Page 9 of Hitched to the Wendigo (Monster Matchmaking #1)

CHAPTER NINE

Eryx

I roared in fury as I hurled another rival wendigo off the glacier's edge, watching his form disappear into the misty abyss below. The battle raged around me, a cacophony of snarls, screams, and the sickening crunch of bone meeting ice. This was no mere skirmish. It was an all-out war for our territory, our way of life.

My chest heaved with exertion, blood from many gashes staining my ash-gray skin. But I couldn't stop, not now. Not when everything we'd fought for hung in the balance.

A familiar scent caught my attention, cutting through the metallic tang of blood and the crisp mountain air. Sakira. My mate was nearby, and my protective instincts surged to the forefront.

I whirled around, scanning the chaotic battlefield. There she was, her auburn hair a beacon amidst the sea of gray and white. She was running towards me, dodging between combatants with a grace that never ceased to amaze me.

"Eryx!" she shouted as she drew near, her green eyes wide with urgency. "It's a trap! They're planning to ambush you near the crevasse!"

My eyes narrowed as I processed this information. Of course. The narrow pass between two deep crevasses would be the perfect place for an ambush. I had been about to lead a charge through that very area.

"How did you-" I began, but Sakira cut me off.

"No time to explain," she panted, her small hand gripping my arm with surprising strength. "We need to warn the others."

I nodded, my tactical mind already whirring with possibilities. "Lyra!" I bellowed, my voice carrying over the din of battle. My second-in-command appeared at my side in an instant, her own form battered but unbowed.

"Change of plans," I growled, quickly outlining what Sakira had told me. Lyra's eyes widened, then narrowed with determination.

"I'll redirect our forces," she said, disappearing back into the fray before I could respond.

I turned back to Sakira, a mixture of pride and concern warring within me. "You shouldn't be here," I rumbled, even as I marveled at her bravery. "It's too dangerous."

She met my gaze unflinchingly, a fire in her eyes that matched my own. "I'm exactly where I need to be," she said firmly. "Besides, I have a plan."

As Sakira quickly outlined her idea, I grinned despite the gravity of our situation. My clever, resourceful mate never ceased to amaze me.

"It's risky," I said when she finished, "but it just might work."

We set our plan in motion, using the very terrain our enemies had hoped to use against us. Sakira's knowledge of the local flora proved invaluable as we quickly gathered the materials.

I watched in awe as she worked, her hands deft and sure as she mixed herbs and minerals into a potent concoction. This was a side of her I rarely got to see. The healer, the alchemist, using her skills not to mend but to defend.

As the sounds of battle drew nearer, signaling the approach of the ambush party, we took our positions. Sakira crouched behind a large ice formation, her green eyes meeting mine one last time before she ducked out of sight. I steeled myself, pushing down the urge to grab her and run. She was my partner in this, not some helpless damsel to be protected.

The first of the enemy wendigos appeared at the mouth of the pass, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust and triumph. They thought they had me cornered, outnumbered. They were about to learn how wrong they were.

I let out a deafening roar, channeling all my rage and power into the sound. The very ice beneath our feet trembled, and several of the smaller icicles hanging from the cavern ceiling shattered and fell.

The enemy wendigos hesitated for just a moment, surprised by the ferocity of my challenge. It was all the opening we needed.

"Now, Sakira!" I shouted.

From her hidden position, Sakira lobbed several small, tightly wrapped packages into the midst of the enemy group. They burst on impact, releasing a cloud of finely ground herbs and minerals.

The effect was instantaneous as the wendigos closest to the blast staggered, coughing, and rubbing at their eyes. The powder Sakira had concocted was harmless to humans, but to wendigos with our enhanced senses, it was like being hit with a wall of fire and acid.

I didn't waste a second. Charging forward, I plowed into the disoriented group, my claws and teeth finding flesh with brutal efficiency. Behind me, I heard the war cries of my own warriors as they poured into the pass, taking advantage of the chaos.

The battle became a blur of motion and violence. I lost myself in the primal rhythm of combat, my wendigo nature surging to the forefront. But even amid the bloodlust, I remained aware of Sakira's presence. Her scent, her heartbeat, anchored me, keeping me from losing myself entirely to the beast within.

As I grappled with a large rival, I caught glimpses of Sakira darting in and out of the fray. She wielded a makeshift spear with surprising skill, using it to keep enemies at bay or to deliver quick, precise strikes to vulnerable points.

Worry gnawed at my gut. My mate was proving herself a true warrior, but every moment she spent on this battlefield was a moment she was in danger.

A pained cry snapped my attention back to the fight at hand. The wendigo I was battling had taken advantage of my momentary distraction, his claws raking across my chest. I roared in pain and fury, redoubling my efforts.

With a surge of strength, I lifted my opponent bodily and hurled him against the icy wall of the pass. The impact shook loose a cascade of snow and ice from above, partially burying him.

As he struggled to free himself, I pressed my advantage. My hands found his throat, squeezing with all my might. I watched the life drain from his eyes, feeling a grim satisfaction as his struggles weakened and finally ceased .

I turned, ready to face the next challenger, only to find the pass oddly quiet. The sounds of battle had faded, replaced by the groans of the wounded and the harsh breathing of the survivors.

We had won.

I scanned the battlefield, my heart racing as I searched for Sakira. There - a flash of auburn hair amidst a group of our warriors. She was kneeling beside a wounded wendigo, her hands moving swiftly as she applied a field dressing.

