Broken Luna

Her Wolf

For this chapter

Italics are for Zyanya

Italic bold for Judas

~ZYANYA POV~

Nothing in me wanted to take my eyes off of the stalking big cat. I was a werewolf, but I was weakened by my wounds, by the blood that spilled upon the ground instead of running through my body. But if I was to make sure me and my human got out of this in one piece, not as some wild cat delicacy - that would be a necessity.

So we could put more space between us. If we’d been a normal wolf, chances would be that this creature would have ended the creature as a threat. Devoured it as an extra meal. But thank the goddess that even unconscious, even bleeding and weak - our predator's aura was enough to make it stand back. Testing it’s bravery.

Question was how much longer would that be the case? How much longer before it finally overcame that threat of the aura?

I could feel the uncertainty, fear, and pain of Judas. I’d been able to feel it her whole life. While now, finally, I was able to help. Raised as a human it had never done us a service. It made talking to her before the bond between us was meant to fully merge - very very difficult. I’d always tried talking to her.

Just because it made me howl with how alone and scared she’d been in the world.

We are made for each other - to protect each other. A gift so we are never alone. I felt guilty there hadn’t been more I could do. Her life had been hard - our life. Though now I could do something. At least I hoped I could. Hoped I could do more.

If only we’d been able to bond before. I could have taken control easier. I could have perhaps prevented the worst of our pain from tonight. Her weariness rubbed against me in the mind link.

We started to move. It felt like she was starting to draw back. Not like before into unconsciousness. But as our bond grew, it was as if instinct was guiding her. Letting her give me more control over our body once more.

Wearily I kept casting a glance at the cougar as we limped along. Allowing a low rumbling snarl to curl my lip at the beast. Watching the creature flinch. Shift on its paws - with claws that could truly hurt us. As if thinking of running. But it stayed. Tension evident in its form.

Judas had gone quiet in my mind. But she was there. Present. Watching. Still so weary, so tired. And despite the agony that set fire to every nerve of my body, I felt her relief of the easing of her own pain. She was hard on herself. But I was proud to be her wolf. Despite how I loathed how she would submit to the abuse. She survived. She never fully let herself give up. I knew that took strength.

She was strong - just in a different way. She didn’t know she had power. Didn’t know how much she could do. But we would learn - I would teach her.

We could find our mate again, and he could show us both how to be stronger together. So that anyone who dare think to make us submit again would find themselves torn apart by fang and claw. Warriors. We’d been conditioned in a crucible of abuse and pain and we still survived.

So far.

I needed to keep it that way. Looking back to the creature as I tried to get further away, I watched it wait, take a few steps ever so often. Keeping close to the distance it had been previously. Like it was testing the radius of our power.

A sweet scent reached my nose through the thick iron of blood. Water. That would help. Getting hydrated.

Do you mind if I call you Anya?

I hadn’t expected her voice as I force us into a pained trot, wincing each step on my front right paw. c*****g my head. Letting a chuckle run through our mind, Anya? That’s fine with me. Look at us bonding. I know you don’t enjoy Judas. You don’t mind Jude. Did you want me to call you something else?

Still despite our conversation I remained alert. Pushed through the pain. Blocked her from the worst of it. I knew if we’d been facing each other she’d smiled. My name was given to mock me. Mother told me so when I was younger… I had known that. I didn’t hate her name. I hated the reason of it. It sounded pretty.

It’s a pretty name with a cruel intent - c*****g our head as I try to further ignore the - what about JJ?

I felt her surprise, then a sound of laughter - guess it only makes sense you know my middle name too… JJ.. Maybe? I’m used to Jude. But perhaps it’ll be nice to have something fresh? Lets try it Anya.

I smell water JJ - I test the name for her, - hopefully we can clean some and get hydrated. Figure out our next step from there. We’re getting close…

The cougar is falling further back. Despite the burn of my muscles I pick up the pace. Dropping my nose to the ground as I sniff at the earth. Wishing it wasn’t ruined by the scent of our bleeding. I’d longed to run in the wild for so long. But not like this.

Finally I found the stream. It was small, a mix of rock and dirt. Limping to the edge and savoring the crisp mountain fresh waters. The earthy taste soothing the parch in our throat slightly. Trying not to be greedy as I lap it up. Shifting our position to look wearily for the Cougar.

I could hear it. But it was further back now. After we drank I lay in the stream. Whining at the sting of our wounds. I’m sorry…

Scoffing, it’s not your fault JJ. We fought. We’re still breathing. You did that. Don’t apologize. We’ll survive. Right now it just means we’re alive. Alive is good.

One day I’d teach her to see that. That none of this was her fault. Our fault. It was the fault of the cruel, twisted sick bastards that dare turn their malice on us. And we’d make them all pay.

Judas quieted. I tried to groom. To clean out the wounds. The angry red of the bullet wound as it tried to heal. I could feel that our body had started - that the bullet was being slowly rejected by our body. Being pushed out.

Muscles shook under exhaustion and the slight chill. Healing wasn’t helping us stay warm. But we couldn’t rest. We needed to find a way out - find a way to our mate.

That was when the wind shifted. Stiffness once more ran ridged through my body. That was when a howl broke through the air. Werewolves.

What?!

Werewolves. Like us…

She seemed to hesitate before asking - Will they help us?

Maybe. Or they’ll kill us thinking we are packless and up to no good. I sniffed - I think we’re near their pack lines… perhaps.

I could feel fear creeping, we couldn’t fight properly. Least of all a group.

Do we fight?

I was quick to want to fight. But I knew that would be a death sentence. I could only hope that we could appeal for help. That they’d see we are no threat. Not this time. I think we need to see if we can get help from them..

They started howling once the wind shifted. They knew that we could smell them.

As much as I loathed it I backed from the stream and lay with my neck bared. A show of submission and whined as a large chocolate brown wolf loped into view. A reddish wolf to its left came to a stop, both snarled, fangs exposed as a threatening bark aimed at us. Causing us to whine and push closer to the ground.

It shifted into a massive man. His voice a snarl, “SHIFT, ROUGE!”

We howled together in pain at the command. He had to be a high ranking wolf. Our body couldn’t obey though. It was enough to send our already pained body into worse pain. Black dots spotted my eyes. Shaking. I heard him repeat the command. A softer voice, “Talon - I don’t think she can right now…”

Once more our world faded.