With a silver bullet in his chest, Alpha Damon snarled at the intense pain. But he continued to fight with the beast in front of him. He was panicking; he could feel Aila's life draining away from being shot. The Alpha tackled the beast down and punctured its chest with his claws, instantly ripping its heart out.

Damon looked back at Aila's limp body flopped over the car seat, her legs draped on the muddy ground. He dodged out of the way from another beast, one that Kane was attacking. The Alpha did not waste any more time as he raced towards his mate.

​​

At the same time he was approaching her, another four shots were released into the air, and he staggered into the car, his blood splattered on the windows. He gripped at the doorframe to where Aila was, and his claws screeched down the metal from where he tried to keep himself up.

But his body flopped to the ground.

**

Ajax emerged from the woods in his human form; his hands and face were coated in blood from some hunters he chased off. He picked up a handgun from one of the bodies on the ground. Gunshots were echoing in the forest, and he knew now they were aiming at their group and not the beasts. He noted how they suddenly stopped attacking the hunters and turned around robotically in search of them.

Ajax was quick to avoid their detection, turning into a fly and hiding on a tree as they raced past. But now, as he walked towards their cars, he could see those same beasts attacking Luther, Vinnie and Kane. He pointed the gun with a shaky hand, but then his eyes landed on the two bodies next to the car.

Aila and Damon!

Without hesitation, he inhaled deeply and aimed correctly, his hands stilling as he pulled the trigger. He kept pulling the trigger until the round was out, and the beasts dropped to the ground. Unfortunately, though, there was one beast left he had not shot at, and it ripped a chunk of flesh from Luther's leg before jumping back out of his way. Ajax threw the handgun at its head in an attempt to distract it, which it did, providing Vinnie and Kane with a chance to simultaneously rip its heart out and head off.

"Stay in the car!"

"No, please! Don't leave!"

Ajax spun around to see Chiara slamming the door shut on a child and round the other side of the car. He instantly followed her. If she was leaving the children without protection, then someone needed help. The shapeshifter felt torn, but his body instinctively followed her, Aila and Damon were in trouble, but he couldn't let Chiara get hurt. He couldn't!

Ajax knew she could take care of herself, but it was chaotic tonight.

Bodies were piling up. Finn was already taken by them, Chase was shot and resting in the car, unaware of the world around him, as high as a kite, and Aila and Damon, the strongest out of the werewolves, were lying on the cold earth. He knew they weren't dead but would be at death's door soon.

But it was Chiara. His fearsome warrior needed backup.

He dashed in the same direction the Gamma went and stopped after assessing the scene. Gabriel was surrounded by those beasts. Chiara tackled one down in her human form while the vampire ripped another in half with his bare hands.

Remind me not to piss him off again.

The king smirked but swiftly moved onto the next beast. Ajax shifted and pounced on the other beast that swung down towards Chiara's unprotected back. He hissed as it stood tall on its hind legs, swinging a clawed paw towards him, but Ajax rolled out of the way and circled him, looking for an opening at its neck. He leapt forwards, but unlike most werewolves who were normally slower than his panther form, it spun in incredible speed and clamped its own jaw into Ajax' neck.

The beast whipped its head to the side, and Ajax smashed into a tree with a crack. His body rippled from the pain shooting through his spine, and he shifted on the spot into his usual form; breaking his bones was the best thing to do to heal quicker. That still didn't mean he could move from his position on the ground.

He stared up at the approaching brown beast, baring its sharp teeth, snarling at him as it approached him with the intent to kill. It reached down then stopped. Its teeth snapped together before dropping on the ground. Chiara stood there, holding its heart in her hands.

She dropped it and rushed to his side, stroking some of his hair back from his face with her non bloodied hand. "You silly fool," She cried, "Why did you do that!? I was fine!"

Ajax smiled weakly, "You can't take on everything.."

Multiple gunshots blasted into the air. Gabriel took cover, but Chiara and Ajax were covered by the tree. Chiara looked around warily before looking down at Ajax; her usually guarded dark blue eyes were filled with swirling emotions. "Come on. We can't stay here. Gabriel, can you help me get him up?" She asked softly before caressing Ajax' sharp cheekbone.

**

On the other side of the cars, Damon managed to reach his hand out to hold Aila's wrist. Her pulse was weak; he searched her mind and found it blank. She was unconscious, and her wolf was trapped. There was wolfsbane in her system. How?

He groaned as he moved to sit up, leaning against the car. His breaths came out harsh.

I've been fucking shot four times now.

Darius was raging, but his cries were slowly diminishing. What's this? His body was burning up. Wolfsbane? Panic struck him then; if his wolf was down, then his healing would take even longer..

Damon grasped at the dirt beneath his hand, trying to gain the strength to push himself up. But he could feel his body growing weaker. Damon tensed up his muscles and prepared to get up. He needed to get him and Aila out there. He could still hear the fighting going on, weren't those beasts dealt with already?

His consciousness was slowly fading as his body fell to the side. The floor felt like a warm cushion embracing him. If he moved, it caused pain, so he should lie there a while.

No! I need Aila!

Aila..

Where was she again? I need to get up! Stop being a pussy and get up! I can feel her pain..

Damon's groan filled with a growl at his own predicament. He pushed past the black and white dots covering his vision, pushing up from the ground with his sight going. His mate needed him.

CRUNCH!

Something smacked him in the face causing his nose to break under the force. Was it a boot? Damon couldn't move now with his face throbbing, his body on fire and pain ripping through every part of his body. He felt his hair being tugged up, but his head drooped forwards, barely able to keep it up, even with someone's hand tearing into his scalp. His eyes were slowly closing.

Aila..

His eyes snapped open.

"It seems you cannot help your mate. You are unworthy for my precious Aila."

Two men with blonde hair appeared in front of him. No, it was the same man; his vision was seeing double. The man came closer, "But do not worry, I will take good care of her," He whispered in his ear. Damon reached out, grabbing at his face and trying to crush the man's skull in his hands, but he stepped back, and Damon dropped to the ground. His neck was pricked, and a cold liquid instantly set aflame his being. His body shook, skin burned and the last of what he was holding onto faded into the background.

Wolfsbane

He..

Needed…

Aila…