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  Pushing his exhaustion away, Ridgeback lifted his head, once more surveying the battlefield with his one uninjured eye. He vaguely recalled having the other one ripped out of his skull sometime during the fight, but it was mostly a blur as was everything else about the battle.

  Following his example, the surviving three males and twelve females joined him in the impromptu feast. All of them were mangled from battling the relentless enemy, but they were all that were left to protect the young, and defend the Pack itself from extinction. Sitting back on his haunches, Ridgeback closed his eyes for a moment.

  He could feel his body already beginning to recover.

 

  The broadcast came to him suddenly, from Farseer.

 

  Grabbing another fist full of flesh, Ridgeback moved to where Farseer perched watching the plateau below. Squinting, he saw the dark silhouettes reflected in the light cast from the green magic flames.

  “Sisters of Loviatar”, he growled angrily.

  At any other time, Ridgeback wouldn’t have given the Dark Priestesses a second thought, since Werewolves were resistant to most magic. Given the Pack’s dire straits, seeing them here now could only be an evil omen.

  Normally, only wizards or sorcerers were a cause for alarm, but even then there were few enough of those in the world. Wizards for the most part kept to themselves, preferring to have solitude for their studies, while sorcerers were insane and had to be killed at a young age. Thinking of Moonglow’s mate, Ridgeback mentally corrected himself. Most sorcerers were insane and had to be killed, while, an exceedingly few, like Luthar Feltalc were not corrupted by their power.

  The Pack was proud to include the Damarien as one of their own.

  Feeling the hackles on his back begin to rise, Ridgeback brought his wandering mind back into focus on the priestesses below. Their chanting voices rose into a crescendo as the air began to crackle with magical energy. Suddenly, a cry rang out from below as the priestesses released their spell in a great surge of power.

  “UNCINUS ANTITHEUS!”

  Ridgeback’s ears flattened as an unnatural silence swept across the plateau, quieting even the strong winds of the raging storm for several heartbeats. Seconds later, the noises of the storm came crashing back as thunderous ripping sounds reverberated from below.

  Surging to his feet, Ridgeback’s yellow eye turned blood red at the stench of pure evil filling his nostrils. Enraged, he howled into the night’s sky as four massive demons stepped out of their portals into the glowing green circles of power before each priestess. The rest of the Werewolves began howling a moment later, echoing their own hatred at the sight of the evil creatures below.

  Even from this distance, Ridgeback could see foot long razor sharp barbs covering the humanoid shapes of the demons, from spiked head to cloven hoof. The green flames suddenly flared high into the night’s sky, trapping the creatures inside the circles of power.

  Roaring in fury, the demons began slamming their bodies against the circles imprisoning them, but gradually the commands of the priestesses forced the demons to stop their assault upon the magical barriers. Focusing their Will, the priestesses forced the demons to obey. Slowly, the demons turned to face the Werewolves as their fanged mouths began gnashing with anticipation.

  With a wave of their hands, the Priestesses’ Will broke the circles of power binding the Antitheus in place. Released from their prison of green fire, the demons charged the surviving Werewolves with a savage roar.

  Bringing his rage under control, Ridgeback strode to the center of the approach issuing commands.

 

  Looking at Cloudseeker, Quickfoot and Bloodfang as they scrambled into place next to him, Ridgeback continued.

 

  Pointing at the gathered females, Ridgeback picked out Moonglow, Skywalker, Dreamflower and Deathpaw.

 

  He faced the demons once more as the females began shifting quickly into their positions around him. Unbelievably fast, the creatures had already cleared the plateau, and were even now charging up the mound of dead. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Moonglow move to his side, standing next to him with her two Pack Sisters at her side.

  Leaping forward as the creatures came into grappling range, Ridgeback slammed his clawed hands through the barbs protecting the demon’s neck. He let the brute force him back, until he could feel his long clawed fingers wrapping around the base of the monster’s massive head.

  Digging his claws deep into the creature’s muscular neck, Ridgeback pushed back with all of his might. He stopped the demon’s charge just before it drove him into the heart of Winter Fang.

  Ridgeback howled in agony as the demon suddenly changed tactics. Wrapping its arms around him, the creature pulled him against its massive chest as dozens of foot long barbs punched through his body. Losing his last eye, Ridgeback blindly tore into the beast with his mighty fangs. He felt the barbs pierce his muzzle and skull as he snapped the hard bones off at their roots with his powerful jaws.

  Focused solely on destroying the enemy before him, he suddenly died as the monster ripped him apart, ending his life in an explosion of blood.

  * * *

  Moonglow knew they were in trouble, when the demons charge took out all of the males except for Ridgeback in the first rush. Without slowing down, the same creature that ended Bloodfang’s life grabbed Skywalker next. As the demon’s arms wrapped her in its deadly embrace, her Pack Sisters tried to come to her aid as they uselessly impaled themselves on the massive barbs sticking out of the creature’s back.

