He grabbed her into a tight hug before he pushed her back toward Fang. "Protect her."
"With my life."
They joined the battle. Aimee's heart pounded as she engaged an Arcadian wolfswain. Burly and ugly, he was almost twice her size.
As he reached for her, Thorn appeared, and he brought with him reinforcements that included Wynter, Zeke, and Ravenna.
Fang gaped as he saw them in the fray. "What's this?"
Thorn winked at him. "One for all and all for fun, my friend. You didn't think I'd let you fight demons all on your own, did you?"
"It wouldn't be the first time."
Thorn laughed as he took the head off a demon who'd made the mistake of getting too close.
"Guess we can kill these, eh?"
Thorn snatched his sword back and gave him a piercing stare. "When your mark sizzles, don't kill them. When it tingles, they're all yours."
So that was the difference in the sensations he felt. "We really need to work on your communication skills."
"Give it up," Zeke said as he caught a demon beside Fang and twisted its neck. "He's just not a people person and we're never going to housebreak him."
Fang head-butted one of Eli's crew. He wanted to turn wolf, his body begged for it, but he had to have arms to fight the demons.
Damn it.
Aimee stepped back from the demon she'd just killed and looked around at the bloody mess. There were just so many demons. Even though Xedrix and crew had come in to help, they were still overwhelmed. Aimee felt like she'd fallen into an anthill. Everywhere she tuned there was a demon or a Blakemore pack member.
We're going to die. . . .
Tears filled her eyes as she fought down her panic. But how could they hold their own? New demons came in, and they were lagging from battle. Her staff was getting heavier by the minute and though her wounds were minimal, they were still aching.
None of them could use their powers since that would only feed the demons' strength. Even Acheron was fighting with staff and sword.
Simi was the only one who seemed to be enjoying this as she ran around with a bottle of barbecue sauce, trying to catch Eli's crew. The rest of them . . .
It's hopeless.
Stop it! We're not down yet.
She was a Peltier mated to a Kattalakis. The blood of two royal Were-Hunter lines was merged inside her and by the gods she would not give in or give up.
Her strength renewed, she tore into the werewolf closest to her. She caught him with her staff, a blow so fierce it lifted him up off his feet and sent him flying into the back of the demon fighting Wren. She lifted her weight up to kick them both back.
Wren laughed. "Get 'em, girl." He flashed back to his tiger form.
As Aimee advanced to finish them off, she caught sight of Eli heading for her mother's back. Maman was embroiled with a demon and had no idea he was anywhere near her.
But the bloodlust in his eyes was unmistakable.
He was going to kill her.
Her only thought to save her mother, Aimee turned into a bear and launched herself for him.
Maman turned at the same time Eli spun on Aimee and dealt her a vicious blow to her side. It sent Aimee flying and made her turn human as she tried to catch her breath through the pain. Naked and bleeding, she tried to focus. How on earth did Fang stay in his alternate form?
She couldn't move. . . .