Chapter 11: Distractions
917 Words
I don't know how long it's been. How long I've been lying here as the rain washes over me and the lightning and thunder dance to nature's melody up above me.
I force myself up eventually, wondering if I was wrong about him. No… I certainly wasn't wrong. He came so close to killing me again and chose to leave me alive, brimming with more questions.
I retreat back into the forest as the rain rages on.The rain flowing down my hair takes away most of my vision, forcing me to rely mostly on my other senses.
I still myself, trying to focus my heightened ears; trying to hear past the storm, hoping to get something from the dorms.
Rain drops falling on leaves, branches breaking from the winds, a deer running in the bushes, critters shivering in the undergrowth, laughter—THATS IT—Then thunder cracks above me, sending shockwaves throughout my ear drums. The pain forces me to scream. I shut my ears with my hands almost instantly as I fall to my knees.
Note to self; never use wolf hearing in a bad storm. f**k.
I take a moment to gather myself as I decide on what to do. I can't wait out the storm, my instincts tell me it'll rage on for hours to come, finding shelter soon is prudent but the closest ones are the dorms and the barracks and I have no idea which direction is which. And seeing as I didn't have time to pinpoint the direction of the laughter, trying to guess its direction would be unwise.
That leaves me with my sense of smell, but not even I can track a scent through this storm. Not in this form at least.
I take deep breaths as I ready myself to shift. The first snap of my bones sends a wave of pain battering against my mind. I groan and roar as the process continues; bones breaking and mending and breaking and mending, again and again changing me step by painful step.
I watch as my skin darkens and fur erupts from underneath–as my fingers fuse into paws. I feel my canines sharpen into fangs and slice the gum of my mouth in the process. Then my spine snaps—the pain; almost blinding.
Even with the deafening thunder, I could hear myself panting. With the change complete the pain retreats into my bones before disappearing completely, giving way to an almost euphoric sensation I and all werewolves are so familiar with.
At eighteen the shift isn't supposed to be this difficult or hurt this badly. But that's only on the condition that we shift regularly as we grow. But when you're the glorified servant of Talia and Dalia, you're not allowed to shift unless it's during the full moon with the rest of the pack.
Turns out, ensuring I suffer anytime I shift gives my lovely cousin and aunt immense pleasure.
“Wonderful isn't it, to have a family that's so focused on your wellbeing, you know, many people don't get to have that. Be grateful” my aunt said to me, watching as I cried in pain as I shifted on the first full moon of my third year in her house.
I shove the memory away as my breathing steadies. I shake my body in reflex as the rain drenches my fur. A futile effort of course as the rain continues.
I catch the scent quickly—roasted boar. My stomach grumbles in response and I launch in the direction of the scent.
Leaves stick to my wet fur as I race through the forest. My paws digging into the cold wet dirt, the wind fighting me every step of the way, challenging me to move faster. So I do.
The speed—the peace, goddess I miss this. My brothers and I would race each other through the snowy forest that surrounded our home, our parents would watch us from the hill top.
“Careful, Amelia” my mother would say, and my brother's would argue I was far sturdier than any one of them. My father would laugh, his joy flowing through the mind link causing all of us to join in.
The memory doesn't last long, the fire flashes through my mind reminding me of reality and taking my peace with it.
I stop moving but the fire isn't why. A scent. One, no… two. Approaching from the east. I immediately duck into the bushes, hiding, waiting—i recognise the scents.
She passes first. Even with the rain, in this form I see her. A large brown wolf, nowhere near as big as Caspian though. I'm not exactly surprised. She's a beta after all.
Celeste blitzes past me. Headed where? I have no idea. I shouldn't really care but a moment later a white wolf of the same size runs after her. Corrin. He stays far enough that she doesn't notice him, which tells me Celeste has no idea Corrin is on her tail.
But why?
Fuck. I really shouldn't care. Then I smell blood from the direction they're headed; fresh blood, wolf's blood and I curse beneath my breath as I follow behind them.
Two outsiders in their wolf forms running in the woods and clearly someone just killed a wolf. I shouldn't be involved in this but if my instincts are right, and they usually are; then these two are about to get themselves killed.
Fucking distractions.
- Writer
