[Trent]The ground shifted under our feet more violently and we all knew it meant the demon was breaking through. Instead of being afraid, all our warriors dug in and prepared to fight. They were still being inspired by the words the goddess gave them through me. It felt as if she had a hand on my shoulder. The goddess was with us in this fight.When the flattened earth gave way to a clawed hand, the trolls started stomping. The grip on my shoulder became stronger. The goddess was saying not yet. After a second hand came out, followed by the demon/Oberon’s head, the trolls and larger fae attacked. They got ahold of his long hair and wrapped it around themselves while pulling it to keep him from moving further. The goddess’ hand disappeared from my shoulder. Victor led half of the vampires in while I led about half of the werewolves. The goal was to wound the demon as much as we could. The other half would come in when we needed them. While the trolls and larger fae held him down, vampires and werewolves slashed at any skin we could reach. I would rather fight a hundred smaller men than one giant one. This wasn’t ideal. He was still crawling out of the ground, albeit slower than before, despite the efforts of the trolls and larger fae to stop him. The demon’s skin was tough and difficult to penetrate, but we kept at it. It lashed out at us, but its movements weren’t too fast. We were able to dodge when it tried to grab us or slap us away. I watched as my pack mates fought fearlessly alongside me their eyes focused and determined. Their movements were in unison, like a well-oiled machine. The scent of blood and sweat filled my nostrils, but I pushed it aside, focusing solely on the demon before me.As we attacked, the demon got itself halfway out of the ground. It was time for Spencer to step in. I couldn’t look around to see where he was, but I could hear him murmuring something in Latin somewhere. He was praying. I forgot about doing that while we fought. It was hard to remember when I had never done it while actively fighting someone. I began chanting my own prayer to the goddess as I slashed at the demon. Soon, the others followed suit. We prayed to the goddess, asking for her guidance and protection during this battle. We asked for her strength- physical and mental - and courage to help us face our foe. In order to continue defending our home, we asked her to bless us with victory.The smell of copper filled the air, and I knew that something had changed. I slashed at the demon’s face and the wound didn’t close immediately after my claws left it. Others started looking more encouraged as the wounds they inflicted stopped closing almost immediately. Upon realizing he was taking damage, the demon started fighting harder. The trolls were holding it much easier now that they’d started praying. There was a sudden shriek from the demon and it pushed itself out of the hole in one go. As it struggled to its feet, the demon shook the larger fae free of its hair. Several of them started floating down to the ground instead of falling. The earth met others on their descent as pillars shot up out of the ground. The earth grabbed them when they hit it and lowered them gently. I looked up at the demon as it towered over us. Spencer was hanging off its back, dangling from the handle of his sword, which was lodged in the demon’s back. He twisted his sword, making it shriek again, and his weight pulled the blade down the demon’s back until he was low enough to remove his weapon and jump to the ground safely. Despite the wound on its back, the demon was still standing and ready to fight. Its eyes were now filled with rage and bloodlust as it fixed its gaze on Spencer. The rest of us continued to attack.The demon swung its massive arms, hitting anything in its path. The ground shook beneath our feet with each blow, making it difficult to keep our balance. I knew we needed to end this quickly before more damage was done.Warriors scattered. Magic started being flung at the creatures. Groups of fighters rotated in as others pulled the wounded off to the side of the battle. We did as much damage as we could when the demon was down low enough we could hit its vital parts. Now it was up to Spencer and the witches. A kick from the demon’s massive leg scattered many of our forces. Some dodged, but others hadn’t been able to move out of the way. I went to grab someone before the demon could step on them and ended up in the path of his next big kick, sending me flying into the trees. As I landed in the bushes, I could feel the pain coursing through my body. My bones ached, and I could feel bruises forming all over my skin. Yet I knew I had to get back up and keep fighting.I struggled to get back on my feet, my vision blurry and my head spinning. But the sight that met my eyes when I finally got up was one that filled me with hope. Everyone was working together. The witches who weren’t on the offensive were working to protect others and get the injured out of the way, so they weren’t hurt worse or killed. Trolls banded together to hold the demon’s legs down. I knew they weighed a lot, so it was no surprise to see that this hindered the