a sickening crunch, the demon wolf went limp in her grasp. She dropped the lifeless body, glancing up to check on Caden. He was holding his own, but more demon wolves were pouring in. This didn’t seem like a random attack.

A searing pain erupted across Mira's back, pulling a yelp from her throat. Teeth sank deep into her flesh, tearing through her muscles. She twisted, ignoring the agony as she spun to face her attacker.

The demon wolf's eyes widened in surprise as Mira's jaws clamped down on its throat. She felt the crunch of bone beneath her teeth, tasting the putrid blood as she shook her head violently. The creature went limp, and Mira tossed it aside with a growl of satisfaction.

Where is their leader? Lita asked, scanning over the wolves.

A massive wolf circled an exhausted Caden, its fur matted with blood and its eyes fixated on his throat.

Caden was exhausted. He gave the wolf a warning growl as he laid on the ground.

It was clear the wolf was preparing to kill him.

That’s their leader! Quick, he’s going to kill Caden!

Let’s end this, Mira growled, charging into him and knocking him to the side. He quickly jumped back to his feet and bared his teeth at her. The two wolves circled each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

With lightning speed, she darted forward, feinting to the left before pivoting sharply to the right. Her teeth grazed the demon wolf's flank, drawing a howl of rage from the creature.

The battle became a blur of snapping jaws and raking claws.

Mira danced around her larger opponent, using her agility to strike and retreat before the demon wolf could retaliate.

But the leader was cunning, its corrupted strength allowing it to shrug off blows that would have been fatal for any other wolf.

The demon wolf lunged for Mira’s throat, a move she was waiting for.

She pulled back just enough to quickly snap her jaws back at him.

Her teeth sank deep in his throat. The leader thrashed, its claws raking across Mira's side, but she held on with grim determination.

Mira's jaws tightened, her entire body trembling with the effort.

Finally, with a sickening crunch, the demon wolf's struggles ceased.

As its massive form collapsed to the ground, Mira staggered back, her sides heaving with exhaustion.

The remaining demon wolves, seeing their leader fall, let out mournful howls before melting back into the shadows of the forest.

Mira was panting heavily with exhaustion. Good job, Mira. We did it!

Of course we did. Was there really any doubt? Mira teased, turning her head to look at Caden. He was lying on the ground, and she quickly limped toward him, forgetting about her own injuries.

The chestnut wolf stirred, a low whine escaping his muzzle. Mira nuzzled her head against him, offering him support as he struggled to his feet.

A chorus of howls pierced the air. The Black Ice Pack was approaching, and fast. As the wolves burst into the clearing, their eyes wild with battle lust, Mira tensed up, ready to defend herself.

The pack wolves snarled, hackles raised as they advanced on Mira and Caden. Their eyes flickered between the fallen demon wolves and the unfamiliar black wolf standing over their injured Beta.

Caden, despite his wounds, lifted his head and let out a warning growl.

He stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Mira.

But it was the thunderous growl behind them that made the pack tuck their tails between their legs.

Their ears flattened as they bowed their heads to the massive silver wolf trotting past them.

The wolf's eyes, a mirror of Asher's human form, swept across the scene with calculated precision. His gaze lingered on the corpses of the demon wolves, a flicker of surprise and approval crossing his features. As his eyes landed on Mira, they softened with concern.

Lita felt a surge of warmth as Asher padded toward her, his tail swaying gently. He approached, pressing his forehead against hers in a gesture that spoke volumes.

Turning to the pack, Asher let out a series of sharp barks. The wolves' ears perked up, attentive to their alpha's command. With a flick of his tail, he directed them toward the forest where the remaining demon wolves had fled.

Go! Hunt them down! he growled as the pack moved as one, disappearing in the direction the demon wolves had fled.

He turned back to look at Caden and Lita.

Caden’s wounds were healing nicely, but he noticed the blood still dripping from Lita’s wounds.

Something was definitely wrong, because she wasn’t healing.