brown bear scratches at the earth in the distance, his gaze locked on me. It’s like Ragnar can’t feel the animal’s presence or even see the damn thing.
“Deal with your own shit,” he suddenly barks, and when he glances over to me, there’s a fiery yellow glow in his eyes. I stiffen, taken aback, as something’s wrong with his eyes.
Yet his response consumes me, sends a dull ache over my mind. He’s never spoken to me like that before. “What the hell is your problem?”
I collect the blades from my belt. Around me, the trees shake from the wild wind, branches swaying and rustling. There’s no sign of Crius or Nikos… and behind me, Narah is gone. She was there earlier, which is why I took this position to block anything from coming toward her.
A shiver snakes up my spine, and the runes on my chest glow blue from the magic tainting the air. Hairs on my nape lift, and the glint of fire in the bear’s eyes looks too similar to what I’d seen in Ragnar’s.
I glance over my shoulder once more for Narah, fear dripping down my spine at not seeing a sign of her.
An earth-shattering growl has me snapping my attention back around to the bear, who’s now barrelling my way. Front paws slam to the ground, hind legs propelling him closer and closer.
“We got company,” I yell to the team. “Someone, flank it from the side, and I’ll take it head on.”
The heavy thundering whips through the air, and I study my opponent, the thunderous way he travels.
When no one gives a response, I tense up.
“What the fuck, man?” Rage burns me.
“For hell’s sake!” I toss my knives down, having had enough. I’m seething, my jaw clenching.
The storm of the bear is almost on me. I fall to my knees and slap my open palms to the soil. A surge erupts across my chest, and in seconds it sears across my runes as power zips down my arms and into the ground.
I call to the elemental energy to do my bidding against the encroaching danger.
Instantly, the world shudders beneath me, quivering, and at once a great fissure splits open the earth right under the bear’s paws.
He’s so close I can feel his hot breath when suddenly he drops down into the dark cavern. His whimpering terror echoes as he frantically scratches at the walls, trying desperately to claw his way back up.
My heartbeat thunders in my chest, my pulse racing at how fucking pissed I am at Ragnar, fueling my energy as I pour more and more of my power into the ground, so exhausted of this witch crap.
“Close.” My whisper catches on the breeze.
The land trembles, trees swaying heavily, nature seeming to come to life, and the crack in the earth closes hastily with a final thump. It comes so fast, the monster stands no chance.
And he’s gone.
No more cries or threats.
Fuck, yeah.
On my feet, I shake my hands of the power, the flare over my chest dwindling, and I’m proud of myself. Now where the fuck is Ragnar?
Around me, there isn’t a soul in sight. Turning on the spot, I glance through the woods when abruptly, another bear pummels out of the shadows, coming at me faster than the previous one, mouth gaping, spittle flinging on the wind.
I flinch, and I’m yanked to the cold, hard reality of the situation.
No matter what I do, the magic in this land won’t let me win, now will it?
Then I’ll burn the whole fucking forest down to finish this.
15
Narah
Like the half a dozen times I’ve already tried, I hurl my hands outward, aimed at the clearing in the woods where the Alphas are battling four bears. Sounds of war flood the woods, growls and the terrifying thundering of massive paws on the ground. The men are tossed about like dolls, but they never stay down, not even once. I am starting to wonder if they are indestructible.
Short, golden sparks of magic splutter out from my fingertips, flatlining with each of my attempts. I want to scream. Of course it chooses now not to work, and a shiver jolts up my spine at how hopeless I feel.
“Shit!” I shake my arms, sensing the energy pricking down my flesh, and try again.
Fucking nothing.
“Come on, already.”
Monsters and terrifying things linger in the woods, and I can’t do a damn thing about them.
A spell is attacking the men. That’s the only way to describe what I’m seeing and why the bears