Hybrid Lena

Chapter 6

-Lilian-

As I walked through the wooded park, I noticed how quiet it was. Too quiet. There were no birds, no distant chatter, nothing. And it was still broad daylight. Lena felt on edge too. She scented something wrong immediately, putting herself on alert alongside me, ready for anything that would be a threat to us.

I tried to shake the feeling off, telling myself I was being ridiculous. I continued walking, I should start seeing at least a few people soon. But as I moved deeper into the park, dark clouds began rolling in fast. Too fast for our liking. The forecast hadn’t predicted rain today. There had barely been any clouds this morning, except for this massive dark one, now bearing down on us like it was in a hurry.

Lena was confused. She sniffed the air but couldn’t scent any rain forming in the clouds above. I kept walking, quickening my pace, we both knew now it wasn’t a rain cloud but whatever it was, the sudden change made us uneasy. As we moved forward, Lena and I both picked up another presence.

I scanned the area while still walking and spotted a figure deep in the wooded area ahead. My stomach turned as Lena huffed softly, she didn’t like this at all. The same silhouette that had followed us around in the shadows, the wolf that we saved and vanish from the hospital. There he was.

I kept my eyes moving, my muscles were tensing. A low growl rumbled from his chest, thick saliva was dripping from his mouth as he stepped forward, his canines growing from his gums, claws descending from his fingertips. I stepped back, refusing to let the distance between us closed.

Lena could sense he was ready to attack. As well as I knew it, he wasn’t interested in a conversation. Lena growled louder, baring herself to show she wasn’t afraid. This time, I let the growl rise through my chest, letting him hear that I too were the same as him, a wolf, warning him to back off.

A deep, echoing voice rolled from him, cold and icy.

“Your kind ends here…”

My kind?

Before I could think further on his words, he pushed off the ground and sprinted straight at me. It gave me only seconds to move. He was fast, inhumanly fast. If I didn’t have wolf abilities, he would have hit me head-on, and I wouldn’t have stood a chance.

I barely caught up where he stopped, the speed of him was hard to track. When our eyes met, they weren’t his anymore. Moments ago, they’d been brown. Now they were pitch black, with piercing light-blue bleeding inward toward the centre of his irises. A shiver ran through me. Lean whined softly, she didn’t like what she was seeing either. Every instinct screamed at me to run.

So, I did. The wolf chased.

I tore through the wooded area, crashing past bushes and trees, hoping this would slow him down. I veered away from the main path, going through the terrain so it would work against him. It didn’t. Branches whipped at my skin as I ran, my lungs burning. He was gaining. I burst between two trees and skidded out toward the edge off the park. I slowed for a split second.

That was a mistake.

A sudden, brutal force raked across my left arm, throwing me sideways. I slammed hard onto the path bordering the park, pain exploding through me. I yelped as I scrambled back to my feet and watched him step into view. I clutched my left arm as burning pain tore across it, something warm trickled down my skin. Blood. I glanced down only briefly, long enough to know it was bad, but I couldn’t afford to look away any longer. The wolf stood there for a moment, just staring at me. Then he sniffed the air. He could smell my blood, of course he could.

“Your blood reeks. As expected, you’re one of them.” His voice came again, icy and chilly.

One of what? Who does he think I am?

Before I could ask, he growled deeper, more dangerous than before then charged. His claws were already out as he closed the distance. I ran for the wooden fence surrounding the park, as I reached it, I planted my right hand and vaulted. His claws swiped beneath me, missing by inches as I cleared the fence. I hit the ground running on the other side, darting toward the frames of the playground equipment, weaving through them in desperation.

I barely had time to look back before he was on me again. Pain tore through my body as I was struck and sent sprawling. Lena and I cried out together, we were healing, but not fast enough.

My body was slowing as fatigue was dragging at my limbs. I dodged another deadly swipe, but not quickly enough to avoid a deep scratch along my leg. He was wearing me down, that was the point. A few more hits like that and…

I tripped.

I hit the ground hard. As I tried to push myself up, instead of using his claws this time, there was a kick. A brutal, solid blow slammed into my stomach right where my recent wound had been healing. I was thrown across the ground. Something hot and metallic filled my mouth. I spat, watching blood splatter onto the dirt, I was struggling to get up, my body becoming unbelievably heavy. My body was weaking, Lena had gone frightening still, unconscious. I looked up through half – lidded eyes at my attacker, waiting for the final attack.

He towered over me.

“I’m sorry Lena,” I whispered. “I’m sorry Noah…”

Then, Light. Blinding, brilliant light cut through the clearing. The wolf recoiled, snarling and turning away from it. I forced my head up just enough to see a man burst through the light and slam straight into the wolf, they collided hard. I could feel my consciousness slipping as I watched them fight, claws blocked, blows matched. They moved in rhythm, whoever this man was, he knew how to fight.

Then everything went dark.