  Holding her own force back, Moonglow followed close behind the creature battling Ridgeback, waiting for an opening. Seeing Ridgeback snap off the barbs protecting the beast’s neck, she gave the command for her Pack Sisters to attack.

  Rushing forward, Woodheart leaped onto the demon’s shoulder as one of the large barbs pierced her breasts. Slashing at the creature’s neck with her long claws, she felt her life’s blood start pumping out onto the white snow. Every slash made the wound in the beast’s neck larger, but the demon simply ignored the injury as it caught Ridgeback in its deadly grip.

  , Woodheart wailed in despair!

  , Moonglow broadcasted back!

  , Woodheart cried out in her weakening Mentem-loqui speech.

  Farseer and Moonglow leapt onto the demon next, tearing deeper into the creature’s neck as it suddenly ripped Ridgeback apart before their shocked eyes. Enraged, the beast caught ahold of Woodheart, driving a fist through her chest as its other clawed fist sank deep into her back, before wrapping its fist around her spine. With one tremendous jerk, the monster ripped Woodheart’s broken body off of its shoulder barbs. Practically tearing her in two, it flung her shattered remains away like a broken doll. Next, the demon turned its focus on Farseer and Moonglow as they struggled to tear the creature’s head from its shoulders.

  Falling backwards suddenly, the demon caught Farseer under its massive bulk. Rolling back and forth, her howls of agony lasted only seconds as the razor sharp barbs shredded her to bloody pieces.

  Attacking with all of her strength, Moonglow managed to rip open the wound until she hit bone. Seeing the exposed spine, she pulled her first back to smash through the bones, when the beast lashed out blindly. Slamming her in the face with a backhand blow, she was suddenly flying through the air. Hitting the ground a second later, she slid to a stop several feet away from the monster missing half of her face.

  Stunned, Moonglow rolled over just as the massive demon pounced on top of her, crushing her legs. Howling in despair, she watched as the beast raised its barbed fist to rip her heart out. One more blow was all she needed!

  A scorching blast of flame sud
denly slammed into the creature’s misshapen face.

 

  Unhurt, the demon smashed its fist into Starfire’s face, slamming her to the ground with one hit. Laughing wickedly, it lifted the little Werewolf in its clawed hand as it turned to Moonglow, holding the limp body before her eyes.

  “NOOOOOOO!”

  Lunging once more for the demon, Moonglow cried out as the creature’s clawed fist punched through her shoulder, slamming her to the ground. Taunting in a guttural voice, it lifted the weakly struggling Starfire to its gapping jaws.

  “Watch me eat your whelp before I end you’re life, Bitch!”

  Suddenly, a freezing blast of cold froze the demon’s arm pinning Moonglow to the ground in a solid block of ice. In surprise, the creature’s head whipped around.

  , Frostbrand cried out tearfully.

  Seeing her chance, Moonglow slammed her fist through the frozen arm pinning her to the ground, shattering it to the shoulder. Howling in rage, she punched her fist through the demon’s spine, blasting the creature’s head from its shoulders. A second later, its lifeless body collapsed next to her on the ground.

  Pushing herself to her elbows, Moonglow gently removed Starfire from the demon’s stiff fist, cradling her daughter in her arms.

 

 

 

  Laying Starfire gently onto her back, she inspected the damage. Licking the blood from her daughter’s eyes, she used her tongue to clean the deep slashes from the demon’s claws running down her daughter’s face, washing the wounds gently.

 

  Scooping up Frostbrand in her other arm, she held her babies close to her chest.

 

 

  , looking up weakly.

 

  Holding her pups close to her chest, she gazed across the battlefield as the other demons ripped the life out of her Packmates. Her daughters would be slaughtered, and there wasn’t anything she could do to stop it! Seeing the last of her Pack Sisters ripped to shreds, she suddenly had an idea.

 

  Looking with wide eyes in the direction of the screams coming from the other pups as the demons gathered them in a pile, they looked into her serious eyes.

 

  Hiding her daughters under her own body, she hauled the demon’s massive corpse to her once more. She had one chance to make this work. Carefully, she positioned the body above her, before letting it gently fall on top of her. Gritting her fangs, she allowed the razor sharp barbs to slowly slide through her flesh, until they came to a stop against the stone beneath her. Laying still as the dead, she focused on conserving her strength as she felt her blood begin pooling on the ground beneath her.

  Hopefully, the demon’s corpse would hide them from their enemies!

  * * *

  “These are not the beasts we seek!” The Dark Sister hissed in anger to the Scourge Blood Leader, held before her in the clawed hand of her demon.

  The hissing screech brought Moonglow back to sudden consciousness. She kept fading in and out despite the rage coursing through. She had an idea what was causing the problem, but there was no way to stop the growing weakness inside of her. Not as long as they were surrounded by their enemies. It wasn’t that she was simply losing too much blood. There was something about the demon’s barbs that was interfering with her body’s ability to heal!

