Chapter#18

Selene’s POV

Before I could move or speak, Varian surged forward, pushing me back as he knelt to the ground. His fingers pressed into the damp soil near the stream. His nose took a deliberate sniff of the water droplets I’d left behind.

My heart raced, pounding against my ribs, as his head snapped up. His gaze locked onto mine. “What were you doing here?” he demanded.

I forced calm into my voice, though my nerves trembled beneath the surface. “I… I thought I saw someone,” I stammered, “When I came to check, no one was here.”

Varian’s expression hardened, “Damn it.” He straightened as his massive frame towered over me. The sweat on his scarred chest glistened in the faint moonlight filtering through the valley’s jagged cliffs.

“Is everything alright?” I asked.

He let out a long exhale. “It was my mate.”

Before I could respond, another voice cut through the quiet. Liam. Varian’s jaw clenched as his sharp eyes darted toward the sound, and without a moment’s hesitation, we sprinted toward it. We reached a small clearing and stopped dead in our tracks.

A pack of shadow beasts stood in the darkness. They were unlike anything I’d faced. Their otherworldly speed made them nearly impossible to track.

“Stay close to me,” Varian commanded, his sword already drawn. His blue eyes were sharp with focus as he positioned himself between me and the beasts.

Liam stumbled into view. Every step was a struggle, and I knew he wouldn’t last much longer. I darted to his side, gripping his arm to steady him, “Liam, you need to stay back.”

Before I could react, a shadow beast lunged from the trees. I braced myself, but Varian was already there, faster than I thought possible. His sword cut through the beast in a single, fluid motion. It let out a bone-chilling shriek, dissolving into a dark mist.

“Focus, Kaelen!” Varian’s voice cut through the chaos just as another beast shot toward me. Instinct took over. I raised my sword as the force of the impact jolted through my arms, nearly knocking the blade from my grip. The beast snarled. Its movements were fluid as it circled me, looking for an opening.

“They’re too quick!” I shouted. My arms trembled as I swung again.

“We’ll find a way,” Varian growled, moving with deadly precision, placing himself between Liam and the beasts. Another creature lunged at him, but he cut it down before it could reach us.

The fight devolved into chaos. Sweat dropped down my face. My arms burned with effort as I swung my sword again and again. Varian and I worked in tandem to fend off the pack. Liam crouched behind us, too weak to fight. For every beast we cut down, two more seemed to take its place. Their snarls filled the air. Then, as my gaze darted to Liam, it hit me: the metallic scent of his blood, the way the beasts kept targeting him, their red eyes drawn to him like moths to a flame.

“Blood!” I yelled in a hoarse tone, “Liam is losing blood. I think these beasts are attracted to it because they keep targeting him!”

“Kaelen, behind you!” Varian’s voice rang out. I spun on my heel, just in time to see another shadow beast lunging for me. My heart slammed against my ribs as I raised my sword.

And then everything went black.

Caden’s POV

It was Selene, crumpled under the massive shadow beast. Rowan didn’t hesitate. His sword sliced clean through the beast’s head in a single, brutal swing. The creature let out a final shriek before collapsing, lifeless, onto the ground.

Rowan dropped his weapon, the metal clattering on the rocks, and knelt beside her, shoving the beast’s carcass away as if it weighed nothing. He gathered Selene in his arms, “Wake up!” he called as he rubbed her hand.

I barely had a moment to process the scene before my gaze shifted to Varian, surrounded by shadow beasts prowling in a tight circle. Liam was huddled behind him, pale and struggling to stay upright.

Varian fought like a man possessed, but even he couldn’t hold them off forever. For some reason, the beasts’ numbers kept growing.

Gripping my sword tightly, I rushed to his side, slashing at a beast that dared come too close. “Caden!” Varian barked, “Take care of Liam. Stop the bleeding before more of these things show up!”

I hesitated for a fraction of a second. My eyes flicked to Selene, but Rowan was already there, carrying her toward us, “We’ll hold them off,” he said, “Just do what you need to do.”

Nodding, I sheathed my sword and dropped to my knees beside Liam. The scent of his blood pinched my nose. The wound on his side was still oozing steadily. The makeshift dressing, which I could tell Selene had applied earlier, was not enough to stop the bleeding completely.

I opened my pack. My hands moved quickly as I retrieved a salve and clean bandages. I always carried my supplies. Thank the gods for that. Peeling back the makeshift dressing, I frowned, “Hold still,” I said firmly, though Liam barely seemed aware as he nodded faintly.

I worked fast, cleaning the wound with the salve. I applied a thicker layer of healing balm to the worst parts. The bleeding slowed almost immediately as the herbs did their job. Wrapping it tightly, I secured the bandage, ensuring it wouldn’t slip.

“Done,” I muttered, glancing up just in time to see Rowan and Varian standing back-to-back.

“Get him out of here!” Varian shouted over his shoulder as his sword swung in a wide arc to fend off another attacker.

I looked at Liam. His pale face was set with stubborn determination despite his condition. His hand weakly gripped his sword. “Not… leaving,” he rasped, forcing himself to his feet, swinging his blade once before his strength gave out.

Selene moved quickly, catching him under his shoulder before he hit the ground, “Don’t fight, Liam,” she said firmly, “You’ll only make it worse.”

“She’s right,” I added, kneeling beside them, “The salve needs time to set and hold. Don’t push yourself.”

Reluctantly, Liam allowed us to ease him back down, sitting against a nearby rock. I glanced at Selene, noting the way her hands trembled, “You should stay with him,” I firmly said.

“But I…” she began, but I cut her off, “Stay with Liam!” I barked. For a moment, she looked ready to protest, but then she nodded, settling beside Liam, steadying him as he leaned against her.

Satisfied, I rose to my feet, gripping my sword tightly, and moved to join Varian and Rowan, who were still fighting off the last of the beasts. Together, we moved as one, cutting down the shadow beasts one by one. Before long, the clearing fell silent, the last beast crumbled to the ground. Their remains were scattered into furry heaps around us.

Breathing hard, I leaned on my sword for a moment, scanning the area. There was no sign of movement; the threat was gone, for now. “We did it,” Rowan muttered, wiping blood and sweat from his brow.

Varian gave a short nod, “For now,” he said, echoing my thoughts.

I turned back to Selene and Liam, still where I’d left them. Selene murmured something to him as she checked his bandages. “We need to move,” I said, “The endpoint isn’t far from here.”