Chapter 346 - 80: Pity You Got Bit

"You’re supposed to be enjoying your own birthday."

Dane barely heard Henrik over the music. His gaze stayed on Destiny, who was laughing with Hannah beside one of the serving tables. She had one hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as Hannah whispered something to her. When Destiny finally looked across the courtyard and caught him watching, she smiled.

Dane smiled back.

"You’re staring again," Henrik said.

"I am enjoying myself."

Henrik gave a quiet snort. "You’ve been watching her for five minutes."

"Exactly."

Dane turned his attention back to the courtyard. The long tables were crowded with food and drinks, and the pack had made sure there was enough of everything to last well into the night. Music drifted between the trees while people talked over one another, laughed, and moved between the tables.

For the first time since the temple that morning, Dane could breathe without feeling as though something was waiting to go wrong.

He should have known the peace wouldn’t last.

Something moved beyond the estate wall.

Dane’s head turned before he consciously registered why.

The guard near the wall had gone still too.

A branch snapped in the darkness.

Then another.

The trees shook violently.

Dane’s body tensed.

"Henrik."

A growl rolled out of the darkness, deep enough to cut through the music.

The music stopped.

A huge wolf burst through the trees.

It was all ribs and tangled fur, its body stretched thin beneath a filthy coat. Dark veins showed through the skin around its neck and forelegs, spreading in crooked lines toward its chest. Its eyes were bright and unfocused as it threw itself at the nearest guard.

The man went down hard.

Dane was already moving.

"Get everyone inside!"

The shift tore through him as he crossed the courtyard. Behind the first wolf, two more came crashing through the trees, snapping and snarling as people scattered in every direction.

Someone screamed.

Tables overturned as guests pushed toward the house . Dane caught the first wolf before it could reach them and drove it into the ground. It twisted beneath him, jaws snapping inches from his face, foam stringing from its mouth.

The black veins beneath its fur caught his eye again.

Hollow Death. Fucking cursed wolves.

His grip tightened.

"Don’t let them bite anyone!"

The wolf bucked hard enough to wrench his shoulder. Dane grabbed its scruff, hauled it up and threw it against the stone wall. Its body struck with a heavy crack and dropped to the ground.

A growl came from his left.

Dane turned.

Aurora was standing beside the overturned tables.

The crowd had already cleared around her.

One of the wolves was coming straight for her.

She saw it.

Her claws slid from her fingertips as she lowered herself slightly, waiting for it to come within reach. When it lunged, she swung. Her claws tore across its face, and the wolf stumbled sideways with blood running from its snout.

Aurora backed away, watching it.

The wolf shook its head and came at her again.

She raised her claws.

"Behind you!"

Aurora turned.

The second wolf hit her from the side.

They crashed onto the grass. Aurora twisted underneath it and raked her claws across its face. The wolf jerked away, giving her enough room to shove it off and push herself onto one knee.

It came back immediately.

Its jaws clamped around her shoulder.

Her scream cut through the courtyard.

Dane reached them before the wolf could drag her down. He caught it by the neck and ripped it away from Aurora. It twisted toward him, jaws snapping, but Dane caught its head in both hands and wrenched hard.

The body went limp.

He dropped it and looked at Aurora.

She was still on her knees.

Blood covered the hand pressed against her shoulder. It ran between her fingers and down her arm, dripping from her elbow onto the grass.

Seth came rushing toward her.

"Aurora—"

"Don’t touch me!"

She knocked his hand away and looked at Dane.

"Look at what your pathetic guards allowed into this estate! They let these filthy beasts ruin my makeup!"

Dane barely listened.

The bite was deep.

"Let me see it."

"Don’t tell me what to do."

Her voice had the same bite as always, but her fingers were trembling against her shoulder. She looked down at them, then back at Dane.

"What did it do to me?"

Dane stepped closer.

The skin around the wound had already begun to change.

"It’s Hollow Death."

The words barely left him before the people around Aurora started backing away.

Aurora noticed.

Her eyes moved from one face to another. "Why are you all just standing there?"

Nobody answered.

"Do something!"

Henrik came up beside Dane. "Stop ordering everyone around for once."

Aurora’s head snapped toward him.

"How dare you—"

"Look at your shoulder," Dane said.

She did.

Her face changed.

The first black vein had already reached beyond the bite, stretching beneath her pale skin toward her collarbone. Another followed it, branching upward toward her neck.

Aurora rubbed at the mark.

It stayed.

She rubbed harder.

"No..."

Her fingers dragged over the dark line as though she could scrape it away.

"Get it off me."

The vein moved beneath her skin.

Aurora sucked in a breath and clawed at her shoulder.

"Get it off!"

Destiny had come closer with Hannah and the others. Dane saw her take another step toward Aurora and instinctively put out an arm to stop her.

"Stay back."

Destiny’s eyes remained on Aurora.

For a moment, she said nothing. Then, quietly, she said, "You spent the entire day bringing misery and trouble to this pack. And now you’re the one facing it."

Aurora’s eyes flashed.

"You arrogant little bitch."

She pushed herself up.

Her claws came out again as she moved toward Destiny, but before she could take another step, her body seized.

Aurora folded over with a strangled cry, one hand flying to her chest. Her knees struck the ground.

"Get the priestess bitch!"

"She’s already coming," Henrik said.

Dane looked toward the house.

The priestess was crossing the courtyard. She stopped a few feet from Aurora and looked at the wound.

Aurora looked up at her.

"Cure it."

The priestess didn’t move.

"Cure it!"

Aurora’s voice rose. She pointed at her shoulder with a shaking hand. "I know you have herbs. Spells. Whatever primitive things you use. Fix me!"

The priestess’s eyes followed the dark lines creeping across Aurora’s skin.

"They’re spreading remarkably quickly."

"Are you even listening to me?"

Aurora’s voice broke.

"Cure me!"

The priestess finally looked into her eyes.

"We do not know if Hollow Death can ever be removed once it has entered the bloodstream."

Aurora went silent.

Dane watched her look down.

The veins had reached the base of her neck.

Her fingers slowly closed around the wound again, but this time she didn’t scratch at it. She simply held herself there, staring at the black lines spreading beneath her skin.

"Screaming won’t make the curse leave your body, Aurora."

She looked up at him.

The hatred was still there.

So was the fear.

But for once, she had nothing to throw back at him.

Around them, the courtyard had fallen into a strange silence. Food had been scattered across the grass. Broken glasses and plates lay among overturned tables and chairs. The lights still hung between the trees, glowing over the wreckage as though the celebration had never stopped.

And Aurora was on her knees in the middle of it, watching Hollow Death climb toward her throat.