Relief flooded through me, so intense it made me dizzy. Or perhaps that was just blood loss. Either way, I moved towards her as if drawn by an invisible thread.

Sakira looked up as I approached, her face breaking into a radiant smile despite the blood and grime that streaked her cheeks. "Eryx," she breathed, rising to meet me.

I swept her into my arms, uncaring of our audience. "You're alive," I rumbled, burying my face in her hair and inhaling deeply. Her scent, mixed with the sharp tang of battle, filled my senses.

"Of course I am," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "I had you watching my back, didn't I?"

I pulled back slightly, cupping her face in my hands. "You were incredible," I said softly. "I've never seen anyone fight like that, human or wendigo."

Sakira's cheeks flushed at the praise, but her eyes remained steady. "We did it together," she said. "Just like we said we would."

The truth of her words struck me like a physical blow. This victory wasn't just mine, or even just our tribe's. It was ours, Sakira's and mine. Human and wendigo, working in perfect harmony.

As if reading my thoughts, Sakira stretched up on her tiptoes, pressing a fierce kiss to my lips. I returned it with equal passion, pouring all my love and pride and relief into the gesture.

A throat clearing nearby reminded me we weren't alone. I turned, keeping one arm wrapped possessively around Sakira, to find Lyra standing there, a knowing smirk on her face.

"If you two are quite finished," she said dryly, "we have wounded to tend to and prisoners to deal with."

I nodded, straightening to my full height. There would be time for private celebrations later. For now, there was work to be done.

"Gather the wounded," I ordered, my voice carrying across the pass. "Sakira, we'll need your healing skills. Lyra, take a team and secure any survivors from the enemy force. We'll decide their fate once our people are taken care of."

As our warriors sprang into action, I felt a swell of pride. This victory had cost us, but we had emerged stronger for it. And more importantly, we had proven that humans and wendigos could not only coexist but thrive together.

The next few hours passed in a blur of activity. Sakira worked tirelessly, moving from one injured wendigo to another, her hands sure and gentle as she applied poultices and bound wounds. I found myself in awe of her stamina and compassion, the way she cared for my people as if they were her own.

I finally took a moment to breathe. We tended the wounded, honored the dead, and secured the prisoners. Now, as I stood at the edge of our territory, looking out over the vast expanse of ice and snow, leadership settled heavily on my shoulders.

Soft footsteps behind me announced Sakira's approach. I didn't turn, but I felt some of the tension leave my body as she slipped her small hand into mine .

"This victory will change things. The other tribes will see that our way brings strength, not weakness."

Sakira nodded, her expression thoughtful. "But there will still be those who resist," she said, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at me. "Both wendigo and human."

"Yes," I agreed, my voice grave. "Which is why we need to be prepared."

I turned to face her fully, marveling once again at the strength and determination I saw in her eyes. This human woman, so different from me in so many ways, had become my rock, my anchor in the storm of change that swirled around us.

"Sakira," I said, my voice low and intense. "There's something I need to show you. Something I should have shared with you long ago."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, but she nodded, her trust in me evident. "Lead the way," she said simply.

I guided her back through our territory, past the makeshift infirmary where the last of the wounded were being tended to, and into the network of caves that served as our home. We wound our way through familiar passages until we reached a small, hidden chamber that few knew existed.

Sakira's eyes widened as I pressed my hand against a seemingly solid wall, revealing a secret compartment. From within, I withdrew a small, ornate box.

"This," I said, holding the box out to her, "contains information that could change everything. Plans for resistance, for building bridges between our peoples. It's dangerous knowledge, Sakira. That's why I've kept it hidden."

With trembling hands, she took the box from me. As she opened it, her eyes widened in shock. Inside were scrolls covered in unfamiliar script, maps marked with strange symbols, and what looked like detailed plans for some kind of meeting or gathering.

"What is all this?" she breathed, looking up at me in awe.

I sat down heavily on a nearby outcropping of rock, wincing as the movement pulled at my wounds. "It's hope," I said simply. "Hope for a future where humans and wendigos can coexist in peace. A network of like-minded individuals from both our peoples, working in secret to bring about change."

Sakira stared at the contents of the box, her mind clearly reeling with the implications. "This is exactly what Kai hinted at," she said softly. "An underground movement working towards peace. And you knew about it all along?"

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt at the hurt in her voice. "I wanted to protect you," I said, reaching out to take her hand. "The fewer people who know about this, the safer it is. But after today, after seeing you fight alongside us, I realized that keeping you in the dark was doing more harm than good. You deserve to know, Sakira. You're a part of this now, just as much as I am."

She nodded, understanding even as I could see the sting of my secrecy in her eyes. But as she looked back at the contents of the box, I saw excitement bubbling up within her.

"So what do we do now?" she asked, meeting my gaze with determination.

I smiled, feeling a fierce pride in my mate's courage and resolve. "Now," I said, "we start planning for the real fight ahead. Are you ready?"

"Yes," she said, her voice strong and sure. "I'm ready. Let's change the world."

As we sat there in that hidden chamber, poring over the secret plans and discussing strategies late into the night, I felt a sense of hope and purpose unlike anything I'd experienced before. The battle we'd just won was only the beginning. The real challenge lay ahead - bridging the gap between our peoples, overcoming centuries of fear and mistrust.

But with Sakira by my side, I felt invincible. We had faced death together on the battlefield, trusting each other with our lives. Now, we would face an even greater challenge, armed with nothing but our love, our determination, and the hope in that small, ornate box.