Grey's Wolf

CHAPTER THREE

Robert Tim sat on the balcony of his chambers with no idea of what was to come. He was about to lie down when he heard an unexpected knock on his door. He opened it to find Grey looking worried and confused.

"What brings you here this early in the morning", he asked Grey, inviting him in.

Grey walked into the room, Robert could not make out the emotions of his son but he shut the door behind him. Grey walked towards the balcony and closed the windows. A puzzled Robert stood at the door waiting for his son to speak. He could feel the intensity in the air as he watched Grey walk around the room.

“All my life, I have trusted you and I still do so I am going to ask you this once”, he said, finally making eye contact with his father. “What am I?”, he continued.

Robert looked even more puzzled, he couldn’t seem to understand what Grey meant by the question. The intensity grew as Robert stood by the closed door in silence.

“I don’t think I understand what you’re asking”, Robert finally said.

Grey moved closer to him, he looked Robert dead in the eye and asked again,

“Am I a werewolf?”, Grey asked furiously.

“I think you must have hit your head, is this some sort of joke?”, Robert asked mockingly.

Grey’s eyes looked soulless as he stared at his adoptive father, his thoughts were louder than the words his mouth uttered. It didn’t take much time before Robert knew how serious he was, he could quickly tell by the way Grey stood still.

“I don’t know why you would think that”, Robert said, “Your parents were hunters and that’s it”, he continued.

Grey pulled a pencil-like metal from his front pocket.

“Do you know what this is?”, he asked, holding up the metal to Robert's face with his left hand.

“Some sort of pencil?”, Robert replied, trying to understand what that had to do with anything.

“Leon gave this to me, it’s supposed to be some sort of werewolf disruptor”, Grey explained.

Robert waited for Grey to finish before he spoke. He moved closer to Grey, pulling the metal out of his hand.

“You are not a werewolf! I have had enough of this”, he said, clicking the pen. Both men waited in silence for something to happen but Grey didn’t flinch. He stared at the pen in Robert’s hand hoping his suspicions were right even if it was just a little. Robert watched as his son battled with himself, he gently tapped Grey's shoulder assuring him everything was okay and better, he wasn’t a werewolf. Grey couldn’t not find the right words to say, all he wanted was to leave and retire to his bedroom. All his doubts had been cleared. He took the pen from Robert and walked out of the room.

His head seemed to be clearer going back, his first instincts were right, all that the she-wolf said was to escape an arrow to the chest.

“I have been waiting for you”, Leon said as Grey approached his room door.

“I needed to clear my head”, he replied, “What’s the matter?”.

“I gave you the wrong device, that’s the prototype, the thing barely even works, this is the disruptor”, he told Grey, stretching his arm out to Grey, revealing another device.

Grey did not hesitate, he grabbed the device from Leon and clicked it. He felt nothing but a slight tingle in his head which grew to a mild headache over a few seconds. His head felt like it was getting hit with numerous hammers, all at different angles.

“What’s happening?”, a confused Leon asked, watching as Grey stumbled all over the room.

Grey’s hand barely gripped anything in the room, the more he tried to get up, the more he fell to the ground. Leon rushed to help him up but Grey was bigger than he was, he pulled Leon to the ground with him. The noise from the room could be heard all over the north wing, Leon soon realized the werewolf disruptor was the cause of the problem. He pulled away from Grey, crouching down to pick up the device and turn it off.

The headaches Grey felt slowly faded, Lean rushed to pick him up from the floor.

“I am, I am, I am a ….”, Grey mumbled.

“You are?”, Leon asked.

Grey pulled forcefully against Leon’s grip, dashing outside of the room. Before he made it out of the building, he saw Robert with a bunch of people behind him. Grey paused and stared at him.

“You lied!!! You lied to me!!”, Grey screamed at the top of his voice.

“You have to understand son, everything I did, I did for you”, Robert replied trying to calm him down. “Just calm down and let me explain to you”, he continued, moving closer to Grey.

“I can’t be here, I can’t be around you”, Grey said, turning his head to the exit on the south side.

Robert noticed and continued to walk towards him with the hunters following him behind.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you leave son, we’ve sealed all the exits”, Robert told him.

“Am I a prisoner here now?”, Grey asked him.

