Chapter 60

— Third Person POV —

The sound of sirens howled around us, and every hair on Asher’s body rose in fear.

A war is coming.

That was exactly what it sounded like now, loud and clear.

Asher had been through many rogue attacks, hearing sirens like that his whole life, and it still hit him like it was the first time he’d ever heard that deep, ominous wail.

Sienna had grabbed a bow, tossing the additional ones over her shoulder, her hands trembling slightly.

This was exactly what they’d been in the watchtower for, but it was terrifying that it was actually happening, here and now.

“I’m going to shoot as many down from the platform as I can,” Sienna whispered to him, peeking out the window looking towards Nightwind.

“We don’t know which pack they’re going for,” Asher murmured, glancing at the cameras as the rogues prowled forward, splitting into two groups.

One moved left, the other, right.

One group to Nightfall, the other to Nightwind.

“Both,” Sienna squeaked, gripping her bow tighter.

“Take down who you can from up here. I’m going down there.”

“You don’t have any weapon, here, take — ”

“I’ve got myself.” Asher’s eyes flared golden, and he knew Sienna understood what he meant.

“Be careful,” she whispered to him, knowing how dangerous this was going to be.

“You too.” For a brief moment, they locked eyes, letting the other see that they did care…just in case it was the last time they saw each other.

Sienna ducked out a window, taking her place amongst the leaves on one of the platforms that extended out, now Asher’s eyes in the sky.

Asher slid down the rope ladder, bounding down the remaining branches until he was on the ground.

You’re really going to do this? his wolf growled, knowing exactly what he was about to do.

I am — I have to. I’m the best weapon, Asher responded, clenching his fists, feeling the power of his wolf surging through him.

You’ll take all of your energy, the wolf warned, though he didn’t deny him its strength.

Transform. Now, Asher instructed, wasting no time as he hit the ground running in an all out sprint, his muscles slowly contorting, fur sprouting from his skin.

He doubled, tripled in size, falling onto all fours, his senses boosting. His vision was better, his sense of smell out of this world. The fur of his wolf was a beautiful midnight black, blending into the darkness around him.

It was easy to tell exactly where the rogues were, his nose leading him to each one, taking them down swiftly and silently, a lethal shadow of the night.

His teeth shredded through their skin, the sharpest blade in the world, taking down one after the other without detection. By the time they knew he was there, they were already dead.

Now and again, an arrow would pierce someone before he could reach them, and he smiled internally, impressed by Sienna’s impeccable aim.

She’s a damn good shot, his wolf smirked and Asher couldn’t help the swell of pride that hit him. She really, really was.

Arrow after arrow, bite after bite, they took down nearly every rogue that had breached the borders.

Bodies lay all across the ground around the tree, arrows poking out of some, many of them lodged in their throats. Very impressive.

It had almost seemed too easy. Was this just the test wave? The rogues way of seeing what security was like?

Well, security was just Asher and Sienna on this side, and this wasn’t something they could always do.

Asher looked up to the trees, just barely able to make out Sienna’s shadow within the leaves, thanks to his wolf vision.

Sienna, he thought, wondering if their bond would work.

Asher? She sounded surprised to hear him in her head.

But it had worked — that meant something.

Are you okay? Asher sniffed the air, picking up on no more rogue scents. For now.

Blisters on my hands, but otherwise fine. He could practically hear the smile in her words. You?

I’m gonna feel it tomorrow, Asher chuckled.

Asher…how can I hear you?

Well, it’s because of — Asher had every intention of answering her until a lightning hot pain ricocheted up his back leg, sending him howling to the floor.

Pain seared up the leg, wicked fast, and he could feel it paralyzing, turning stiff.

Something had poisoned him.

The arrow.

That’s when his eyes caught on the cliffs, watching as another wave of rogues poured down, heading right for him.

I’ve been — shot — he managed to choke out through the bond, quite literally feeling Sienna’s pain come through a moment later.

Shot?! By what?

Poison arrow. It was hard to even form the thoughts, his body turning more and more stiff as the poison took control of him, seeping into his system far too fast.

I can get you an antidote. I’m coming down.

He wanted to protest, to tell her to leave him and stay safe hundreds of feet up in the trees, but he knew she wouldn’t listen anyway.

A moment later, she was there, kneeling next to him as he panted, wheezing for each breath. His lungs had the sensation of being swollen thanks to the poison, and yet he still craved air.

The poison was working very quickly.

Through his haze, he could sense the rogues coming from each direction around them, and he tensed, giving Sienna all the warning she needed.

She spun on her heel, sending one, two, three arrows out and knocking each rogue down with a lethal hit.

There was still one more creeping up from behind, and Asher heard the arrow as it loaded into his bow.

An arrow dripping with poison, aiming straight for Sienna’s back. It would pierce straight through her chest, just enough from the heart that she’d be left to suffer a slow, painful death.

He heard the ping of the arrow as it left the bow, rocketing towards Sienna from within the night, and he’d never felt more helpless.

By some miracle, she heard it too, spinning around just in time to catch the arrow barely an inch from her face, thrusting it back into the darkness and making contact with its original owner.

What did Asher just witness?

A miracle, that was what. Pure magic.

He’d never seen Sienna so graceful, her every movement under her absolute control. She was beautiful, flawless.

But Asher could hardly see now, his vision wavering in and out, the sirens fading into a distant drone.

He was dying. The poison was winning, and there was no way Sienna could get him any kind of antidote fast enough.

She dragged his stiff body into the vegetation nearby, whispering, “I’m going for the antidote. I will be back.”

Her eyes flitted behind her, tracking the shadows of the rogues that were still on the premises.

“Watch out,” she warned, though it wasn’t like he could do much of anything in his state.

He could only hope that she could get all the way back to Nightwind, get the antidote, and make it back before his body was completely paralyzed.

Before he died by poison arrow.