Chapter 123

Matt

A rustle in the nearby underbrush had the three of us halting in our paths. We’d been scouring the woods for hours, looking for another rogue. There’d been talk of another one being spotted near here by a few drunk kids, and we were desperate to find it before sunrise. We couldn’t let it hang around here where it could potentially hurt someone.

I looked sideways at Enzo and Nina. We were all still in our human forms, but in an instant the three of us shifted. Power moved through me, and I readied himself to fight.

Nina pricked her ears toward the trees, and I inched forward. Before I could pounce, a large shape darted out from around a nearby oak and took off. The three of us gave chase, our paws tearing across the forest floor. The wind felt like soft hands on my fur as I tore through the forest, my paws barely hitting the ground before they were back up again. Of the three of us, I was the fastest runner, and I quickly pulled ahead.

The rogue tried to dart between trees in an effort to evade me, but it didn’t slow me down. I was as agile as I was fast, and I quickly closed the difference between us. It was rare another wolf could outrun me. A new one didn’t stand a chance.

I closed the remaining distance and leaped at the wolf, hitting its back end with my outstretched paws. The rogue rolled onto its side, but was quickly on its feet, its teeth bared at me. It hissed in warning, its ears pinned back. It was bigger, bigger than me, even. I wasn’t expecting it, and the sheer size of it almost had me stopping in my tracks.

It growled again, its red eyes flashing. Behind me, Enzo and Nina still raced to catch up. I had to find a way to subdue it, just until Nina could get close enough to put it under.

I growled back and took a step forward, my coat bristling.

The wolf leaped at me, and I met it head on, my teeth flashing. We went back-and-forth, but it was stronger than I was expecting, and I struggled to get the upper hand. I rarely had this much trouble. Enzo suddenly crashed through the trees behind me, and it distracted me for only a second, but a second was all it took for the wolf to leap at me.

He landed on my front leg, and I heard the loud crack a few seconds before I felt it. I howled in pain, but I knew if I didn’t get up, I’d be dead.

The wolf aimed for my neck, but I was expecting it. I darted forward at the same time, catching the wolf around the neck. I tightened my grip, tasting a dash of blood on my tongue.

Enzo sprung at the wolf, and I opened my mouth. The rogue rolled away but was back on its feet in an instant. It towered over Enzo, and I forced himself to my feet. A whimper escaped my lips, but I managed to plant himself beside Enzo. It was going to take the both of us to get it down.

Nina finally crashed through the trees. Her coat bristled at the sight of the rogue and she shifted into her human form. She pulled a syringe free from where she’d tied it around her leg. Even when she shifted, she could keep it on her. That was partly why she couldn't run as fast. She couldn’t risk losing the antidote.

“We just need to get it down long enough for me to get close,” Nina yelled, as Enzo and I circled the rogue.

Enzo, distracted by her voice, turned slightly, giving the rogue an opening. It lunged at Enzo, but I was faster. I put myself between them, leaping just in time to take the full brunt of the attack. The wolf barreled into me, taking me to the forest floor.

Pain sliced up my injured leg, and I howled.

Enzo jumped at the wolf, pinning it to its side and away from me. Nina took the opportunity to dart forward and sink the syringe deep into the animal’s flank. A few moments later, the wolf shifted into a broad young man. It took me a moment to realize I recognized him. He was a rookie on our team.

Enzo shifted next, and I followed suit. I gritted my teeth as my human body returned, the pain in my arm nearly unbearable. It was broken, and it hung at an odd enough angle that both Enzo and Nina winced.

Nina took a step toward me, but I put up a hand to fend her off. It took me a few tries, but I eventually got myself back on my feet.

“They’re getting stronger,” I said, trying to keep the pain out of my voice. It wasn’t just the arm that hurt, but my ribs and face, too. I took the full weight of the wolf when it bore me to the ground, and I knew I’d be covered in deep purple bruises later. Wolves healed a lot faster than humans, but that didn’t mean we didn’t feel the full extent of our injuries. Even my head throbbed.

“You’re bleeding,” Enzo said, peering at me.

I raised my hand to my head, and my fingers came away red. The ground swayed beneath my feet.

“Shit,” I mumbled, then everything went dark.

~

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache.

“So, he lives,” a deep voice said, extending a glass of water to me.

I forced myself into a sitting position with a groan. “Jesus, what happened?” I accepted the water Enzo offered me and I took a few long sips. Enzo handed me a few Tylenols, and I downed those too, hoping they did the trick. Wolves healed fast, but that often made the healing process more painful. I could feel the bone repairing in my arm, and it made me nauseous.

“You hit your head pretty hard, but you didn’t need stitches,” Enzo replied. Wolves rarely did, the wounds closed too fast. I looked over at him, and his broad form slowly swam into view. He was dressed for school, and he had his backpack on the floor at his feet.

“We got the rogue?”

He nodded, his expression grave. “They’re getting stronger.”

“I know. We’re going to have to be more careful.”

Enzo stood up and patted my shoulder lightly. “You should get some rest. I have to get to class. We’ll talk about last night later with Nina. She has some choice words for you, I think.”

I couldn’t help but grimace.

Enzo laughed, the sound of it following him down the hall long after he shut the door. I sank back into my bed and turned to face the wall. My head hurt too much to focus on anything other than sleep. Thankfully, the extra-strength Tylenol helped, and I quickly descended into blissful unconsciousness.

I woke up sometime later when someone knocked on my door. They stopped for a moment, then started up again. I groaned and pulled myself to my feet. I was a little unsteady, and I couldn’t use my broken arm. The fact that Enzo or Nina put it in a sling didn’t really help, but I finally managed to get myself up and to the door. I knew it was better to leave it that way. No point in extending how long it would need to heal by injuring it further.

I pulled the door open, only to find a slightly frantic Celeste standing on the other side.

We stared at each other in shock for a moment. She’d never been here before, and I had no idea how she even found my room. Then I remembered I was supposed to meet her last night after I dealt with the rogue.

“Celeste, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to stand you up.”

She just shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. A moment later, she threw her arms around me, careful not to touch my injuries.

“I was so worried,” she murmured, her voice wavering.

I buried my face in her neck. “I’m okay.”