Page 94 of Bad Moon Rising (Dark-Hunter 17)
CHAPTER THIRTY
Fang was laughing with Vane as a rancid chill went straight down his spine. A chill that turned into shredding talons as every instinct inside him went on high alert.
In an instant, he knew what it was.
"Aimee's in trouble."
Fury arched one sarcastic brow as he scoffed. "In the bathroom? What'd she do? Eat the wrong thing?"
He gave Fury a fierce glare. "No. She's at Sanctuary."
Vane frowned at him. "What?"
"She must have flashed there to see her family." Unwilling to waste another second trying to explain it to his dense brothers, he teleported himself out to find her in the alley, surrounded by demons as she fought them back with her staff.
There were easily two dozen, with more appearing to attack as if someone had opened a portal to hell.
Fang met her determined gaze. He manifested his sword to fight them. "Get inside."
For once, she didn't argue. "I'll get help."
After making sure she got inside without harm, Fang raked the advancing demons with an arrogant sneer. "Ready to dance, punks? It's killin' time."
Aimee ran to the bar where Dev, Remi, Colt, and Wren were, along with her father. They all stared at her as if she were a ghost.
"What are you doing here?" Papa asked.
Aimee struggled to slow her rapid breathing as she felt the sweat rolling down her back. Her entire body was shaking from the battle she'd just left and she was pretty sure her Sentinel markings were showing on her face-especially given the way Remi was eyeing her-but she didn't have time or strength to worry about it. "Tara's dead. Fang is outside in the alley, surrounded by demons. He needs help. Now!"
Dev started forward only to have Maman's sharp voice stop him. "The wolf means nothing to us. They declared war the moment they caused Savitar to revoke our license. We have no use for them. Let the demons have him."
Aimee gaped, then glared. Rage took hold of her as she faced her mother. "He might not mean anything to you, Maman, but he is my mate." She held her palm out to her mother to show her Fang's mark. "And if none of you will help him, then I'll do it myself, and I'll never forgive you for it."
She started to flash herself out, but before she could she saw Blakemore's pack come through the door.
Every member, male and female, was there with a look on their face that said they had come here loaded for bear. They stood shoulder to shoulder in battle formation, heads low, eyes alert.
It was obvious this wasn't a coincidence. This was a well-planned, calculated attack on Sanctuary. Suddenly, everything made sense about the demons outside.
And she knew exactly who was to blame.
Eli.
He'd summoned them up and tonight, on the anniversary of his son's death, he was going to clean bear hide.
Dev grabbed the two swords off the wall above the bar. He tossed one to Kyle and kept the other. "C'mon, cub, let's go save Fang before Aimee hurts us. Remi, the rest of you take out the trash in the bar and make sure you crush it first."
Remi inclined his head before he jumped over the bar and went for the wolves.
The last sight Aimee had before she flashed to the alley was of all hell breaking loose as Eli's thugs attacked the Sanctuary staff. People screamed, guns went off, and bodies entwined in a deadly blur.
But right now, there was one who was fighting alone.
Aimee flashed out to find Fang, who had been joined by Varyk, being overwhelmed by the sheer number of the demons coming at them.
The back door of the club opened and Dev grabbed Fang and Varyk by their shirts to yank them into Sanctuary. "Get in the club and shut the door," Dev growled at her.
Aimee didn't hesitate to obey.
Varyk and Fang shook Dev off them.
"I'm not your bitch, boy," Varyk snarled. "Don't ever touch me like that again."
Dev rolled his eyes at the common wolf complaint. "Next time I'll let them have you."
Panting, Fang pulled Aimee against him and kissed her on the side of the head. Like her, he was sweating from his fight and she could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest while he held her close.
Varyk looked pointedly at Kyle. "Get some salt. As much as you can find."
"Why?"
Varyk coughed before he answered. "They're slug demons. Put a thick line of it at all the doors and windows, and it'll keep them out."
"You're too late." Wren said, joining them. He nodded toward the front.
"Holy shit," Dev breathed.
Aimee gasped.
It looked like something out of a zombie movie. The last of the remaining humans ran screaming for the door while the Were-Hunters and demons fought. What was most surprising was the fact that Vane, Fury, Lia, and the rest of the Kattalakis Katagaria pack had joined them.
Remi met Aimee's gaze. "I wouldn't blame you if you ran for the door."
"Family forever," she said, holding her hand up to him.
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.
