My Wild Beast-Chapter 161: The Horde (2)

After watching the carnage before them, Yoa turned to Nova, scanning her with a hardened gaze. The bond squeezed, his worry muddying his thoughts for a moment as he stared down at the tiny little mouse about to join him in battle. His hands grazed over her weapons, ensuring there would be no trouble for her to use them.

Though some of her skills still needed sharpening, like using the hatchets, Nova had come far. At times, she moved like wind through reeds, light and quick, her spirit fierce, even Aiyana struggled to match. Where she lacked in power, she made up for it in precision and heart, with quick on her feet. Her defence was steady, her movements sure.

Tonight, she will be tested. But he was there to catch her if she fell.

"Yiska," Nova sighed, holding his wrists as he made sure the hatchets were secured at her waist. "Enough fussing. We have a job to do."

Yoa’s head snapped up at the name, his beast came forward for a moment with a low rumbling growl, eyes flashing brightly. He nodded once. "You’re right."

He had to stop stalling. Tayun needed them.

It was unlike Nova to be blunt like him and Aiyana, but she couldn’t take the sounds surrounding them. They were growing louder as the vampiras watered the grass with blood.

With a final squeeze of each other’s hands, Nova and Yoa ran along the tree branches, swiping out their weapons of choice.

’Cover me,’ Yoa commanded through the mind link. He leapt off without glancing back or waiting for her answer.

Nova knocked an arrow in place, straightening her shoulders.

He had a lot of faith in her. Moving targets were still a bit of a struggle.

Mid-air, he struck out as two vampiras were mid-shift into their human forms. They cried out as his claws raked down their backs. All three of them landed, but Yoa was on them in seconds.

He had them by their throats, each held up either side, and squeezed until his claws sank into their throats.

Others charged towards him.

Nova couldn’t stop swearing as she took aim.

She released her arrow, and it whizzed into action.

Then she did it again.

And again.

Her body moved without thinking as she knocked back arrow after arrow, taking aim and hitting her targets. All of them in the throat, head or heart. If she missed any, Yoa finished them off. Bodies surrounded her mate with either arrows lodged into them or by his doing.

The fire started to spread behind him, lighting him up, shadows dancing furiously across his physique.

Nova’s focus ripped from him for a second just as lightning flashed above her.

Her breath hitched.

The bats dove for her.

She didn’t even blink as she put the bow on her back and leapt from the branch, hands already reaching for First Mark and a hatchet.

There was no way she could use two weapons at once, but they didn’t know that, and she was damn sure going to try, or at least wave the axe around while they tried to reach her.

Once again, she was unaware of the golden glint in her eyes as she landed elegantly—without rolling her ankle!—and turned to face their foes.

Back to back, Nova felt empowered and safe with her Serakai behind her.

The bats shifted into their skinny-ass human forms, landing not quite so elegantly around them.

"We’ve got this," Nova breathed, motivating them.

Yoa smirked. "Yeah, we do."

Then they charged at the vampiras.

The first vampira lunged, and Yoa caught it mid-air, claws ripping through its chest with a wet crunch. It shrieked as blood sprayed across the dirt.

Another came from the side, and Nova turned sharply, her dagger driving into its ribs. She shoved it off her blade, already pivoting to meet the next.

Nova ducked beneath another’s swing, spinning low as her blade sliced through a leg. It shrieked and fell, and Yoa’s follow-up strike silenced it.

Wave after wave, they kept coming, and the couple fought side by side.

They moved as one—her speed to his strength, her precision to his raw force.

When she threw a knife, he ducked without looking, trusting her aim as the blade buried itself in the heart of the vampira behind him. He grinned over his shoulder.

"Nice throw."

"Eyes forward," she shot back, panting, though a smirk tugged at her lips.

Another vampira lunged between them, snarling, but Yoa grabbed it, flung it toward her, and Nova’s dagger met its throat mid-air.

It crumpled. It was so sudden that Nova hadn’t even blinked before reacting. Her aim had become shockingly precise.

Still, the horde of vampiras continued, aiming for the couple that was causing so much damage to their colony.

Their breaths synced, the chaos fading to the rhythm of their movements, and for a moment, the world slowed.

Then more shadows stirred.

Nova raised her blade and hatchet again, back pressing to his once more. "They just keep coming."

Yoa searched their surroundings. Most of the tribe had fled now, leaving the warriors behind. Their numbers looked better.

"There’s too many," Nova breathed out, wiping sweat away from her brow.

Yoa grunted in agreement. "Run."

"Huh?" Nova looked over her shoulder.

Did she hear that right?

She didn’t have time to ponder it.

Yoa snatched her hand and they were off. The vampiras landing from the skies charged after them, but the capuchin warriors sprang out of the trees, the trap they’d set, and lunged for them, acting as a barrier between them and the couple.

Yoa nodded at Tomaq as they sprinted by. The Chief nodded back, grateful for their help.

Bats screeched in the air above their heads, however, chasing them from the skies, waiting to strike.

A growl rumbled from Yoa’s chest as he unhooked a blade, watching them as they ran.

Nova panted beside him, proud that she was still capable of keeping pace with him.

"What the..." Nova froze, alarm spiking through her chest at the giant snakes slithering through the grass, away from their usual spot at the river.

Yoa shoved her down, crouching low and shielding her just as a massive shape lunged from the shadows.

A rush of wind tore past them, the anaconda’s jaws snapped shut mid-air, right around a shrieking vampira instead. Black blood misted the air.

Others followed, striking fast, catching the vampiras in their jaws.

More serpents slithered up the trees, scales glinting in the firelight, but none turned toward Nova or Yoa.

’Mussssst... Protect... Electa...’

Nova gaped, pushing away Yoa’s protective arm as she watched the snakes take down the vampiras that had been chasing them. Most had shifted mid-air into their human forms, while others, maybe the more unfortunate vampiras, remained in bat form and were swallowed whole.

Beyond them, the firelight cast shadows and light along the bodies strewn across the ground. More vampiras than capuchins, but the casualties were there. That was only Tomaq’s tribe...

There was no time to mourn for them, though.

"Chitaka..." Yoa shot to his feet, head whipping to the side in the direction his friend was located on the other side of the jungle.

Chitaka... The name was familiar. Nova tried to place it, but before she could, Yoa’s memories flashed through her mind, then the world tilted as he shifted, and she landed on his back in his massive jaguar form.

Yoa sprinted forward, the ground blurring beneath them. She blew out a breath as adrenaline pumped through her veins.

She tightened her grip, lowering her face and squinting against the rush of wind.

Chitaka was one of the children who faced the trials. The one he saved from Sahco. He was the Vohraki Chief.

"Let’s go save your friend!" Nova whooped, feeling maybe a little too optimistic at this.

But if Tayun was on their side, snakes and all, then perhaps the night won’t be so long.