Bane of Tenebris (Wolfgods Book 2) by Blaise Ramsay (i love reading books txt) 📕

a rustling and clanging from outside made Kain focus on the window overlooking the shed he usually prepared his catches in.

“They have finally come closer.”

“They?” Tala asked. She glanced around, her brows lowered in fear, scooting closer to Kain.

As he headed to the front door, Kain spoke of the black shapes Tala mentioned, labeling them as werewolves and being sure they followed the commands of someone. He put on his jacket and went outside to confront the monsters tearing his supply shed apart.

Kain stayed close to the side of the cabin and snuck around the perimeter until his shed came into view.

Werewolves ripped and tore at the wooden walls of the shed, tearing meat from drying racks and fighting over meat they took from the overturned freezer.

A slight rustle in the tree line behind him brought Kain’s attention to the new visitor. The large wolf form identified him as a lycan, not a werewolf.

Whites overtook Kain’s eyes at the realization of the familiar black fur. No, it cannot be.

The lycan grinned, his fangs dripping with saliva over dark gums. Triangular ears stiffened towards the sky, deep orange eyes the color of a burning sunset thinned with satisfaction. Something about him seemed distorted; defiled as though he were bathed in Barghast’s shadow. In a flash of fur and shadows, the lycan vanished into the trees.

A moment in his past flashed in his mind. The howling of a lycan in pain, the taste of blood, an angry promise of vengeance. Rage filled gales of wind and rain whipped, stinging with the icy knives of winter. Those eyes. I remember those eyes.

Tala jumped as Kain burst through the door, slamming it shut. He ran up the stairs only to return with what appeared to be a camper’s bag. He ordered Tala to be prepared to go, his words laced with urgency.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s no time. We need to go.” Kain rustled through a drawer, grabbing the keys to his car. Handing Tala some clothes to borrow, Kain told her to wait for him to call to her.

Tala wanted to argue but resigned to getting dressed and waiting until she heard Kain call to her from outside before following him.

Kain stood next to the open driver’s side door, focusing his eyes on the surrounding area. He waved his hand, beckoning her towards the car.

Tala ran down the stairs, brushing her hair away from her face to keep it from hindering her sight.

She got into the car as the first werewolf jumped towards her, snarling. Tala raised her arms to her face, prepared to be struck with its claws. When no attack came, she opened her eyes to see Kain restraining the flailing monster, his strong arms around its ribs.

Kain growled as he tightened his forearm around the thrashing monster’s neck. A sickening snap made the monster fall limp, its tongue lulling out of its mouth.

Kain threw the body aside before he got into the driver’s side of the car, closing and locking the door. His breath heaved.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done that,” He smirked. Shifting the car into reverse, Kain slammed his foot on the accelerator making the tires shriek in protest.

When they reached the main road, Tala saw the werewolves running alongside the car in the trees. “What do they want?”

Kain didn’t answer. The arrival of the lycan made him second guess his original theory as to why the werewolves stalked his cabin.

A werewolf slammed its body against the driver’s side door of the car, jarring it.

In response, Kain used the body of the vehicle and the guardrails of the highway to pin the werewolf between them. It whimpered and howled in pain as its flesh was severed from its side in a storm of sparks and grinding metal.

Another werewolf took a flying leap into the windshield from the middle of the road, claws outstretched, fangs bared. The impact cracked the glass. It grasped at the hood with its claws, sending sparks where steel met bone.

“Hang on!” Kain said, slamming on the brakes, sending the creature flying down the pavement.

There were too many of them to outmaneuver, especially when Kain couldn’t change and had Tala to contend with. He began to wonder if he could get either of them out of this encounter alive.

A howl above the wind made the werewolves freeze.

“What is that?” Tala asked.

Kain smirked, stopping the car. Just beyond the tree line, he saw Gabriel skidding down the side of the hill.

Lune followed behind him while an obsidian wolf Kain recognized as Jillian, sprinted ahead of them. Scott and Nathaniel followed close on her flanks.

The werewolves remained still. Another howl, like the shriek of a banshee, forced them to retreat into the woods.

Kain got out of the car to greet his friends.

Gabriel walked to the head of the pack, shaking his head side to side, snuffing.

“It’s good to see you. How did you know?” Kain asked.

Gabriel turned his head. Kain followed his gaze to see a pure white wolf with black markings on his paws, chest, ear tips and tail walking towards them.

Kain grinned, offering a slight bow of his head. Damien broke into a canter until he reached Kain, whimpering. He lowered his ears, nuzzling his friend’s stomach.

Tala got out of the car, her eyes locked on the white wolf Kain petted. “Lycans.”

Kain rose up to look at her.

“My mother is a lycan. She’s the one who told me to come here,” Tala replied, remembering the voice of her mother begging her to run.

Damien looked at Kain, tilting his head, whimpering.

“I will tell you more when we get to your house.” Kain turned on his heel to walk back to his car.

Chapter Four

At Damien’s house, Jill told her mate she would take Tala upstairs to take care of her children while Damien spoke with the pack members present. With a quick kiss, Damien nodded, and the two women went to the pups’ nursery.

“Spill it, Kain. What was that all about?”