Chapter 13

The first wave of blood hunters hit like a storm of shadows and silver. Their blades sang through the air with lethal precision, each strike aimed to disable rather than kill. But Ethan moved with newfound grace, his transformed body responding to combat memories centuries old.

"Impressive," one of the hunters hissed as Ethan flowed around his attack. "The pup learns quickly."

The ancient knowledge guided Ethan's movements, showing him how to use his wolf form's natural advantages. He stayed low, using the tunnel's confined space to limit the hunters' numerical advantage. His enhanced senses mapped every opponent's position, while the medallion's warmth helped him track the ritual's growing influence.

Rhea fought beside him, her transformed sidearm leaving trails of silver fire in the darkness. "They're trying to separate us," she called out, dispatching a hunter with practiced efficiency. "Stay close to the maintenance shaft."

Through his enhanced vision, Ethan saw the military teams setting up their energy barriers in a precise pattern. The hunters were herding them toward those barriers, trying to create a containment zone. But the ancient memories showed him something else - the vampires' formation had a subtle flaw, one that revealed their true intention.

"They're not trying to capture us," he growled, ducking under a hunter's blade. "This is a delaying action. The ritual is their real priority."

"Very good," Lilith's voice purred from the shadows. "The old knowledge serves you well. But can you stop what's already begun?"

The harmonic resonance in the air intensified, making the runes hidden beneath Ethan's skin tingle with recognition. His newly acquired memories provided context - the blood moon ritual worked in stages, each phase drawing power from the previous one. They were already in the second phase.

"The children," he suddenly understood, memories connecting with his military intelligence training. "That's why they needed them. They're using their blood to amplify the ritual's power."

"Sacrifices are necessary," Richards' voice carried no remorse. "Their enhanced blood makes them perfect conduits. Just like your pure bloodline makes you the perfect catalyst."

Rage surged through Ethan, but this time it was different. The wolf's fury combined with tactical analysis and ancient wisdom, creating something new. His eyes flashed silver as he launched into motion, moving with deadly precision.

The first hunter never saw the attack coming. Ethan's claws traced patterns of silver light through the air - forms remembered from the first wars between wolves and vampires. The hunter's ancient blade shattered, its wielder thrown back into his companions.

"Impossible," someone whispered. "Those forms were lost centuries ago."

"Not lost," Rhea corrected, her own attacks synchronized perfectly with Ethan's movements. "Just waiting for the right blood to remember them."

The military teams opened fire, their energy weapons creating a web of deadly light. But Ethan's enhanced reflexes, guided by ancient knowledge and his military training, found the gaps in their pattern. He moved like water through their defenses, each strike combining wolf strength with tactical precision.

"The ritual chamber," he called to Rhea, ancient memories providing clarity. "It has to be in the old water treatment plant. The layout matches the ceremonial requirements."

"Very clever," Lilith's voice held a note of genuine admiration. "But knowing where we are doesn't mean you can stop us. The third phase begins soon, and then..."

A new sound cut through the chaos - a high-pitched whine that made Ethan's enhanced hearing recoil. The military's sonic weapons, but modified somehow. The hunters moved back in perfect coordination as the sound reached a painful crescendo.

The sonic assault was almost unbearable, but through the haze of pain, Ethan saw Richards gesturing at him, his lips moving in what was clearly an offer. Even without hearing the words, Ethan could read the message in his former commander's expression - surrender, or the children would suffer. Richards had always known which buttons to push.

The sonic assault threatened to overwhelm Ethan's senses, but the medallion pulsed with protective energy. More importantly, his newly acquired knowledge showed him how to adapt. His transformed body shifted stance slightly, changing how the sound waves affected him.

"They're trying to incapacitate you," Rhea observed, her own defenses holding against the assault. "They need you conscious but helpless for the ritual."

Ethan's response was to launch another attack, this time incorporating what he'd learned about their sonic weapons. The ancient combat forms flowed into modern military tactics, creating something neither vampires nor soldiers were prepared for.

"You're not the only ones who can combine old and new," he growled, his silver-flecked eyes tracking multiple targets. The runes beneath his skin pulsed with power, ready to be unleashed.

The real battle was about to begin.

[To be continued...]