“No, your head isn’t in the right place now and I just need you to listen to me”, Robert replied.

“I have heard enough from you”, Grey responded angrily.

The hunter had gathered around Grey as he and Robert talked, blocking him in every direction. Grey was more skilled than most of them. He dashed towards one of the hunters, disarming him and breaking from their center. He continued to run, he could hear the emergency alarm ringing behind him. He managed to find a spot to hide, somewhere close to where he and Thomas spoke the other night.

He crouched behind a rock to collect his thoughts, the she-wolf was right about everything. His entire life crumbled before his eyes then he had an epiphany, there was a secret exit not far from where he was, the same exit he and Thomas used when they were kids, barely hunters.

He pulled his head above the rock, enough to see if he had been followed. He let out a heavy sigh and dashed to the exit, leaving no trail behind.

He could hear the hunters from afar, he knew he needed to get as far away from them as possible. His heart pounded faster as he got closer to the exit, a small opening through the brick fence. He knew nobody else would look for him there, it was the perfect plan.

“Don’t take another step”, he heard a voice behind him, one he knew too well. Grey turned his back to find Thomas pointing a crossbow to his heart.

“I can’t let you leave”, Thomas said, his grip tightened against the trigger.

“I can’t stay here Tom, they’re going to kill me if I stay”.

“I am going to kill you if you move”, Thomas replied. Grey stood still with his hands up, he looked Thomas straight in the eye, he could tell he was serious.

“You’re going to have to shoot me because I’m not going back with you”, Grey replied.

“He’s over here!!”, Thomas yelled, informing the other hunters of their location, Grey’s heart pounded faster, his mind telling him to run, he had nothing to lose if Thomas shot him. In his mind he didn’t exist anymore, everything he knew up until that moment was a lie, dying would have been a gift.

He felt a dash of wind on his left cheek, the type that usually came with an arrow shot, he looked over at Thomas pointing an empty crossbow at him.

“My aim was never as good as yours”, he said, staring at Grey who understood what he meant. He could not stay to thank Thomas or explain anything for that matter, he made his way quickly through the exit, disappearing into the night. Thomas stood there with the fired crossbow in his hands, some hunters came rushing later to find an arrow slightly covered in blood but no Grey in sight.

“Where is he?”, Robert asked Thomas.

“Gone”.

“You let him escape!!”Robert let out a roar.

Thomas moved closer to another hunter, handing him the crossbow, he did not make eye contact with Robert or anybody else, if they had done their job, Grey wouldn’t have escaped.

“I didn't let anybody do anything, I missed my target and he ran, nothing more to it, it will not happen again”, Thomas defended himself as he walked away from the scene.

“Seal off that hole and get the vehicles ready, we can not afford to lose him”, Robert ordered. The men did as instructed, getting into vehicles, ready to chase Grey down. The night was an advantage to Grey, he was a hunter, a very skillful one. He knew all their tricks, he stayed off the level fields, putting trees between himself and the paths he knew they’d use their vehicles.

His heart felt like it was pumping too much blood to his body causing him to feel like he was going to explode. He was out of breath and had no particular destination. He knew if he didn’t find shelter soon, the hunters were going to catch him. He could see the headlights of their vehicles approaching, the sound of their car engines grew louder. He continued to make his way up a hill, the farther he was from them, the better. It wasn’t long before he was at the edge of a cliff. He took a stone and dropped it down the cliff to know exactly how long he would take to hit the ground.

After seven seconds, he heard the stone drop in water. Jumping would mean uncertain death, the moonlight wasn’t enough to illuminate the water body. The hunters were tracking him on foot now, he could hear them call for him and they moved closer with their guns and flashlights. Jumping was his only way out even if it meant he could die, either way, they wouldn’t get him.

“Stop this son, let’s go back and talk about it!”, Robert yelled from a distance, they were getting closer. Grey took a deep breath, he tightened his belt, and jumped off the cliff, his legs stretched straight down making them stiff enough for the impact with the water. He was fully submerged in water with no light to help him guide. He managed to pull his head out of the water but the current was too strong. The sound he made on impact alerted the hunter to the exact location he jumped.

