Nova headed straight for the gap in the stone wall. His shoes struck the ground hard, kicking up dust that made him cough, but he didn't slow down. The wolves were already behind him, their claws scraping against the maze floor as they fought to catch up. He could hear their growls over his own breathing.
The opening was barely wide enough for him to squeeze through sideways, but it was better than facing an entire pack in an open passage. If his plan worked, the wolves would have to approach one at a time.
And if it didn't, he was going to have a terrible day.
The first wolf lunged just as Nova reached the opening. He turned his shoulders and threw himself into the narrow space, feeling the rough stone scrape against his shirt. A fraction of a second later, the wolf slammed into the wall beside him. Its cry echoed through the maze, followed by an angry chorus from the others.
The second wolf tried to push its head through before he had even found his footing. Nova braced his back against the stone and drove his foot into its nose. The impact sent a sharp jolt up his leg, but the animal stumbled backward, colliding with the wolf behind it.
At last, Nova had a moment to breathe.
Outside the opening, the wolves growled and snapped at one another, each trying to reach him before the others. Their bodies crowded together, making the passage harder to enter. One clawed at the stone while another shoved against it, as though arguing over who deserved to eat him first.
Nova found himself smiling despite the pounding in his chest.
Well, look at that. They really are making this easier for me.
He had feared their speed in the open. Here, their size worked against them. A wolf could fit its head and perhaps one shoulder into the opening, but it couldn't turn properly or leap around him. If Nova kept his distance and watched their movements, he had a fighting chance.
That didn't make him safe. A single bite could still tear into his arm, and the stone behind him left little room to retreat. His legs burned from the chase, his lungs ached, and his enhanced awareness was gone. He would have to rely on ordinary senses, his training, and some luck.
Don't mess up. Don't slow down. And most importantly, don't die.
He looked around for something to use and noticed a loose rock near his foot. It was about the size of his fist, with an uneven edge that looked unpleasant enough to make a difference. He crouched quickly, grabbed it, and adjusted his grip until it sat firmly in his palm.
Not ideal, but he couldn't complain.
Another wolf pushed its head through the opening, its jaws snapping close enough for him to see the saliva stretching between its teeth. Nova pulled back, waited for the bite to close on empty air, and brought the rock down toward its skull. The blow struck near its ear. The wolf yelped and withdrew, bumping into the one waiting behind it.
"Yeah, that's right," Nova said between breaths. "Cry more, loser."
The insult didn't help matters. The wolf snarled louder, and the others answered, growing more impatient. One shoved its way to the front and tried to force its shoulders between the stones. Nova kicked it in the jaw before it could gain purchase. It staggered backward, but its leg trembled when it lowered it.
He was beginning to understand the problem with his plan. He could hold them off, at least for a while, but every kick and every swing cost him energy. The wolves might be making fools of themselves, but there were still five of them. The largest, the one Adam had struck with a rock, was farther back, recovering from the blow. The other four were still eager to tear him apart.
If I keep doing this forever, I'm the one who's going to collapse first.
The wolves continued snapping at one another outside the gap. One tried to climb over another's back and immediately slipped off, earning a furious growl in return.
Nova almost laughed.
Someone should hire these idiots for acting roles. Mollywood needs a little spice.
But the smile faded as quickly as it appeared. He could feel the sweat running down his face and collecting around his collar. His fingers ached around the rock. He couldn't keep making them retreat. He had to stop them.
The next wolf forced its way into the opening with a violent snarl. Its head and shoulders slipped farther through than the others had managed, and Nova realized he had waited too long. The animal thrust its jaws toward his chest. He twisted aside, bringing his elbow against the stone, and swung the rock as hard as he could.
The first blow struck its head. The second landed before it recovered, and the third followed when it tried to bite him again. The wolf's body sagged against the narrow walls. Nova stood over it for a moment, panting, until he was certain it had stopped moving.
He shoved it backward with his foot. The body slid out of the opening, and the wolves outside recoiled before scrambling around it.
Nova stared at the blood on his hand. The warmth of it was unpleasant, and the metallic smell reached him almost immediately. He had fought a wolf earlier in the maze, but this was different. There had been no quick opportunity to escape, no space to put between himself and the animal. He had stood close enough to feel every impact.
His stomach tightened.
I asked for danger. Well, here it is.
He didn't have long to think about it. Another wolf, the one whose nose he had kicked earlier, pushed its way over the fallen body. Its muzzle was already swollen, but the injury seemed to have done nothing to discourage it. It snapped at Nova's wrist, forcing him to drag his arm out of reach.
