A Wolf Curse (Hiccelsa) Sequel to Her Wolf (EDITING)

Last Hope

"You're no leader!" My Father padded closer. "You never were."

Snotlout snarled, "I'm a better leader than you ever could be."

He snarled, green eyes burning. "A leader puts his Pack first!" My Father lashed his tail. "Instead, your Pack-mates are made to fight your battles, not theirs."

"Real Wolves love to battle," Snotlout sneered. "I give them a chance to die for a cause."

My Father's pelt rippled madly. His muscles twitching. "And what have all your battles been for, Snotlout? What is worth the lives of so many?"

Snotlout's eyes burned. "Defeating you, of course."

My Father met his gaze. "You haven't defeated me yet."

I held my breath. I knew how weak my Father had been, fighting most of the night and receiving more wounds than anything. But there was a wildness in Snotlout's eyes that terrified me. "That's why I'm here!" Snotlout growled.

"The pack won't follow you, " my Father told him. They know they can't beat us, and they won't try again."

"I don't need them!" Snotlout glanced at the Pack bristling at the end of the clearing. "I only have to beat you! Then, I'll kill your mate and your offspring."

My Father's gaze flitted to me, then to Mom. "I will not let you harm my family, not ever!" His tail swished low over the ground.

"Then you're going to have to kill me."

"That can be arranged," Dad snarled, momentarily lowering his head to the dirt as if he were asking forgiveness for what he had to do. My Father narrowed his eyes, lifting his head authoritatively. "Has it been worth it, Snotlout? All the Hate? All the Death?"

Snotlout flattened his ears. "Every moment!" Eyes slit, he attacked, hooking his claws deep into my dad's shoulder. He raked his spine with churning paws. "The moment you turned me, I wanted revenge. I have waited for all the time to have my revenge."

 I studied my Father's fighting. He's out of energy. He's using his weight and body to block and evade. He's tiring Snotlout out. Wear down your enemy to get the kill. This... This is why he is the Alpha. Finally, my Father fought back. When Snotlout grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, Dad twisted free and slashed at him. "I made the mistake of turning you," my Father spat. "But now I'll have the satisfaction of killing you!"

"Finally showing your true colours, cousin..." Snotlout ducked back, head low, and grabbed my Father's hind paw with his teeth. Biting hard, he dragged my Father onto his belly, then reared up and slammed his forepaw onto his spine. "You are as deadly as they say you are. When you're dead, I can rule your family or kill them."

I darted forward. "Never!" I spat.

Astrid snarled as she blocked me from my Father and Snotlout. "No, Karli. This is your Father's battle."

My Father heaved himself to his paws, then turned to face Snotlout. "I will not die until this place is safe from you!" He leaped at him. Swerving in midair, he landed two claws away from Snotlout's flank. He smashed his paws into Snotlout's side. Unbalanced, Snotlout staggered and fell. My Father rained, slashing blows onto his head. Withering away, Snotlout struggled to his paws. He blinked the blood from his eyes and lunged at my Father's throat. My dad lurched backwards. Snotlout hung on, his claws spiking my Father's neck.

My mother leaped forward with an angry cry of rage when Astrid and Fishlegs stopped her. "You can't change his destiny, Elsa."

My Father dug his hind claws into Snotlout's belly and thrust him off. Fur ripped at his throat. No! I held my breath, waiting for the blood to pulse from the wound. But only pale skin showed through. Snotlout's clumsy grip had torn nothing but fur. My Father jumped to his paws. "You lived a coward; you can die a coward!"

Lightning struck the sky as my Father flew at Snotlout, aiming for his throat. With a vicious snarl, he sank his teeth deep into Snotlout's neck. He held on a while. Snotlout thrashed and staggered, finally collapsing to the ground. My Father kept hold of the dark wolf as blood flowed over his paws. When Snotlout stopped twitching, my Father let go of his throat.

The battle was over. Snotlout was dead. My Father had won. My Father looked worn out. He was bleeding from several new wounds. It would take months to heal those. He wasn't as strong as he used to be. His wounds don't heal quickly anymore. My Father's gaze stayed on the dead figure.

The wolves from the Pack slowly emerged from the shadows. They looked to my Father than to their former Alpha. They then bowed down to their rightful Leader—the one they deserved. Astrid, Fishlegs, Vitani and Midnight bowed down as well. I went to take a step when thunder cracked the sky. I looked up as a bolt struck the fallen tree beside my Father. It exploded into flames. Smoke rolled over him. I struggled to see him, but the smoke was too thick. As I peered through the smoke, the clouds opened. The rain started to pour down.

The burning tree hissed and crackled as the fire faded and died. I lifted my tail slowly. "It's over," I say silently.

"No!!" I heard my mother shriek over the rain's thrumming. She ran over to where Snotlout had fallen.

Another body was lying on the ground. A darker one. Almost black. "No." I pelted after my mother. He can't be dead!!

I skidded to a halt and stared in horror at my Father's body. My mother buried her head into his sodden fur. "I told you not to waste your life." She cried.

Astrid and Fishlegs padded over. "He didn't waste it, Elsa!" Astrid told her. "He followed his destiny."

My mother looked up. "His destiny wasn't to die." She cried.

"But it was to protect you two. And he did." Fishlegs told her.

My mother looked back down. I felt Hayden come to my side. "The battle is over," Astrid said softly. "Our victory belongs to Hiccup."

The rain eased as she spoke. A shaft of moonlight sliced through the clouds and lit the unmoving dark pelt. Astrid and Fishlegs then went to him, lifting his limp body. "He's kept us safe for many years," Astrid said. "And I know he'll keep trying."

Fishlegs looked up at the uneasy Pack in the trees. "They have no leader now," Astrid said.

"Snotlout was their leader, and he died..." Fishlegs said.

"But Hiccup just died as Alpha," Astrid said silently.

My Father died as Alpha... I had to think for a moment. It makes sense now. "I'll take over," I say. "I'm his daughter. I'm the rightful heir."

My mother looked at me. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"It'll honour him. But I want to make him proud." I say.

My mother approached me slowly. "You always made him proud. But I'm sure he would want you to take over someday."