movement of the demon. Rock was tending to injured trolls, using his magic to patch them up with stones and earth. It would ensure they had magic to use later in the battle if they didn’t use it all up trying to heal themselves. The demon froze and tilted its head as if it were hearing something. I stayed back to redirect our forces if we needed to. The demon worked to shake off the trolls as it headed into the woods. I didn’t understand why it went that way. There was nothing there except the clearing where people parked. Rock and several of the earth witches tried to erect a barrier, but the demon broke through it. That wasn’t where we sent the wounded. Why was it going that way? Rock was yelling at the witches, and they were casting magic to distract the demon. It took me longer than I liked before I remembered what he said earlier. Austin, Carmen, and Matt were in the parking lot in his truck because they couldn’t escape. I linked the pack warriors to head in that direction and tell anyone else to go that way. Then I linked Carmen and Austin, to let them know to get out of the truck and hide. Carmen replied that they were moving as I ran toward where they were. Even if Matt was a rogue, Carmen and Austin were my people. Saving them was one of my biggest priorities. I rushed ahead of the demon as much as my still-healing body would let me. I needed to get them away from where he was heading. What still made little sense was why it was heading in that direction. Maybe he was hoping to use some vehicles as weapons. Throwing cars and trucks would be dangerous. When I reached the parking area, I saw Carmen and her dad ducking down under some tall bushes. The way they were tucked up, they wouldn’t be visible from above. I didn’t see Austin, though. All the other scents made it difficult, but I eventually found him. Austin was hiding around the back of a thick tree with a large canopy of foliage over it. He was crouched down, trying to make himself as small as possible. I could hear his heart beating erratically, and I could see the fear in his eyes. I dashed over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.“It’s okay, Austin,” I whispered. “We’re going to get you out of here.”“It sounds huge. Oh, goddess, Alpha. I think I can see it,” he hissed. I turned back in the direction I’d come from. He wasn’t wrong. The top of the demon’s head was visible as it struggled to get to where we were. “Come on. I’ll take you somewhere safe,” I replied. Gathering him up, we rushed to where Matt and Carmen huddled. I picked Carmen up. Matt stood and Austin helped Matt climb up on his back so Austin could carry him. “If he gets too heavy, leave him,” I told Austin. “I’m sorry for what I said and what I did, Trent. At the time, I thought I was right. I know now that I wasn’t. Carmen told me you would be willing to hear me out,” Matt said. “You abandoned your pack, your family, and your goddess, Matt. This isn’t the time to make amends with me. Austin, you heard me. He can figure it out himself. I was as generous with my forgiveness as I could manage.”“Yes, Alpha,” Austin answered. We made our way through the forest, trying to put as much distance between ourselves and the demon as possible. The sounds of battle echoed in the distance and my heart raced with fear for my pack mates. But I couldn’t let it show. I had to be strong for them.Finally, we came to a small cave hidden amongst the rocks. It was small and built into the bottom of a small cliff face. I rushed into it with Carmen in my arms, only to find it occupied. “Alpha, how nice of you to come for a visit. You had better not have led that creature to my daughter,” Rhett said from the darkened back end of the cave. Several small lights lit up and started dancing around the ceiling of the cave. Dolly was standing behind Rhett, staring at us. That answered Rock’s question of where they went. “Rhett, this is not the time for your games,” I replied, my eyes narrowing as I set Carmen down gently on the ground.Rhett stepped forward, his eyes glowing red in the dim light of the cave. “Games? I assure you, Alpha, I am not playing any games. I simply came here to protect my daughter. And it seems you have brought danger to our doorstep.”“There was no other place to hide and I don’t think the demon saw me come in here. If I can leave them with you, I’ll go back into the fight. Please. I don’t have anywhere else to take them.” He looked at Carmen and Austin as the red light in his eyes faded. Rhett nodded. “Dolly likes Austin. Plus, I’m assuming Carmen’s father was the wolf that she knew when the cult had her. That means the men are also important to her. I would have only accepted Carmen if not for that. Go, Alpha. Your wolves can stay with us,” he told me. I set Carmen down and Matt got off Austin’s back. Briefly, I hugged my pack members before I left the little cave. Thank the goddess I got them somewhere safe. The demon was still heading toward the parking area, so I set off in that direction. Now that Rock and I didn’t have to worry about something happening to Carmen and Austin, we could focus on the fight. With luck, we would win and everyone would get to go home.