Chapter 56

Blade’s shoulders slumped with helplessness and grief. He knew Jake for a long time. He’d been a strong man and a skilled warrior. Few could cross paths with him and manage to do so much damage.

His gasping words echoed through Blade’s mind.

Vampire, he’d gasped, choking on his blood as he collapsed in the foyer. D-Droves of them. Sharp Armor. Help!

He didn’t know how much was left of Sharp Armor to save given Jake’s state when he arrived. It didn’t seem that Jake had been bitten, but the jagged gashed through his chest spoke to the danger they faced. It had been at least two decades since any werewolf had faced a vampire. From what he remembered of the stories, it was a lot different than facing a rogue.

Would Arthur’s strength be enough for them to come out victorious? Would any of their strength be enough?

“He’s gone,” Blade said softly, pulling his bloody hands away from the man’s body before crossing the man’s arms over his chest gently with a little murmur of a prayer. Arthur approached and looked down at the man. He looked troubled in death.

The lingering scent, a faint burning smell, wafted into the air and burned his nose as it had in the forest on the way back from Brown Valley. He looked back at Daphne who lifted her gaze to meet his in shock.

“Prepare a group to head to Sharp Armor,” Arthur said and looked at Daphne, “Get medical supplies and anything else we might need.”

Daphne nodded and turned to hurry off. He helped get the carts and horses ready to transport the supplies and within half an hour, they were ready to go. He shifted into his wolf form as Daphne hurried to catch up with them.

“I’m coming with you,” she said. Her eyes were filled with determination. “Sharp Armor was my home too.”

Arthur wanted to protest, but he nodded stiffly. It seemed nearly every time he left Daphne behind she ended up in danger. She climbed onto his back and they headed towards Sharp Armor. They were about halfway there when Blade stopped mid-step and Arthur wrinkled his nose at the lingering scent, just like those creatures who had attacked him and Daphne on the way back from Brown Valley.

“What is it, Arthur?”

“Something is out there…”

They listened, scanning the area around them, listening and watching for even the smallest disturbance. Arthur shifted closer to the cart and lowered himself for cover, squinting into the quiet of the forest. It was unnervingly quiet as if even the frogs and birds knew something dangerous was nearby. It was an eerie quiet like crossing the boundary into the vampire’s old territory. Daphne tried to slow her breathing as the sense of being hunted and watched grew stronger. She felt something growing closer, narrowing in like a rope closing around them.

“Maybe it was—”

Blade jumped aside as a figure leaped out of the bushes, narrowly missing him. Several others came out of the darkness rushing towards him with little more than a hiss between their teeth: pale, fanged teeth, and glaring at them. Their attention darted around the group before narrowing on Arthur and Daphne.

Daphne let out a fearful whimper and Arthur tensed, letting out a roar that shook the air and echoed. The wolves with them turned sharply to engage the group as Arthur kneeled.

“Stay hidden under the cart,” Arthur growled.

Daphne slid off quickly and scrambled back to slip under the cart and hide. The group of creatures moved quickly, attacking and evading with eerie ease. The werewolves circled each other to defend themselves, but Daphne could tell they were losing and more of them were coming out of the darkness.

She watched in terror as Arthur led them to fight, trading blows with the vicious figures who seemed more resilient than any werewolf they had ever fought.

Something cold wrapped around her ankle and she shrieked as it pulled her back. She held on to the edge of the cart and looked back to see a pale man pulling her back roughly.

Daphne shrieked, kicking at the man’s face as he pulled. He dodged one strike, but she caught him in the face with the next.

It struck her as odd as he grabbed her other ankle with a snarl and pulled firmly. His grip was unyielding, but it didn’t hurt at all. His gaze didn’t feel malicious, just determined.

She cried out in and twisted as her hands slipped and scrambled to grab the railing of the cart. He released her legs and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Arthur leaped over a woman and landed on top of another man before he flew through the air over the cart, growling at the man. The man sneered and hissed, swiping at Arthur with a vicious growl. He released Daphne long enough for her to crawl into the cart away from them. Arthur shoved the man into the cart, shaking the cart and tumbling Daphne off. She cried out as wood broke and cut her arm. She hissed as she landed and froze as the creatures all looked at her.

“Daphne, run!” Blade called, taking the opportunity to pounce on one of the creatures.

She cast her gaze around, searching for a path to escape, but there was no way she would be able to outrun the creatures.

Arthur let out another roar that sent a shudder through the air. A wolf howled in the distance and Daphne gasped at the points of red light rushing towards them.

She hadn’t thought about it before, but was Arthur calling rogues to help them? The creatures hissed and turned, taking on the oncoming rogues. Daphne took the chance to rip her skirt and wrap a rough bandage around her arm before scrambling onto the cart and climbing onto the horse. She pulled on the reins roughly and urged the horse to run.

The cart rattled behind her, bumping and jumping as they rushed down the road towards Sharp Armor. Footsteps followed her. She cast her gaze back. The creatures ran after her, gaining on her at an alarming speed. Another roar sounded through the air and the wolves howled.

“After them!” Arthur ordered. “Protect the cart and kill them all.”

He ran after them, quickly overtaking several rogues. The rest of the werewolves from the castle followed with a battle cry. He pushed ahead leaping to pounce on one of the creatures and tearing his head off. The taste of his blood burned his mouth, but he ignored it and continued after the cart.

One of the creatures climbed onto the cart and approached Daphne, trying to grab her and pull her from the saddle.

The cart veered as she shrieked, trying to throw the man off. He grunted, clinging to her as she shoved at his arms. The horse neighed and shifted sharply to the left to evade a tree and the man went flying into the brush. She shoved her hair out of her face and urged the horses to run faster, casting a glance back.

They were close, but the rogues were closer. Arthur was heading up the rear. In the distance, she saw other werewolves fighting with the creatures. There weren’t many of the creatures left, but there were enough to be a problem.

If Arthur had such a hard time with them and Sharp Armor had just been attacked, they would have no chance to

She couldn’t lead them to Sharp Armor, but what else could she do?

The path veered left. The sign was worn with age and barely standing, but at the least, it would buy them some time. She turned the horse guiding it down the other path.

Arthur watched Daphne go left and glanced into the forest. She was leading them away from Sharp Armor, but if he remembered, the path curved enough that it would be faster to go through the forest and cut them off.

“With me,” Arthur called to the wolves who had come from the castle. He turned and dashed into the forest, cutting a path through the forest.

The rogues continued to follow the creatures and Daphne. He listened to them at the distance occasionally catching the creatures and killing them as he saw the path ahead. Daphne rode past as he reached the tree line and barreled into the creatures with a vicious roar.

He clawed the nearest one he could reach in the face and dragged his claws through another’s face. The stench of their blood filled the air, metallic and acrid and unlike any other blood he’d ever smelled before. One of the creatures darted back through the trees trying to escape, but he ordered a group of rogues to pounce on the man. With that man, it seemed that the threat was over.

Blade came closer, panting as the others began to gather. Arthur turned back to chase after Daphne.