36. A Brief Moment of Distraction

Casper

The sun was just beginning to set when they arrived. And there were more of them than we expected.

I hoped and prayed everything would go well today. I couldn't cope with anymore death. I don't think anyone in either pack could cope with anymore death.

I heard another shout from one of the hunters, making my hairs stand on end. I wanted nothing more than to turn into my wolf and go and chase them out of my territory, but I knew I couldn't do that. We needed to stick to the plan.

Everyone was in their designated place, and the police were waiting just beyond the east wall, waiting for us to let them know when the time was right to approach.

The mysterious Joe was in there somewhere, leading Kane to the spot we needed him to be in.

I felt scarily out of control tonight, which was a foreign feeling to me. I was the Alpha. I was supposed to be the one calling the shots. But today wasn't like that. Today was very much a team effort. But a team was only as good as its weakest member, and when I didn't even know who the members were, it made me nervous.

What if Joe messed up? Or worse, what if Joe was really working for the hunters and this was some big elaborate set up?

The thought made me shiver.

I felt hopeless just stood here. But I had to keep reminding myself, that this was the role I had been assigned tonight. I just had to wait for my cue.

The sound of a gunshot ricocheted through the air making the blood pump through my veins.

Was someone hurt?

I strained my ears to listen for anything that would give me a clue what was going on.

I hated this. I hated not being about to do anything about it.

I paced back and forth. I could just go a bit further to see if I could see anything?

I edged further into the woods, all my senses on high alert.

I heard some shouting, then a yelp, definitely from a wolf.

I silently moved closer, then froze as I saw a flash of movement to my left. I stood still, my ears straining to hear, every nerve in my body tingling.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement again, but this time I recognised the shape.

"Luke," I whisper shouted.

A figure emerged from behind a tree and crept over to me, bent low.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"One of the hunters has caught a guard from Ronan's pack. Matt I think," he whispered back.

"Shit, is he ok?"

"I'm not sure, I was just heading back to my post."

"What?" I asked with wide eyes.

"Well, he's not one of ours so let Nathan's lot rescue him," he replied in a rather matter of fact way.

"Fucking hell Luke," I hissed. "They didn't have to be here! They're helping us out!!"

Luke had the decency to hang his head a little.

"Sorry, do you want me to go back?"

"No, just go! I'll take care of it."

Luke looked at me with uncertainty in his eyes.

"Just go!" I ordered.

That was enough to send him running back towards the manor.

I carried on walking slowly through the trees until I heard another yelp.

I knew I was getting close because I could smell the fear. I shifted into my wolf. I may be a moving target as a wolf, but I knew it was the only way I could guarantee I would be able to overpower the hunter.

I padded slowly through the undergrowth trying not to make a sound.

Suddenly there was a scuffling sound and I could hear what sounded like two bodies rolling around on the ground.

"Arrrgghh!" came a cry.

I ran out from where I was hiding, to see Matt in his human form, pinned up against a tree with a gun being pointed in his direction.

Without breaking stride I bounded over and jumped at the masked figure holding the gun, clamping my jaws around their wrist in the process.

The momentum from my leap sent the figure crashing to the ground with a loud thump, and the gun flew out of the hand that now had an impressive set of teeth marks on it.

Matt immediately fled, and I ducked behind a bush to quickly turn back into my human form.

Still feeling rage I marched straight back out to the moaning figure on the floor.

"Get up," I snarled as the figure moaned beneath my feet.

"I said, GET UP!"

I grabbed the figure by their arm and dragged them to their feet.

I reached up and pulled the mask off the intruder.

Long bright red hair dropped down from the mask and I gasped as the unexpected sight of a woman.

That flicker of surprise was all it took.

That brief moment of distraction.

Those few seconds where she pulled a knife from somewhere on her person and plunged it into my side.

I immediately bent double at the searing pain in my side, only to feel the knife plunge into me again in the back, and again as I fell to the floor.

"You filthy, disgusting creature!" she spat. "Look what you've done to me!"

I managed to twist my body round so I was facing her, looking up at her angry face from my position on the floor.

She was holding out her arm towards me, showing me the puncture marks I had made with my teeth.

I could barely breathe the pain was that bad.

"I'm probably going to get rabies now you piece of shit!"

The knife in her hand was waving about as she spoke, and I waited for another blow.

I could hardly move. There was nothing I could do.

"Say hello to your master when you get back to hell," she sneered, lifting the knife back up to strike.

I shut my eyes waiting for the blow when I suddenly felt a whoosh of air pass me and I heard her body crash to the ground.

I opened my eyes to see a huge brown wolf clamp it's jaws round the woman's neck and shake her like she was a rag doll.

"OFF!!" A loud voice commanded, and the wolf immediately dropped the woman. A police officer appeared and quickly scooped up the woman, disappearing into the trees.

The wolf turned and looked at me for a few seconds, and I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The wolf was large and brown with a black V across it's chest. I was sure it was the wolf that beat Jamie during that training session a couple of years ago. He never did tell me who it was.

Before I could say anything, the wolf turned and ran off into the woods.

I winced as a bolt of pain shot down my body, taking my breath away.

I had my hand pushed against the wound on my side, but I could feel my back slowly getting wet with my blood.

I writhed on the ground as another wave of pain washed over me making me wretch.

I heard some voices nearby and I knew if I didn't move I would be found by the hunters. I was out in the open and an easy target.

I dragged myself slowly back through the undergrowth, panting and gasping for air every few feet before I eventually gave up and slumped back against a tree.

I squeezed my eyes shut as another wave of pain caused my body to spasm.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I was found. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take the pain.

I glanced around me at the trees and plants that I had grown up in.

My home. The place I loved most in the world.

I didn't want to die, but if I did, this was a good place to go.