Orion didn't see the blade until it was too late.
Steel kissed flesh.
A sharp snikt tore through the air — and then a guttural, pained snarl.
The massive black wolf stumbled mid-charge, just as he lunged to intercept one of the men who had broken from the group and made a desperate sprint toward Megan. His back leg buckled as Garron's blade slashed deep into his flank. Blood sprayed against the cold cave walls — dark, thick, and steaming.
"Orion!" Megan's scream cracked the cavern like lightning.
Before she could move, a second sword drove deep into Orion's side, sinking between ribs with a sickening crunch.
His roar became a choking snarl, his body twisting violently. He slammed into the man who had stabbed him, sending him flying into the rocky wall with a thud — but Orion staggered backward immediately after, his massive frame shaking, legs trembling.
"No — no!" Megan cried, her voice shredded with panic.
