(Amaia)

My head rests on Mintaka’s shoulder as I listen to his heart-wrenching story. A tormenting pain underscores his every word.

Squeezing his arm I let him continue.

"Firstly, I was confused at her invitation but I came. Here she stood right under this tree, surrounded by all these fallen red leaves of the maple. When her scent hit me, she became the most beautiful woman for me and I forgot the world..."

He woundedly smiles to himself, reliving the memory that he holds so dear.

"A blissful year I spent with her, and I thought I was the happiest man in the world. Until the attack came. Being a warrior, she fought on the front lines while I was held back because I was younger and lacked the full training we are going through now." His regrets are so clear in his words. I place a kiss on his rigid shoulder.

"She never came back...and that’s what the Chittering showed me, trapped me in a loop where I held her bloodied body." He draws in a painful inhale, making me wrap my arms around his waist and hug him sideways, giving him all of my warmth and love.

"I am so sorry, Min." I hold him to myself, letting him grieve. Letting him know I am here for him through this.

We stand there for so long, lost in each other’s arms and presence.

The silence falls around us and it becomes too quiet. The insects stop chirping and the air stills. An unholy feeling prickles my senses and I lift my head from his shoulder.

Mintaka has his face lowered, staring towards the ground but my eyes scan all around.

And then I hear it, the same loud rattling sound of the Chittering.

My heart falls into my stomach.

Sharply, I turn and find myself face to face with not one but two fucking Chitterings. Like dark curtains of a void with their hideous limbs and compound eyes they are staring at us, hovering around the treehouse.

Instantly I close my eyes before they can trap me.

My hold tightens around Mintaka; he is in such a vulnerable state, and they are probably here to feed off his fears. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Close your eyes, Min," I whisper, feeling his body going extremely rigid in my hold. But the stubborn man doesn’t listen and he suddenly turns to face them, pushing me back.

He can’t fight them like that, without his wolf, who is still broken from the trauma.

"Stay behind me, Amaia," he sternly says, trying not to make eye contact with the creatures.

To my surprise, Mintaka begins to transform, not into his wolf but into his incubus. The horns grow on his head and dark wings with blue lines that run like glowing veins the entirety of his wingspan shoot out of his back.

They flutter like the wings of a gigantic bat.

Instantly he takes flight and attacks one of the Chittering.

The other one just hovers on the other side as Mintaka clashes with one.

He lets out a horrid screech while the Chittering swings its chitinous limb at Mintaka.

I don’t even have my weapon and I can’t let my mate face these hideous creatures alone. He is not even in the right frame of mind.

Shaking, I grab the ladder and begin to climb down. Jumping halfway I land on the ground hard and let out a loud scream.

"Help!" My shouts are followed by three loud sirens which ominously echo through the night air.

Are we under attack?

Picking myself up I go around the huge tree behind which my mate is clashing with the Chittering. Horrible screeches escape the creature as the Incubus swoops low, a shadow of leathery wings and malevolent grace, its claws scraping the face of the skittering horror.

The Chittering uses its needle-teeth and claws to close the distance in a blur; mind-numbing static and shrill sounds follow. It buries its teeth in the side of the Incubus. He fights back with a powerful beat of his wings. Setting itself free, the Incubus tries to land another attack not with its claws, but with a psychic wave of pure despair that makes the Chittering falter for a single second. He sinks his obsidian claws deep into the chitinous gaps of its enemy’s shoulder.

To my horror, Chittering’s protruding limb, formed from hundreds of alive insects, sinks into his wing and hurls him to the ground with such force that it produces a bang.

"Nooo!" I find myself rushing towards my mate. Dropping near him I gather him in my arms, shielding him with my body. I turn my back against the Chitterings who hover just above us like ominous black clouds of insects and nightmares.

Two sentinels come rushing to our aid but they don’t make it to us before being ripped apart by the Chitterings in front of my very eyes.

I swallow my screams.

But these grotesque creatures don’t attack us, just hover as if waiting.

The terror creeps not only into my heart but crawls all the way to my soul. I wait for it to attack but I hear our names being called.

"Amaia! Mintaka!" It’s Alnilam. My eyes focus and I watch him rushing towards us with Saiph in tow.

The horror, as fresh as the sight, is etched on their faces. Their feet thunder on the ground, their legs synchronise, pushing them towards us.

The rattling grows louder above and behind me, my heart thumps even louder while Mintaka transforms back in my hold with his eyes whited out and body trembling, bleeding, drenching my white dress in crimson.

"Close your eyes, Amaia." Alnilam reaches me first and kneels. Horror so prevalent on his face and eyes. They drift from me to his brother.

"He is alive," I barely whisper and he stiffly nods.

"Stay with him and close your eyes. Don’t turn back," he instructs, grabbing two streaks of his hair, he pulls and they come off his head and swiftly mould into a bow and quiver of silvery arrows.

Rising like a silvery mist, holding the bow and arrow, my mate covers me and boldly faces the Chitterings.

My terrified eyes waver towards Saiph, who already has his scythe in his hands, ready to swing at these fuckers and end them.

His concerned but determined eyes find me for a split second and then they rise to watch the Chitterings. A frustrated sigh leaves his chest. His hardened gaze swivels all around as if he is looking at multiple enemies and not only two.

For some reason, I am sure there are more than two now...