BATISTA POV
The shadows thickened, curling like smoke, darting between us. One wolf snarled and snapped at them, but his body wavered as though the fight itself drained him. He collapsed to his knees, panting.
I stopped and looked back at my men. Their eyes were hollow, their fur patchy where darkness had brushed against them. My heart twisted. They were breaking. Just like Rain.
"Listen to me!" I barked, shifting Rain's weight in my arms so I could face them. "Do not give in to this. Do not let the darkness trick you. She is fighting, and so must we. Every step you take is a step for her. Every breath you take keeps her alive. You are her strength. Do not abandon her now."
Their heads lifted, their chests heaving. Weak, yes—but not broken. They would follow me into death itself if I asked. And right now, I needed them to live.
