As the hour came and went the four of us moved silently through the woods. We moved with ease through the foliage, we moved as a single unit, myself in the middle taking point. Reaching the edge of the forest, we were met with a singular road leading into a city full of humans. Taking lead, I dropped my clothes, swiftly shifting into my human form. I twist my neck cracking the bones as I stood up from all fours and began to slip into the clothes. There were a few darker spots, wet from my saliva, but it's better than wandering into town naked. The rest of my pack shifts back, changing as well, and for the most part we looked normal; the only odd thing being we didn't exactly had shoes, too bulky to bring with us.
"Alright. Let's split up, keep to yourself, got it?" I look over to see mods of agreement before we began. Madelyn and I took the most direct path to our given point in town while the others took theirs. It was later in the morning meaning more people were up, but all were too busy with their own lives to pick up on the fact neither Madelyn or I had shoes. This gave us one advantage though, we moved ever more silently.
We began to converge on the place, my head tilts up taking a deep breath, my nostrils flaring as I catch the scent of rogue wolves. Lips twitching into a half snarl, I pick up my pace, Madelyn matching it. Seconds later we left the crowded downtown and into the old part of town; houses falling apart, streets cracks, signs faded. We reached the end of a street, but took the left until we saw finally the warehouse district. All but one warehouse were nearly collapsed due to neglect. Narrowing my gaze I spoke to Madelyn within the link.
"Take the right side, I'll take the left. Remember do not engage." She nods silently from my words, and simultaneously we begin our separate walks down the street. Each building I passed I sensed nothing, smelled nothing, until I reached the only one standing, and with a deep breath I finally caught their scent beneath the smell of rot and ruin. I fell to a crouch, behind an overgrown bush as I studied the building while also linking up with the rest of my pack and Madelyn that I'd located them. Seconds later I feel Madelyn's presence and together we watch looking for movement or signs of life.
"There." Madelyn breathes out, her eyes latching onto a shadow jumping over some debris before disappearing below. With that final piece of confirmation we began the trek back, I ordered the rest to meet us at the forest line once more.
//\\//\\//\\
Another hour passed as I reach out destination, stopping behind the tree line, I shift back and dress into my clothes. I stretched out my limbs, walking out into the blinding sun as my pack members flank me; dressed in their own clothes as well. My gaze latches on to four small figures running around, eyes alight with laughter and adventure. Three were boys, two of which were no older than eight, the third likely twelve or thirteen; the fourth figure was smaller, golden hair in wild curls bounced around her head, the pink ribbon barely hanging on as she ran from her 'attackers'. A smile lifts my face, starting the walk over, I catch sight of Sophie leaning on the porch watching the children play.
"Hey." I greet catching her attention, Sophie turns and returns my smile. She places her book down and walks over giving me a light squeeze of a hug, before waving to rye rest of my pack members. "You in babysitting duty?" I tease lightly, her forest green eyes narrow in annoyance but it doesn't last long as she laughs a little.
"Yeah, all their parents are in a meeting. I agreed to watch them. Did you guys findâ" Her voice trails off as her eyes glaze over as if mind linking someone. But when her gaze clears up, pure unadulterated fear fills her gaze.
"Sophie? What's wrong?" I immediately ask, stepping forward and catching her gaze with my own quickly. However she looks away, her face locking into the squealing kids running around near the tree line.
"The kids." Is all she says as a shift in the wind brings a foul stench to my nose. I barely blink before I'm launching myself over the porch railing, eyes wide in panic as I land, rolling into a run.
"Get away from the tree line!" I shout, feeling my four members right on my heels, two of which were in their wolf form once again. The four kids stop running, all turning to look at me with confusion quickly feeling with fear as they look around in a panic. The eldest quickly began to herd them back, the stick in his hand that had acted as a sword now was clenched in his hand as if it actually was a sword now. Bile fills my throat as I see the rogues emerge, their saliva dripping from their jowls, eyes locked on their targets. All together their were six wolves, they were too close to the kids. "Run!"
The older boy looked over his shoulder, and let out a sob of fear as he began to rush the three younger ones faster. The two youngest boys bolted off, arms outstretched for help. "Alice! Grab them!" I demand, swerving around the two just in time to watch as the young girl drops her cloth doll. I knew, just as the older boy knew, that that would be it. I saw the fear leave the kid's eyes as the young girl ripped away from him to grab her doll. That was all the rogue needed to reach her.
â ï¸â ï¸Gore/Violenceâ ï¸â ï¸
The scene that unfolded before me would forever seat into my brain. Despite knowing I couldn't reach the girl in time, I pumped my arms and legs faster, desperate to reach her. This, as expected didn't stop the massacre. The large brown wolf who was running point, launched himself into the air soaring over and skidding to a stop in front of the little girl who stood in terror. She clutched the toy in her hands, letting out a blood curdling scream, but before the wolf could do anything, the older boy cane charging at him, his stick swinging and breaking over the wolf's head.
