Greykin Valley

| 58 | Butcher

⥐ ⋞ ☽ ⋟ ⥐

| Jackson |

Sebastien prepared to breach the steel door. Jackson's angst-ensnared heart raced in his chest, and his legs trembled. He tried to calm his nerves, but there was no telling what might happen once they got inside, and a large part of him hoped that Kane really had run off like a coward.

The winged hound prowled towards the door; Damon and Raphael lay in wait ten feet to the right, and everyone else grouped up behind them. Any second now....

"Hey, don't worry," Wilson then whispered to him. "I've got your back."

Jackson smiled as best as he could in response. He trusted Wilson, Damon, and the others to get him through, but he was still nervous. Kane had already killed four of their packmates; that wolf was insane, and Jackson didn't know what to expect. He wouldn't let his guard down, though. He had to be ready for anything.

Sebastien glanced at Raphael, and the orange wolf nodded. The hound dragged out a guttural snarl; teal smoke began seeping through his teeth, and his glowing blue eyes shined brighter. It looked like he was charging his fire. The snow around him started melting, and a mirage surrounded his body. And then he abruptly opened his mouth and fired a blinding blue ball of flames at the door.

The moment the fire collided with the steel, it sizzled and burned away like paper. Several panicked voices and loud coughs came from inside as the room filled with teal and black smoke, and before the metal had melted entirely to the ground, Raphael and Damon charged into the building.

Jackson's heart raced a little faster. He listened to the snarls, growls, and yelling voices coming from inside; he watched Sebastien hurry inside with Rianna and the rest of the wolves, and when it was time for him and Wilson to head in, his legs went stiff. But he wasn't going to fail to do his part. So he forced himself forward and towards the building, and with Wilson at his side, he stepped over the pool of melted metal and into the first room.

Raphael and Damon had already led the pack deeper inside, leaving multiple mangled, headless corpses all over the foyer. The brick walls were painted with blood, and every rifle was still stowed inside the crate sitting in the left corner. Kane's people evidently hadn't had time to grab their weapons.

"Come on," Wilson said as he walked towards the hallway which led deeper into the building.

Jackson followed him. The sound of battle echoed behind them and up ahead. But he knew that he was supposed to be focusing on finding the inimă, so he did his best to ignore the noise and concentrate on the amulet's aura.

"I'm glad you're okay," Wilson said as he walked beside Jackson. "A part of me thought I might not see you again. But I kinda also knew that I would, I mean...you're you. You always find a way to get shit done, right?" he said with a quiet laugh.

"I was worried that I took too long," Jackson replied as he stopped at the end of the hallway and looked down the left and right corridors. "I think...this way," he said as he turned to the right.

Wilson nodded and followed behind him. "Who are these new people?" he asked. "I mean...other than what we all already know from the Venaticus."

"Uh..." Jackson drawled as he felt the inimă's aura get slightly stronger once he approached a flight of stairs that led down. "The orange wolf is a Redblood like Tokala, but he's also related to Lord Caedis and the Zenith. And their Alpha, Cyrus, is as well."

"And the elf?"

"Some vampire guy who helped Lord Caedis gather information on the Holy Grail. I tried to find out what they knew, but we were in a rush." He stopped at the top of the stairs and glanced at the tiger. "The signal's coming from down there."