The rock slipped slightly in his sweaty hand. He tightened his grip and struck the wolf across the nose. It cried out, shaking its head, and he followed with another blow near its eye. The animal thrashed against the walls, trying to pull away, but the space was too narrow for it to move freely. Nova kept his balance, waited for an opening, and struck again until the wolf stopped struggling.
For a moment, the only sounds were his breathing and the growls beyond the gap.
Ew.
He looked down at his shirt. Blood, sweat, and the wolves' saliva had mixed into a disgusting mess that clung to the fabric. He felt an immediate urge to pull it away from his skin, but his hands weren't in much better condition.
This is so fucking disgusting. Thank Father I've got more of these shirts, because washing this shit off is going to take forever.
It was ridiculous to worry about while fighting for his life. He knew that, but the thought helped distract him from the smell and the bodies at his feet.
He forced the second dead wolf away from the opening and glanced beyond it. Three remained. Two were still jostling near the entrance, while the largest stood farther back, its head lowered. The rock Adam had thrown had clearly hurt it, but it was moving again.
Nova's brief relief vanished.
The next wolf charged before he had steadied his breathing. This was the one that had slammed into the wall during his escape. It was angry enough to ignore the bodies in its path, scrambling over them with its claws scraping against stone. Its jaws snapped inches from Nova's face.
He ducked and caught the sides of its head with both hands. For an instant, he felt the enormous strength in its neck as it tried to wrench free. He drove its head sideways into the wall, then did it again when it turned back toward him. The impact shook his arms. He seized the rock and struck once more before it recovered.
The wolf collapsed against the gap.
Nova stumbled backward, sucking air into his lungs. His arms felt as though they had been set on fire. His fingers were stiff, and each breath brought a sharp ache through his chest. He wanted nothing more than to sit down.
Unfortunately, the remaining two wolves didn't seem interested in granting him a break.
The smaller one came forward next. It had been the fastest to shove the others aside earlier, and it approached with its body low, studying the narrow passage instead of throwing itself straight into it. This one wasn't giving him an easy opening.
It feinted toward his left hand, then lunged at his leg.
"Oh, no, you don't."
Nova pulled his leg back and struck downward. The wolf's teeth closed on the hem of his trousers instead of his skin. The sudden tug nearly knocked him off balance, and he had to brace one shoulder against the wall to stay upright. He hit the animal once, but it held on. The second blow loosened its grip, and the third sent it slumping against the stones.
He stood there, trembling, until the jaws fell open and released his trousers.
Only the largest wolf remained.
The alpha didn't rush at him like the others. It stared through the opening, its chest rising and falling, then lowered its head and growled. Its eyes moved from Nova to the bodies piled outside the gap. Whether it understood what had happened or merely smelled the blood, Nova couldn't tell.
He stared right back, his hand tightening around the rock.
"Well?" he muttered. "Come on, then."
The wolf took a step forward, and Nova felt a familiar surge of fear. His head spun, his arms grew heavier, and he had few swings left. The alpha was bigger than the others. If it managed to force him out into the wider passage, everything he had achieved would amount to nothing.
It lunged.
Nova stepped to the side as far as the opening allowed. The wolf's shoulder scraped against the rock, slowing it for a heartbeat, and he used that moment to swing. His first blow knocked its head sideways. The second caught it as it tried to bite him. The wolf stumbled, but it didn't go down.
Seriously?
It gathered itself again, growling through bloodied teeth. Nova could barely feel his fingers now. He adjusted his grip, waited for its head to come forward, and struck a third time with everything he had left.
The alpha dropped, its body slumping into the narrow opening. Nova remained frozen for a moment, staring at it. He waited for its chest to rise or its claws to move, but neither happened.
He had done it.
All five wolves were dead.
Nova took a shaky step backward. The ground beyond the gap was littered with bodies, their fur tangled and stained with blood. The metallic smell hung heavily in the air, making him cough as he tried to draw a proper breath. He could feel something warm running down his face, though he wasn't sure whether it was his blood or the wolves'.
His arms burned with exhaustion. His legs threatened to buckle, and his head spun whenever he moved too quickly. The adrenaline that had kept him going was beginning to fade, leaving behind every ache he had been ignoring.
But he was alive.
He looked down at the rock in his hand. It had seemed like such a pathetic weapon when he picked it up, yet without it and the narrow gap, he would have stood no chance against the pack. A small laugh escaped him before he could stop it.
He let the rock fall. It struck the stone with a dull thud.
"Phew..." Nova muttered, wiping his face with a trembling hand. "That... was wonderful."