THE AWAKENING

She felt no fear.

Her bared fangs dripped with saliva as she hungered for Ulster’s blood. Beside her Tieran, her Alpha and One True Mate, stood on all fours beside her with an identical snarl as Ulster and his clan advanced like a dark, evil force invading every crack and cranny, seeking out weakness.

Cassandra and Tieran were outnumbered but stared death in the eye without flinching. Ulster would hound them until he snatched victory from their jaws and that would likely mean the death of one of her pups.

A new and frighteningly powerful emotion swept through Cassandra as she held her ground, refusing to yield in the slightest to the rival clan.

I will not surrender my babies to you. I would rather die first.

Ulster’s thoughts, harsh and guttural, poked at her brain, intruding. I will take what is mine. Kill the other.

The growls echoed in the forest as Ulster’s clan closed in.

A howl ripped through the air. Tieran answered with a sharp, answering howl.

Within seconds the males of Clan Barrachius appeared from within the dark canopy like one solid wall of coiled muscle and pelt to flank Cassandra and Tieran, bulking their numbers and increasing their odds of survival.

Cassandra’s wolf lips twisted in a parody of a smile as Ulster lowered his rangy head with a growl, surveying the increased numbers.

Turn tail and run, you bastard so I can run you down like the rabid dog you are.

didn’t

come too far to surrender the fight. He had blood lust in his

gaze was centered on Cassandra with

Mine!

launched straight for

air as wolves tore at one

back and sinking

he’d rolled in something disgusting and rotten only moments earlier but

and beyond the rest of the clan and within seconds Ulster yelped as she tore

her off and she landed on the ground with a clumsy stumble, nearly losing

beast clamped his jaws around her neck, intent on snapping it, but Cassandra

howled and let go, dropping to the ground in

to run in a

the line to give into the pain and fear. Another beast clamped onto her leg and she howled in pain as the bone threatened to crack but within seconds Cassandra sent the beast to join his brethren, writhing in agony

for Tieran but she skidded to a halt when she realized Tieran had things well in hand — or well in teeth — as Tieran tore into Ulster, the sound of breaking bones like music to her ears.

received. She remembered the poor, abused women stuck in Clan Janus and she knew that if Ulster were gone she could persuade the

first, Ulster had

the fight began to wan and victory seemed imminent. The dead and dying from both sides were