Werewolves and Wendigos

Twenty-Four

"Where's Cora?" I asked more firmly.

"She distracted the Wendigo. It was gaining on us, and she said she had an idea. Before I knew it, Cora was out of the backseat, and sprinting toward the woods." Derek replied, standing up and folding his arms.

"And you just let her go?!? You didn't even try to stop her?" I shouted. "I can't believe you, Derek!!! Did you forget what happened when all of us tried to fight the Wendigo? Cora and Isaac were almost killed!!!" I (literally) roared, and shoved him in the chest, hard enough to make him stumble back a few steps. "You left her to die!!!" I went to shove Derek again, but he was ready for me. He sidestepped my outstretched hands, wrenched my left shoulder up and behind my back, and slammed my head onto the hood of his car.

"I would never, ever, leave a member of this Pack behind." Derek said, his voice deadly quiet among the trees in the forest. His grip tightened on my neck, and I felt his claws poking through my skin. "Especially not Cora."

"Um, Derek....." Isaac said from a few feet behind us. Derek turned to look at him over his shoulder, and Isaac paused before he spoke again. "Did you say that the Wendigo was following you guys? You're saying that you and Cora both saw it?" Derek nodded as he let go of me, and I ran a hand over my neck; not surprisingly, there was blood on my hand where his claws had been. I wiped my hand on my jeans as I went and stood next to Isaac.

"Yeah. It was right behind us the whole time, even after you two tried to lure it away," he replied.

"Jax and I both saw one too. In different places, at different times." Isaac said slowly.

"So you're telling me that both of you guys saw the- a Wendigo? While there was still one following Cora and I?" Derek asked, looking at both of us. We nodded, and he let out a big sigh. "That's not good. Even after Cora had left, it was still following me. So that means it can split itself into at least four separate beings, which means that it can fight each of us individually."

"Are you telling us that this thing can clone itself?" Isaac said, looking up from the gravel. "And that it loses no strength or anything?"

"I don't know. Maybe it would get weaker because it has to concentrate on keeping each of its copies living and fighting correctly."

"This isn't the time for 'maybes' Derek!!!" Isaac snarled. "Cora and I both almost died fighting this thing, not to mention that she's somewhere out there with it right behind her, that is if it hasn't already killed-"

He didn't get any further, because Derek had taken two big strides over to him, and buried his foot in Isaac's stomach. He made and oof sound as the air left his lungs, and he collapsed to the ground. He brought one of his hands to his stomach, and held himself off the ground with the other one. Isaac was panting as Derek crouched down so that when he looked up, their eyes would be even.

"I know the danger that we're in. Cora knew the risk she was taking by leaving the car. And she is fully capable of handling herself." Isaac finally looked up, and his eyes were bright yellow. His left hand shot out, and he got in a pretty good shot in with his claws. I saw the blood on Derek's face; Isaac had left five parallel red lines going down his left cheek. Derek kept his head turned to the left, giving them time to heal. He exhaled slowly, his eyes closed. When opened them again, they were red, and he had transformed. Derek turned his focus back to Isaac, and then-

CRACK