The Arena novel Chapter 68

The battle is fierce. I know this is Troy, even though I haven’t seen him. These creatures, there isn’t another word for them, aren’t natural. He’s created weird hybrids. No, these are mutants. My children are hybrids; this is something else entirely. It’s almost as if he tried to recreate mythological creatures but fell short. There’s a three-headed dog, or wolf, I’m not sure, a lion with bat wings, and what looks like an attempt to recreate a dragon but in a smaller, much less beautiful creature.

Troy’s werewolf warriors come in with the harpoon launcher. I watch as Kenna dodges the first two harpoons they shoot at her. While they are trying to reload, I attack them, ripping them to shreds and tearing the harpoon launcher apart.

Kenna attacks the dragon wannabe. It is no match for my daughter, who blows her fire on it, burning it alive. I jump on the back of the lion bird-thing. It has wings but doesn’t seem to be able to fly. It’s almost as if the wings hinder its movements. However, its teeth are as sharp as a lion’s, and it sinks its teeth into my arm before I can rip its throat out.

“Alpha, they’re in the packhouse!” I get an urgent mind link.

“Protect the packhouse! Protect your Luna!” I shout through the link to all my warriors.

Another wave of mutant creatures comes running in, forcing me to continue my fight outside while others race into the packhouse.

“Alpha, it’s Troy. I see hi …” He cuts off mid-sentence, and a moment later, I feel my tether to him snap.

I snarl, furious that Troy is here, after my mate, and killing my pack members. I’m about to head inside when I see another harpoon launcher making its way into the clearing.

“Kenna, watch out!” I shout at her. I watch as the first harpoon misses her. She turns to blow her fire, but the second harpoon launches, piercing her wing.

“Nooo!” I shout, rushing to take down her attackers. Kenna is screeching in pain, thrashing, trying to get away from the harpoon. In her agony, she begins blowing fire everywhere, taking out anyone that she can but setting the surrounding forest on fire.

“Kenna, stop!” I shout as I jump onto the harpoon launcher. I feel a bullet pierce my shoulder and another in my side as I tear through the new group of attackers. I’m no longer affected by wolfsbane or silver. Being mated to a dragon means I have immunity to both, so while the shots hurt like hell, they won’t take me down.

Kenna turns to me as I fight against the warriors on the harpoon launcher. She blows her fire over all of us, her flames engulfing me. For a moment, I panic, seeing nothing but red, feeling the heat of her fire, and hearing the others' screams as they burn alive. But I forgot that her fire is my fire. I look down at myself, and besides being naked, I’m unharmed.

I look around and see that our warriors are winning the battle. I jump off the remains of the harpoon launcher, rushing over to Kenna.

“Sweet girl, let me help you,” I say.

She lays her head down, and I rush up her wing as she mewls in pain. “Ready, baby girl?” I ask.

When she gives me a pitiful okay, I grab the harpoon and rip it out of her wing. This time, it grazed her side, and she’s bleeding. I jump down, ready to heal her like Tana taught me.

“I need a status check,” I shout through the mind link as I put my hands on Kenna. “I’m going to heal you,” I tell her as I wait for a response from my men.

When I don’t immediately get one, I push my fire into Kenna, watching her body heal.?

“STATUS CHECK!” I bark through the mind link. Why isn’t anyone answering me?

Bastian comes running out of the packhouse.

“Alpha! They’ve taken her. They took Luna Tana and several other she-wolves and their pups. We were able to get to them before they took everyone from the safe room, but we need you.”

Kenna steps away from me and leaps up into the sky, her wing wobbly with the unhealed tear. “Kenna!”

She doesn’t listen, she keeps flying. “MOMMA!” she screams and flies off.

I race into the packhouse and see the carnage. I can tell Tana fought hard as several warriors that are not mine lay dead on the floor around the door to the safe room.

“Find her!” I order before racing out front. I can hear Kenna screeching her frustration in the distance. When I get outside, some of my pack members look like they are about to go feral.