Chapter 65

Ruby

I lunge for Edith, knocking into her with my teeth bared. She must not have been expecting me to attack her so quickly, because she skids across the marble floor with a yelp from my impact.

While she’s on the ground, I take it as an opportunity to dodge around her and run away.

She jumps up just as I’m passing by and jumps onto my back, pinning me to the floor. My throat presses into the floor, practically choking me.

“You’re so stupid for coming back, and even more stupid for trying to fight me,” she says with a haughty chuckle.

I growl in response and struggle against her weight. Somehow, I manage to wriggle free and bolt down the corridor.

“Where are you going, little pup?” Edith coos as she chases after me. She sprints ahead and cuts me off from going further, her lips pulled back in a snarl. I feel as though I am her prey and she’s stalking me.

The fighting between the Lycans and the Bears downstairs fills my ears with growls and yelps. Outside, another gun goes off, followed by the sound of a Bear groaning as it takes a hit.

I keep my red eyes fixed on Edith as she circles me.

She jumps for me again, but I’m expecting it this time and leap out of the way, using my powerful hind legs to leap over her and land behind her in a low stance. Before she has a chance to turn around, I snap my sharp teeth at her tail and catch it in my mouth, pulling away with a loud rip. Fur and blood fills my mouth as Edith cries out in pain. I’ve ripped off half of her tail, leaving a bloodied stump in its wake.

Edith staggers and nearly falls to the floor, but pushes herself back up and turns toward me.

“You’re gonna regret that, you bitch,” she snarls. I spit out the chunk of her tail that I’ve ripped off and dodge her attack once again, this time bolting down the hallway.

Ahead of us, a Bear and a Lycan are battling. I use it to my advantage and weave around them, putting them between Edith and myself as I make for the only place I can think of: the library.

I slam my body into the door, completely throwing it off its hinges, then run into the room and look around frantically for some sort of advantage. I can hear Edith approaching, so I have to think quickly. The balcony catches my eye and I leap up the stairs, crouching down behind the solid railing in the hopes that she won’t see me and will go look somewhere else.

“I can smell you, little pup,” she says as she enters the room. I lay my ears flat against my head and hold my breath. My heart is racing a mile a minute and I’m too afraid to take the chance and look over the railing.

The sound of a bookshelf toppling fills the room, followed by another as Edith stalks the library looking for me.

The open door catches my peripheral. I might be able to make it while she’s distracted…

I start to slowly, silently crawl across the balcony toward the stairs. Edith continues to topple bookshelves as she hunts for me.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” she says in a condescending tone.

My leg catches the edge of a pile of books.

Shit, I think to myself as the books topple over, echoing through the room.

Edith’s prowling stops. I can hear her sniff the air, and almost feel as though I can hear her ears perk up at the sound of the books falling.

“Hmm, I wonder where Ruby could be,” she says, her voice coming closer. I slide away from the stairs, still keeping low, and back up against the far side of the balcony to get as far away as possible.

Her ears pop into view as she climbs the stairs. Then her eyes, which lock onto me instantly.

For what feels like an eternity, we stare at each other. Her black eyes are filled with amusement.

I stand back up to face her, glancing over the balcony. It’s too high up; I don’t think I would make it without injuring myself if I jumped.

What happens next happens so quickly that it’s nothing but a blur.

Edit pounces for me, throwing me onto my back. She pins me down, snapping for my throat with her sharp teeth. I get my back feet under her and kick as hard as I can.

She goes flying over the edge of the balcony, landing on the library floor with a loud thud and a yelp before going silent.

I don’t take the time to check to see what’s happened to her. I bolt down the stairs and out the door. The Bear and Lycan are no longer fighting; there is a Bear corpse now where they once grappled. The castle has grown quiet.

I run down the hallway toward my room, where I saw Atwood in my vision.

Just like in my vision, there he stands, surrounded by three Bears. He looks weak and tired, but continues to fight as hard as they can. He growls loudly, swiping at the Bears with his claws as he stands over the injured body of another Lycan. The Bears circle closer…

“Hey!” I growl. The Bears all turn to look at me in unison. Atwood and his injured pack member, who I now recognize as Noah, lift their heads to look at me as well, and while the Bears are turned toward me, he helps Noah stand.

Three Lycans, and three Bears.

“Should we have a little snack before the main course?” one of the Bears says. They start to approach me.

“Ruby, run,” Atwood says using our mindlink.

I stand my ground, hackles raised and teeth bared.

“She’s got blood on her muzzle,” another one of the Bears says as they approach me. “How cute.”

Behind them, Atwood and Noah stalk forward, preparing to pounce.

“If you want me,” I say, “come and get me.”

The Bears lunge for me, but I’m too quick. I dodge their attack and circle around them like a flash, aligning myself with Atwood and Noah.

Atwood looks at me with a glint in his orange eyes. I come close to him, rubbing my body up against him. As I do so, he grows visibly stronger.

The Bears come for us again, but the three of us together are far quicker and far stronger. Together we take out the Bears in a flurry of teeth and claws, leaving all but one. I’m just about to kill him by biting into his throat in the same way I killed the Bear in the forest the first night I shifted, but Atwood stops me.

“No,” he says, shifting back into his human form. “We’ll keep him for questioning.”

I continue to hold the Bear down while the medics come to inject him with a potion that will force him back into his human form.

Once the Bear shifts, he’s suddenly far less scary. He’s a boy, no older than me.

Are the Bears recruiting teenagers to fight their war?

“Take him to a cell,” Atwood stays. He staggers as he stands. I’m still in my wolf form and go to him, allowing him to lean my body on me. He digs his fingers into my fur. I look over to see blood seeping through his ripped shirt from his stomach and he groans, leaning his weight further into me.

I shift back into my human form, barely able to catch him in time as he falls.

“Help!” I shout, which causes the medics to turn around and rush to his side.

They whisk Atwood away to the infirmary. Even in his semi-conscious state, his hand reaches for me as they carry him away.