  For the last two hours, Moonglow had endured listening to the Pack’s young being butchered as she lay helpless unable to stop the slaughter. “If it’s the last thing I do, I will kill you!” Moonglow’s vowed silently to herself.

  “Mistress, none of my warriors consumed the beast’s young! Of this, I swear!” The Blood Leader repeated with his head bowed low, not meeting the acolyte eyes. Slaves were forbidden from looking directly at their masters.

  Backhanding the Scourge at his words, she continued shrieking. “You want me to take the words of a slave? Do you think I am so foolish to think you had your eyes on every one of your nafda during the entire battle?”

  Enraged, she turned to the surviving warriors pointing back at their Blood Leader.

  “Here is what I do with liars!”

  As the words left her lips, the Barbed Antitheus roared ripping the Blood Leader in half with its massive claws. Quickly, it shoved the bloody halves into his ravenous maw.

  Stalking away from the rest of the Scourge, she approached the surviving Werewolf pups huddling together in fear. Picking up one of the young pups at random, she began strangling the little female as she once again began asking the same question.

  “Tell me where Luthar Feltalc’s sorceress children are or I will smash you to pieces!”

  , the female managed to broadcast as she gasped helplessly for breath.

  “We tracked their Mother here. Now tell me where they are!”

  , the female replied weakly.

  “YOU LIE!”

  Screaming at the top of her lungs, the head acolyte began slamming the small body against the nearest rock. Lifting the bloody puppy once again to her face, she continued screaming.

  “Tell me what I want to know!”

  Realizing she had killed another one of the little beasts, she threw the female’s broken body against the nearest rock screeching at the top of her lungs. Taking deep, breaths she slowly regained control of her volatile temper. Once more under control, she looked at the five remaining puppies addressing her sisters.

  “The time has come. Let us make ready the circle.”

  Whimpering cries filled the air as each priestess picked out one of the remaining pups, before standing at the four corners of Winter Fang Heart. Using their black knifes, they pierced a small hole just above the young Werewolves’ hearts. Slowly, the priestesses walk in a circle, drawing out a greater circle of power in their blood.

  Helpless in the priestesses steel grip, they watched in horror as their life’s blood pumped out onto the cold stone ground. Finished, the priestesses laid the dying puppies at each cardinal point of the fiendish design.

  Moving quickly, three priestesses mounted their grongors as Lord Nardak commanded a hundred of the Scourge to move into the center of the circle. Nervously, the warriors joined the three acolytes and two demons already standing at the center of the circle of power.

  Retrieving the last Werewolf pup, the head acolyte handed the whimpering female to the demonless acolyte leading the assault.

  “You know our Dark Mistress commands. I am giving you this opportunity to prove yourself, Sister Dyniessus.”

  “I will not fail, Sister Lytolna!”

  “I know you will not, Sister. I will stay here guarding the portal, awaiting your triumphant return.”

  Exiting the circle, Sister Lytolna strode to her demon side, before turning to face Sister Dyniessus once more.

  “Go now with Loviatar’s blessing!”

  “As Loviatar commands” the acolytes intentioned back.

  Focusing their Will on the circle of power, the acolytes began to chant as Dyniessus laid the terrified female back in her arm. Lifting her black dagger high into the air, above the young puppy’s heart, she waited until the magic circle thrummed with energy. Feeling the power begin to peak, she hissed out her spell, piercing the little Werewolf’s heart with her black blade.

  "ADVECTIO!”

  Moonglow almost cried out as
the force suddenly disappeared in a flash of green flames. Comprehension hit her like a battering ram!

  Loviatar must have figured out the secret Shadowfang used to hide them from her sight!

  Suddenly, the reason for the invasion made sense! All members of the Pack are connected to their Pack Leader by a bond of blood. The priestesses must be planning to use the Pack’s blood bond to track down Shadowfang’s location, and to find the youngling he’d spirited away. To do that, they would have to cast their tracking spell from the same gate that the original portal was opened from.

  They would need to use the gate at the center of Winter Fangs Heart!

  Chapter 6

  Location Earth / Florida present day:

  John Temple looked up at the brilliant flash of light towards the east that suddenly lit up the night’s sky for several seconds, before fading away. It was practically on top of where they were patrolling.

  Bill Thomas, his partner sitting in front of the airboat, turned around with a questioning look, before giving him the go ahead to head towards the bright flash. Pushing the throttle forward, the engine roared even louder as the airboat began picking up speed.

  Quickly, they slid around the next bend in the river, heading for the point where they’d seen the light.

  John had grown up in Hope Sound when it was only a one traffic light town. He’d spent most of his youth, tramping around Jonathan Dickenson’s State Park when he was in the Boy Scouts as a kid. Later, he worked as an attendant for the Park when he was going to Jupiter Community College, before applying to become a Ranger.

  Bill had a similar story. Together, they’d spent the last seventeen years patrolling the wild life sanctuary. Over the years, they had handled everything from the routine drunken campers on the weekends, to fighting some of the worst forest fires in the park’s history.