Death's Kiss

Chapter One: Two Shot's

My ears twitched at the sound of a breaking twig in midst of the silent forest. My target had arrived. The traitor wolf stumbled into the moonlight, blood glistening off of their brown fur. It was about time the murderer got what was coming to her.

Slipping into wolf form, I slunk into the shadows, moving as if I were one with the night. The colored scent split off into two directions. It was the same scent, why was it in two locations? I cocked her head to the side as another twig snapped behind me. The bastard had smeared her own blood on someone else!

Diving to the side I barely avoided a knife to the back. A young, scared boy stared up at me, his shirt drenched in blood that didn't belong to him. "Leave, Shadow, I don't want to hurt you."

I leapt forward, digging my claws into his shoulders and pinning him down. With a twitch of my claws I severed his ability to use his arms.

The boy screamed, kicking his legs.

"Shhh," I said, transforming back into a woman and placing a cloth to his mouth. "Don't want to bring the whole rebellion to their deaths, do we?"

The boy stilled, his breathes turning from erratic to peaceful and slow. He was young enough the counsel would forgive him. The wounds would heal in time, but for now, it was better to stay safe and leave him incapacitated if he woke too soon.

Dark hair spilled across his face with three white streaks that stood out against it. He was part of the Harborn clan. I frowned. Since when did one of the councilman's sons join the rebels? My father was not going to be pleased to hear of this development. Yet, I couldn't help but wonder if this boy hadn't gotten roped into this willingly. Blackmail was not a ploy unknown to the rebel clans.

Running footsteps headed toward my location.

I pulled out three knives laced with paralysis poison. All they needed was a scratch and they'd fall. The only one who would die tonight was the target. Shadow's carried out death sentences decided by the council, nothing more, nothing less. This was only my third mission without back up. If I messed this up, severe consequences would await me upon return.

Claws brushed past my face, gleaming silver as they missed my cheek by mere inches.

I swiped at their paw. The large white wolf skidded across the ground and slammed into a tree, falling still.

Burning pain tore into my shoulder. I spun around, ripping the knife from my flesh and blocking the next strike. Slashing in an upward arc, I cut the fabric of my targets dress, just barely missing contact with her skin.

Metal pressed into my temple. "Drop the knives." My targets raven and white hair blew in a sudden gust of wind, making her stand out starkly from the forest around her. Blood shone from a wound in her side that made her chest heave from the clear pain it was causing as it stained her white dress. "We don't mean the council any harm. The kills were in self-defense."

"The evidence says otherwise," I stated, letting her weapons clatter to the ground. I didn't need my knives to take her. Better to let her think she'd earned a victory than to risk getting my head blown off. "But, state your case. I'm no judge. Get it off your chest before I put you six feet under."

She smiled, her crimson lipstick shining as though she had partaken in feasting on her own blood. "You won't be killing me tonight, Shadow. If I die, there are orders to execute the surviving captives."

"Too bad they've already been found and released." I punched the woman in her wound and caught the gun as it dropped from her hand. Two shots broke the silence of the forest. Night birds scattered, fleeing from the shadow of death that bleed into the earth in a merciless river of red.