The rogue acted immediately, his snarl only punctuating the fact that he had lunged, the large canines snapping into the young boy's arms. The shake that followed broke the boy's arm, but when he was released, the impact of hitting a nearby tree snapped his spine. I forced my gaze to leave his just as the rogue lunged for the girl, and I watched as he ate her.
The roar that left my throat reverberated throughout the earth beneath us. Bird left the surrounding trees as I reached the rogue. I plowed my shoulder into the rogue, he went flying backwards into his five other companions. His snarl, blood dripping down, was met by my own before meeting I'm in a clash of teeth and claws, my own canines elongating and nails turning to claws. After a second of grappling, he in his hind legs I swung myself over into his back forcing him into all fours. He began to buck, head snapping round to try and bite me, but watching as my companions converge on the other five rogues, I dig my clawed hands into his neck and twisted, the snap resounded out into the air as the life left his eyes.
I moved on to two more wolves who had tried to sneak around my three members, only to come face to face with myself. By now the members of Mist Valley Pack now crowded the edges, I knew a few were trying to come help but Alpha Reinhardt had the brains to keep them back; we had the situation under control. Seconds later I'd ripped out one wolf's heart, and broke the second's spine in half, watching as the female wolf whimpered and whine, pathetically crawling back towards the woods but was met by a bloody Tyler his wolf covered his claw marks, his mouth dripping with blood as he snarled to the broken wolf.
"End it." I spit, turning away as Tyler savagely tears into the wolf's throat. It's cries die out rather quickly, but I pay them no heed. I look to the now approaching Alpha Reinhardt, his eyes narrowed as he tried to remain impassive. He waits a few feet away as I walk to the small girl who's stomach had been ripped open; bile filled my throat but I hold back as I scoop down and lift her into my arms.
â ï¸â ï¸End Gore/Violenceâ ï¸â ï¸
"Austin. Grab the boy." Austin was the only other member who had stayed in human form, the only other one able to fight another wolf in his human form besides me. I saw him walk to the side where he picked up the broken boy. My heightened hearing I could still hear his heart beat fluttering, but he was too young to fight off the rogue's poison and wouldn't last much longer. As for the young girl in my arms, she had died already. I grimly walked over to the Alpha where he looked down at the girl that had played with him at breakfast only hours before. Now here she was, dead in my arms. Austin now stood by my side with the boy fighting for air.
"I've temporarily blocked the bonds to their parents and the rest of the pack." Reinhardt explained, his voice strained. Looking over his shoulder I see Alice returning the two other boys to their parents unharmed; next to them stood two more pairs of parents anxiously waiting for their own children. Immediately I felt the sting of tears; I had failed them. Looking down at the girl, her fists still clutched the doll, now covered in her blood, as was I. I leaned down and placed a kiss to the girl's forehead, before looking over to the boy who was now looking at the dead girl.
"Go get their parents. Keep everyone else back." I spoke to Reinhardt, he did so without complaint despite being told what to do. I went to my knees, cradling the girl to my chest as Austin followed my lead. I met the boy's golden brown eyes and spoke to him. "You were so brave out there." I watch his chin quiver, I felt my own mirror his but I kept myself in check even as his own cheeks began to fill with tears. He knew he was dying just as he knew the little girl was dead. "You are a little warrior." I whisper, straining against my own tears. "You will be safe soon." It wasn't a lie, as he would be safe soon, in the arms of the Moon Goddess, taking her baby home. However, my warring mind was jerked back to reality as the first scream filled my ears. A mother's grief, a horrible scream, and a father's immobility to move.
"Arabella, oh Goddess, no. Please no." The woman collapsed in front of me, and I freely gave her child to her. Her mate, stiffly fell to his knees besides her, silent tears streaming down his face as his mate rocked their little girl helplessly.
The next came the little boy, he called out to his mom and dad, reaching out weakly as the pair fell to their knees taking him from Austin. Their whispered assurances only broke my heart more as Reinhardt directed a group of wolves to help guide the family to the medical wing of the pack house hoping to lengthen his stay a little longer. Then his gaze fell to the parents of little Arabella, her pale blue lips parted, eyes closed forever, and I watched as he slowly unblocked the bond allowing the pair to feel the true extent of their grief.
The cries shook me to my core, stumbling back a few steps, I watched the trembling mother rock her baby more, the father running his hands over his daughters hair. He embraced both his mate and his child and tilted his head back releasing a scream so terrible it brought me to my knees once more. Austin followed suit, bowing his head, as did Reinhardt and soon everyone else paid their respects to the family before them. My members still in wolf form tilt their head back and howl, their sorrow dancing with the screams of the hurting parents, guiding them to the ears of the Goddess above letting her feel her children's pain.
Meeting Alpha Reinhardt's gaze, I allow a single tear to fall. I failed them, but I will not fail them again.