Grey fought against the relentless current, his body weakening with each passing moment. Desperately trying to stay afloat, he struggled to keep his head above the water, gasping for precious breaths. But the force of the current proved too much for him to handle, dragging him down into the depths of the water. As his strength waned, Grey's vision blurred, and all he could discern was a distorted reflection of the moon on the rippling surface.

With his consciousness slipping away, on the verge of surrendering to the water's embrace, Grey's fading gaze caught sight of a figure swimming towards him. Their identity remained obscured, and their intentions remained unclear. Yet, a flicker of hope ignited within him, even as his eyes began to close.

The last image that etched itself into Grey's fading awareness was that mysterious figure drawing nearer, cutting through the water with purpose. And as his eyelids sealed shut, he relinquished himself to the enigmatic fate that awaited him.

"Hold on," Rhaila spoke softly, as she fought against the relentless current, pulling both herself and Grey towards safety. As a stronger and more experienced wolf, she exerted every ounce of her strength to overcome the water's force. Grey, barely conscious and weakened from the struggle, could only rely on Rhaila's unwavering guidance.

Finally reaching the shore, Rhaila laid Grey down on the grass, placing him carefully before pressing against his broad chest in rhythmic motions, seeking to expel the water that had invaded his body. Grey coughed, forcefully expelling the water from his chest onto the ground, his eyes meeting Rhaila's with shock and gratitude.

"You saved me," Grey managed to utter, his hands supporting his upper body as he attempted to rise.

"Save it," Rhaila replied, her voice laced with urgency. "They're still after you, after us now."

Grey's expression shifted from relief to concern. "Can you walk?" Rhaila asked, her eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger.

"I can, I just need a minute," Grey responded, attempting to gather his strength.

"We don't have a minute," Rhaila asserted, her gaze fixed on a distant threat. She aided him in rising to his feet, supporting his weight by wrapping his left arm around her shoulder. Despite Grey's earlier actions that had created some distance between them and the hunters, they still needed to put even more distance between themselves and the impending danger. Together, they maneuvered through the dense bushes, their movements swift and purposeful. Rhaila's heightened senses picked up the faint sounds of the hunters' vehicles in the distance.

"Where are we going?" Grey struggled to ask, his arm still intertwined with Rhaila's as they ran.

"Somewhere far away from here," she replied, her voice determined. The moonlight served as their guiding light as they traversed through the foliage. Gradually, Grey began to regain some of his lost strength. However, the hunters persisted, closing in on their position. The wolves pushed themselves harder, their paws pounding against the ground until they reached a deep ditch.

"We're going to have to jump," Rhaila stated, her eyes focused on the other side.

"Are you mad? I can't jump that far," Grey hesitated, uncertainty etched across his face.

"You are a wolf, are you not?" Rhaila reminded him, her tone firm.

"I... I believe I am," Grey replied, determination mingling with his uncertainty.

"Then you are going to have to jump. Just do as I do," Rhaila instructed, her voice resonating with confidence. Taking a deep breath, she took five steps back and effortlessly leaped to the other side of the ditch.

"Now, it's your turn! Hurry!" Rhaila screamed, her urgency propelling Grey to summon his courage.

Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, Grey took the same five steps back as Rhaila, his heart pounding in his chest as he sprinted toward the edge. With a leap of faith, he soared through the air, his muscles straining to reach the other side. Just as it seemed he might falter, Rhaila's steady grip caught hold of his hand, preventing him from plummeting into the abyss below. She effortlessly hoisted him up until his entire body rested upon the soft grass.

As the hunters arrived on the scene, their presence darkened the night, the air was saturated with tension. In a matter of moments, chaos erupted as gunfire erupted, tearing through the stillness. The wolves sought refuge behind the shelter of a sturdy tree, their bodies trembling with exhaustion and instinctual survival.

Amidst the hail of bullets, Robert, the leader of the hunters, bellowed a command for the shooting to cease. But the damage had already been done, irreversible and cruel. A single bullet found its mark, piercing Grey's lower abdomen, causing searing pain to radiate through his body. Rhaila, a pillar of strength, held him upright, her grip unyielding as his right hand applied pressure to the grievous wound. Eyes filled with anguish and disbelief, Grey locked his gaze with Robert, silently beseeching him to comprehend the weight of his actions.

In that fleeting moment, as the world blurred around him, Grey and Rhaila disappeared into the shadows of the night, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and shattered hopes.