OUTLANDISH (END)

Chapter 10

The clash of battle grew louder, the streets filled with snarls, screams, and the relentless sound of combat.

The scent of blood hung thick in the air, mingling with the smoke from the fires that spread through the city.

Werewolves and Lumina vampires fought side by side, tearing into the Harkons with everything they had.

Joss shifted between his human and wolf form with ease, his claws and teeth shredding through flesh while Gawin’s blade gleamed in the firelight, each strike clean and deadly.

They were a lethal combination, their movements synchronized as if they had been fighting side by side for years.

In the midst of it all, Joss glances at Gawin. The vampire’s usually composed face was focused, his brow furrowed in concentration, yet there was something else there—something raw, something that made Joss’s heart pound harder than the battle should have.

And then, for just a split second, Gawin caught him looking. His cool, detached demeanor faltered.

The cracks in him became visible, and for that brief moment, Joss saw something in his eyes—a flicker of something deeper, something dangerous.

But the battlefield wasn’t the place for this. Not now.

“You’re gonna get yourself killed if you keep staring at me,” Gawin quipped, deflecting an attack with a swift slash of his sword, his voice strained but still managing its trademark sarcasm.

Joss let out a breathless laugh, slamming a Harkon into the ground with a growl. “Can’t help it. You’ve got that whole brooding vampire thing down to a science.”

“Glad to know I’m distracting you,” Gawin shot back, sidestepping a blow with ease. “But maybe focus on the bloodthirsty killers around us.”

“Can’t make any promises.”

For a moment, the tension between them almost overshadowed the fight—almost.

But then a Harkon vampire lunged at Gawin from behind, and Joss reacted instinctively, shifting into his wolf form and tackling the vampire to the ground before it could land a blow.

His teeth sank into Harkon's neck, tearing it apart before the vampire could even scream.

Gawin turned, his eyes flashing as he caught Joss in his wolf form, panting and bloodied from the kill.

Their eyes locked, and for a split second, it was just the two of them, everything else fading away—the fight, the chaos, the bloodshed.

But the moment was shattered by a feral scream, and Joss whipped his head around just in time to see the real threat—the Harkon leader—charging toward them, his face twisted in fury.

He was moving faster than before, a blur of rage and power, and both Joss and Gawin barely had time to react.

Joss shifted back into human form, standing shoulder to shoulder with Gawin as the Harkon leader bore down on them.

The vampire’s eyes glowed with malevolent glee, his fangs bared in a snarl that sent a chill down Joss’s spine.

“You think you can stop me?” the Harkon leader hissed, his voice thick with arrogance. “This city is mine.”

“Over my dead body,” Joss growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The Harkon leader’s grin widened. “That can be arranged.”

With a roar, the Harkon leader lunged at them, his claws outstretched.

Joss and Gawin moved together, their bodies instinctively aligning as they prepared to face him. But the leader was faster, stronger than the others.

Every blow they landed seemed to bounce off him, his body barely registering the hits.

Gawin’s blade slashed across the leader’s chest, but the vampire barely flinched.

Joss’s claws raked down his back, but the wounds closed almost as quickly as they were made.

The Harkon leader was an ancient monster, unlike anything they had faced before.

For the first time, Joss felt the creeping edge of doubt. Could they really defeat him?

The fight was brutal, every second more desperate than the last.

Joss could feel his strength waning, the adrenaline that had been fueling him slowly fading.

Gawin, too, was showing signs of fatigue, his movements just a fraction slower, his breathing more labored.

The Harkon leader sensed it, his laughter ringing out as he circled them like a predator toying with its prey. “You’re weak,” he taunted. “I can smell your fear.”

“Shut up,” Joss spat, his eyes blazing with fury. “You’re not winning this.”

“Oh, but I already have.”

With blinding speed, the Harkon leader struck, his claws sinking deep into Joss’s side.

Joss let out a strangled gasp, pain exploding through his body as he staggered back. He could feel the blood pouring from the wound, hot and thick, but he refused to go down.

Before the leader could deliver a finishing blow, Gawin was there, his sword flashing in the firelight as he drove it into the Harkon leader’s shoulder.

The vampire roared in pain, momentarily distracted, and Joss used the opportunity to shift, his wolf form lunging at the leader with renewed ferocity.

Joss’s raw power and Gawin’s deadly precision combining into a whirlwind of fury. Every blow was coordinated, every strike perfectly timed as they pushed the Harkon leader back.

But even as they gained the upper hand, Joss could feel his strength fading. His vision blurred, the pain in his side intensifying with every movement.

Gawin was holding his own, but Joss knew they couldn’t keep this up much longer.

“We need to end this,” Gawin growled, his voice strained.

Joss nodded, panting heavily as he circled the Harkon leader. “Any brilliant ideas?”

Gawin’s eyes narrowed, his gaze locking on the leader’s chest. “The heart,” he said. “It’s the only way.”

Joss glanced at him, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “You stab, I’ll distract?”

Gawin’s lips curled into a grim smile. “Deal.”

With a roar, Joss charged at the Harkon leader, drawing his attention away from Gawin.

The leader snarled, lashing out with his claws, but Joss was faster, ducking beneath the blow and raking his own claws across the vampire’s chest.

It was enough of a distraction for Gawin to move in, his blade aimed directly at the leader’s heart.

For a split second, everything slowed. Joss could see the Harkon leader’s eyes widen in realization, could feel the tension in the air as Gawin’s sword plunged forward. And then, with a sickening crunch, the blade pierced the vampire’s chest, burying itself deep in his heart.

The Harkon leader let out a strangled gasp, his body jerking as the life drained from him. His eyes dimmed, his once-powerful form collapsing to the ground in a heap.

It was over.

Joss stood there, panting heavily, his body trembling with exhaustion. Gawin, too, was breathing hard, his sword still embedded in the Harkon leader’s chest.

For a moment, there was silence. The battle around them seemed to fade, the only sound the crackle of the distant flames and their ragged breathing.

Joss turned to Gawin, their eyes meeting in the flickering firelight. Despite everything, despite the pain and the blood and the exhaustion, that pull between them was stronger than ever.

And in that moment, Joss knew that this fight—this war—was far from over.

For either of them.