Under the Devil's Claws

Chapter 5

LAYLA:

The fact that I know I will be unable to outrun the wolves on my tail was the main reason I was feeling a large amount of tension run through me. Still, I try to get away from their reach as much as possible.

I run like my life depends on it. Because it does. One slip up or anything like that and I would become toast. Definitely not what I would like to happen to me today.

It didn’t take too long before I get tackled to the ground by one of the wolves. The excruciating pain that follows after that is unexplainable. Totally unplanned for.

It was my doomsday, and I’m sure of that, especially when I notice the wolves start to tower over me with snarls emanating from them. I can only watch in horror as I prepare to take my last breath but to my surprise, it doesn’t come even after a few more seconds.

I didn’t need to dwell on that too long because what happens next was also unplanned. Everything happening at this moment should never have happened but it looks like I have no control over anything right now.

A beast collides with both wolves over me and sends them packing away from me. It was a swift movement that it took me a while later to realize that it was another wolf that just made that act.

“Caleb?” I murmur as I sit up from the ground to check out whose beast is that but the stare I get from it makes me realize that I am being saved by someone else. Someone totally different that I have no idea about.

*****

DEREK:

I could feel my heart send a weird sensation all through my body the moment I take a brief stare in the direction of the lady on the ground. That was after she had called me a name that didn’t belong to me.

An insane pang of jealousy took over me because I first realized that she expected me to be someone else. Perhaps someone she knows so well. I wouldn’t want that to distract me from the task at hand because I still have two bastards to finish off.

My beast which I had shifted into midair while running fast to save the lady quickly moves away from the reach of a claw lest it gets injured. It counters with a claw of its own, sending an injury to its opponent.

‘Stiles... to the left!’ I quickly inform my beast via its head and it does as I say. If it hadn’t, it would have had claws dug into the side of its neck by the other wolf it hasn’t had an encounter with yet.

A growl from my wolf and then it lunges at the other wolf that just tried to attack it now. But midair, we both notice that the first one that I clawed at was about to lunge at us from the side, making us realize that we could get put down right now.

But before that one could get to me, it was swept down to the ground by something else. Allows my wolf to strike at the one it is still lunging at.

We both look to the side to see a brown wolf, a little smaller in size to mine, standing on its fours as it stares in the direction of the wolf it just dealt with. A little sniff in the air and we could easily link the wolf to Rafael who had been my company a while ago.

Knowing I still have to do something about the wolf I have in front of me, I tell Stiles, ‘Don’t kill the wolf. Just find a way to make it unconscious. We need to still find out whom it belongs to,’

Stiles nods in response, and through its eyes, I can see that it is preparing for the wolf on the ground to get up on its feet.

We wait patiently for it. Because going for it straight up would only make things different. I already have no plans to finish it off so it was best I wait for it to come at us first.

Eventually, it gets up on its fours and first snarls at Stiles. It then proceeds to push its hind legs back, getting ready to make a go. Stiles does not even move a step as it awaits the wolf that keeps snarling at us.

A brief stare in the direction of Rafael’s wolf to see that it was faring well against its opponent. And just at the same time, ours come lunging at us.

Once it was right in front of Stiles, what Stiles does is move its body from harm’s way first and then leap a little to the side with its claws aiming for the side of the wolf which it successfully lands on it.

As soon as it succeeds in getting it to the ground, it starts to attack the head swiftly without stopping a breath. The wolf cannot do anything but whimper until no other sound is made from it.

The heartbeat can still be heard which means it only passed out. Exactly what I needed right now.

Through Stiles’ eyes, I stare at the wolf a little longer than necessary, already preparing to turn around at the girl who had been the reason we got here in the first place. But when I do so, I am surprised to see that no one is there.

Instantly I shift back to my human form and then tell Rafael who is still in his beast form, “Stay here. I’ll be back soon.” I run off immediately after that, tracing the scent of the girl to where she is.

The crazy thing about my situation right now is that I am without clothes which only makes it weird for me that I am going after a lady with my glory all out. If I had any other option, I would take it.

As I run, I follow the lady’s scent. It was very easy to trace because I realized one thing about her. She is not like the rest of us which only makes it easier for me. Her lack of a unique scent was doing the magic.

I catch sight of her far away from me and in a sight that I was not comfortable seeing. She looked to be dragging herself on the ground as she tried to make a supposed run away from the scene where the wolves battled. Seems she got injured so bad.

I have to get to her in time and then grab her by the shoulders. “Stop,” I instruct her as I push her body to the side, only making her wince in pain. She tries to fight off my grip on her shoulders but I do not let go which only makes her wince more in pain.

“Let me go,” she murmurs but her voice sounds like a sweet melody to my ears.

“Just stay put. I’m here to help you,”

When her eyes come in contact with mine, she seems lost for a moment. And as for me, I am totally lost in her gaze for quite some time as I hold her firm. Damn, those blue eyes certainly got me.

Until I notice her eyes shut close under my gaze did I realize she needed urgent care.