Chapter 409: Help Arrives

(Some minutes before)

Ronan barely had time to register the thunder of paws before instinct dragged his gaze toward the blur of motion tearing through the clearing.

Seven wolves.

Relief slammed into his chest so hard it almost hurt.

One of the wolves broke from the formation immediately, veering toward the Trihydra that had Darek cornered. The wolf moved with ruthless confidence, weaving between snapping heads and coiling scales with practiced precision.

Ronan’s breath caught.

He knew that wolf. Ronan had even trained him at some point before he entered the ranks.

Renald... Ethan’s wolf. Ethan was here.

Even in motion, Renald carried the unmistakable dominance of a seasoned fighter — shoulders low, movements economical, timing flawless. He darted beneath the Trihydra’s striking arc, fangs flashing as he tore into the softer seam beneath one of its throats, forcing the massive serpent to recoil in a violent hiss.

Darek didn’t hesitate.

He surged forward, spear driving into the exposed opening Renald had created. The Trihydra shrieked, its heads thrashing wildly as black venom sprayed across the snow.

Two other wolves split off toward Sam.

They shifted mid-run, bodies folding and reforming in fluid flashes of muscle and light. Ronan’s eyes widened as familiar figures emerged from the blur.

Bianca and Joren.

They landed hard in the snow and moved instantly, no hesitation, no wasted motion.

One tidebreaker reared up to strike Sam again — and Bianca was already on it.

She launched herself forward, axe flashing in a brutal slash that bit into the creature’s vulnerable joint. The tidebreaker screamed, its massive limb buckling awkwardly.

Sam didn’t waste the opening.

She lunged, sword driving deep into the exposed weak point, twisting viciously as the creature collapsed with a heavy, bone-rattling crash.

Joren slid low beneath the second tidebreaker’s sweeping limb, his shortswords gleaming as he buried both blades into the softer underbelly seam. Bianca followed through immediately, slamming her weight into the creature’s upper structure and driving it sideways.

The tidebreaker convulsed violently before going still.

Ronan exhaled sharply, awe burning through the chaos.

They moved like they’d trained together their entire lives. And he knew they had only trained.

He wondered how they got here and how they were even able to fight like they had faced these beasts before.

Meanwhile, one of the remaining wolves broke toward Gregory and Jeffrey — but it barely made three strides before a massive direwolf intercepted it with a thunderous snarl.

The two beasts collided in a brutal clash of teeth and fur, rolling violently across the snow in a storm of snapping jaws and blood.

The wolf twisted free and launched itself back into the fight while the remaining two wolves redirected toward Gregory and Jeffrey instead.

One shifted mid-run.

Micah.

Ronan recognized the broad shoulders immediately as Micah ripped free two axes from his back in one smooth motion and hurled them forward with devastating force. Both axes slammed into the legs of a Skylur, biting deep into dense muscle.

The massive beast stumbled with a furious roar.

The second wolf — smaller, faster — leapt straight up the Skylur’s flank, claws digging into thick fur as she climbed with feral agility. Her jaws clamped onto the creature’s neck, teeth sinking deep.

Gregory’s eyes were wide with shock, but only for a moment, as he released a loud laugh in delight.

He had trained these wolves that were now coming to his aid, and he couldn’t be more proud.

He surged forward, axe rising high before coming down in a brutal arc that cleaved into the Skylur’s skull. The beast collapsed in a thunderous heap.

They didn’t slow.

Together, they pivoted immediately toward the second Skylur that was fighting Jeffrey, swarming it from three angles — Micah retrieved his axes and hacked at its hind legs while the smaller wolf harried its neck, and Gregory drove relentless overhead strikes.

Jeffrey attacked the Skylur’s exposed chest as they all worked together to take it down.

The Skylur barely had time to retaliate before it went down in a screaming collapse.

For a fleeting heartbeat, hope ignited like wildfire across the battlefield.

Even Darius froze.

He turned slowly, eyes widening as he took in the sudden shift — beasts falling, coordinated strikes, unfamiliar warriors tearing through the chaos.

This wasn’t part of the plan. Honestly, the beasts showing up wasn’t even part of his plan. His plan had been to get what was in the cave... the first priest, but then he had stumbled upon some people when two of his soldiers had gone missing.

And then Ronan had showed up. He followed Victoria’s orders — at least that was what he planned to do. She had told him to get rid of any disturbance, and he was especially glad when he saw Ronan.

His scar irritated him. Ronan’s brother had given it to him, and he hated seeing it on his face. He hated looking into the mirror and seeing it every day. It reminded him of that night, and while he had enjoyed killing Ryker, he hated that the scar remained on his face as evidence that Ryker had touched him and not left him unscathed.

This mission was supposed to be easy. There should have been no distractions. At least not to this extent. He thought it was only Ronan and his little group — that would have been easy to get rid of with the help of the beasts.

He didn’t care what had summoned them, although he suspected the beast from the cave had done it. It wasn’t his concern. Instead, he was actually appreciative of the help from the beasts. It should have been easy with the beasts’ help. It should not have wasted time, but now there was help.

And he was very certain they came for Ronan. But why? Ronan had looked so close to giving up some minutes ago, and now... now it would change. He had help.

His face twisted in anger as he watched the young people — male and female at that. The boy who had taken down the tidebreaker didn’t even look twenty, and he was that skilled.