Mortal Masks

Chapter Forty One

His hunter's dagger was in his hand without hesitation. Before he truly understood what was happening, he was ready, the fear-filled screams sounding around him causing his grip on the weapon to tighten.

"It's the rogues!" Jeno summarises breathlessly, before he's instantly shifting into his wolf form, eyes searching the expansive space they've found themselves in.

The ring of trees surrounding the ring of houses belonging to the coven lay as the boundary to this now-arena. They were all out in the open, and Jaemin knew the wolves wouldn't hesitate to storm into the houses to retrieve whatever it is they came here for.

Messengers.

They needed messengers to perform their freaky fusion of two incredibly strong races. And that was not going to happen today.

Jaemin scans the lush grove the celebration was being held in. Snarling wolves were entering the sacred space from a small opening between two houses to the East, barging into the grassy space and spreading fear in their wake. Immediately, his mind was whirring, creating a plan of action.

"Messengers gather to the East, cut off their entry!" He roars, and from the corner of his eye, he already sees Donghyuck sprinting to where wolves swarm the bottleneck into the magical cove.

His hands push out in front of him as he skids to a stop. However, before he has the chance to call upon the elements, a dark grey wolf is launching itself at the coven's heir.

Donghyuck doesn't falter, as his stance stays determined, but from over his shoulder, Mark, now in his wolf form, glides through the air, colliding with the rogue wolf in a fit of hissing and slashing claws. They hit the ground, rolling and tousling, as the trees around them begin shaking.

With a deep groan, the trees awaken, their branches shifting and extending. Quickly, Shotaro and Chenle are by Donghyuck's side, their hands reaching out towards the row of trees before them, and together, they command their influence over the towering markers.

Intricately, the branches begin to intertwine together, thickening and blocking the path into the open space full of messengers, trapping some wolves in, but most of them out.

But the three of them don't stop there. They keep going, keep calling on Mother Nature to help them protect their people, and so the tree branches continue to grow, to become firm as they wrap around the ring of houses, creating an impenetrable barrier, a shield to stop any other wolves from entering.

Still, it was chaos within.

With the trees creating a thick shield that was now growing high into the sky, blocking out the late sun, shadows pooled on the grass, and Jaemin's eyes took a moment to adjust to his slightly darker surroundings. Messengers were running wild, crying, screaming, at the wolves that chased them.

He tried to keep track of all of his friends, but it was near impossible. And then, he saw his father. Yuta must've followed them, his instincts knowing something wasn't quite right. Across the way, he was sprinting, a young girl in his arms, as Jaehyun and Doyoung were close behind, each holding the hand of a child or helping the elderly move towards a group of messengers huddled across the other side of the space.

They were hunched over near to the barrier, and if Jaemin really focused he could see the trees by them gently swaying as Yuta passed the little girl over to a middle aged woman who thanked him profusely before both of them slipped through the trees. It became obvious to him that they were trying to get the vulnerable to safety.

And what he saw next just confirmed that.

Where the wolves were gathered, having just crashed the celebration and were now stuck within the ring of trees, Donghyuck's grandma was like a beacon, drawing all attention her way- and away from the attempted escape happening on the other side of the circle.