Page 107 of Vasmora

“Give him back to her, Drefan.” I sprang to my feet. “I’ll go with you! Leave them!”

His gaze shifted toward me. “Did you think I came for you?” He let out another chuckle. “I don’t give a damn about you.” He pointed his blade toward the other wolf, who growled and paced, as if waiting for the moment she could tear into him. “I came for my trophy. The unmated bitch.” He clutched the pup close, holding the blade at its throat. “Tell you what, I’ll spare the little one, if you maul the mortal to death.”

“P-p-please. D-d-don’t hurt him,” his mother urged, shivering as her body continued to morph into human form.

I kept my back pressed to the wall as I watched the other wolf set her sights on me.

“You know better than that, Drefan. Death vill spare her and take another,” the bloodbinder warned from where he’d tucked himself between a boulder and the cave wall not far from me.

Drefan smiled. “Not a bite.”

“D-d-don’t, Verena,” the mother wolf pleaded. “P-p-protect them.”

The wolf responded with a cross between a growl and a whine, as if it didn’t know what to do.

“Shut your blithering mouth.” In a flash of steel, Drefan brought the sword down on the human form of the mother’s neck, severing her head from her body.

My lungs stuttered in shock.

The brown wolf tipped her head back, howling. All the pups joined in.

“Attack her! Tear her to shreds, and I’ll let every one of you go!” Drefan shouted over them.

I snapped my attention to the bloodbinder. “Do something! You have the power to stop this!”

“You ask incessantly vy I can’t break your bind. He is the keeper ov my blood magic. Loyce bestowed the powver on him years ago!”

What is taken must be given.

Realization struck me. The vial … at his neck.

“So long as he remains in possession ov it,” the bloodbinder said, as though he read my expression, “I can do nothing!”

The howls died to the lone growl of the adult wolf.

“Try to kill me,” I gritted out.

The bloodbinder frantically shook his head.

“Do it! It’ll harm him, not you!”

Drefan shifted the pup in his arms and held the weapon outstretched. From where I stood, I caught a flash of gold at his neck, the chain disappearing into his collar.

Something massive pounded against the wall where the entrance had stood, knocking dust from the cave ceiling, breaking my stare.

Ignoring it, Drefan turned his attention back to the other wolf. “What say you, sweetheart? You can save all the cubs. All you have to do is rip the human’s throat out.”

The wolf prowled closer, saliva dripping from its incisors.

A thrum of fear pounded through my bones as I pressed myself as close to the wall as I could. “I don’t know if you understand me.” I spoke low, voice trembling, not entirely sure she could even hear me. “The vial at his neck. I can kill him.”

The wolf stood only inches away from me, so close, I could feel the heat of her breath. She quickly pivoted back around, barreling straight for Drefan. At the last second, she veered left, dodging the swing of his sword and lashed out a claw.

The gold chain flew toward the wall at his back and smacked against the stone before it fell to the ground.

Drefan let out a roar of frustration, cupping his neck, and hurled the pup toward the ground.

The poor runt yelped as it smacked against the stones, tumbling away, and I quickly scampered for it. A flash of light stopped me in my tracks, bolts of lightning crossing my path.