[Maverick's POV]
I watch in horror as the ground beneath Serenity opens up, and before I can move to help her, she is falling.
"SERENITY!" I roar, rushing forward and watching as she hits the ground below and curls in on herself to protect her body from the debris that is falling.
As I hit, I start to move, rushing forward and bursting through the door to find Serenity standing with Rosco, but I don't have much time to feel relief as I take in all the blood that is covering Serenity's body.
"At least someone has some sense of urgency." He huffs, and I realize that he's referring to me. "Make sure you clean her completely before allowing her to fight."
Nodding, I continue with what I'm doing while my eyes trail forward to find the enemy just in the horizon, but to my surprise it isn't wolves that we are dealing with. Instead, they are humans clad in black cloaks, and when they lift boulders from the ground and hurl them at New Moon's packhouse, I realize that they are earth mages.
"What do you expect of mages?" I ask, getting up and feeling my wolf beginning to stir. "But since we know what they're working with, we can begin moving."
Letting out a howl, I start to shift, and once I'm in wolf form, I surge forward as a chorus of howls sounds from behind me. And as the ground beneath my feet starts to shake, I know that the others are joining.
'Don't do anything stupid.' I hear Rosco's voice say in my head. 'Don't get yourself killed by trying to play the hero.'
Not play the hero. How could he say such a thing when Serenity was running beside me, moving into danger headfirst like the rest of us?
'Iknow.' I snap.
Of course, I knew that, and there was no fucking way I was willingto leave her to live this life alone.
Together, we tumble to the ground, both of us fighting for dominance, and to my surprise, this mere human is much stronger than expected, but I am stronger.
Drawing on all my power, I slam the mage against the ground and then drag my claw along his faceas one of his buddies wraps his arms around my neck.
At my words, my comrades move back and then begin to scan the area, and when I'm certain thatthey find the ones they're looking for, they move.
Satisfied that this change should help us gain the upper hand, Iextend my senses until I feel a familiar presence amongst them. However, the one I'm feeling shouldn't be on that side; he should be ours.
What's with that smug expression? I think inwardly, beginning to weave my way through the fighting. Don't tell me… No fucking way.
Realizing that we had a traitor amongst us this whole time, I shift into my human form and surge forward, grabbing Forrest's shirt and slamming his body against a tree.
"And if I was?" He asks, completely unfazed. "What about it?"
What about it? That was a stupid fucking question.
"Why wouldn't he?" Forrest asks in amusement."After all, we're family."