Statera - The Balanced One

Chapter Fifteen

My world spun, and whatever constituted as ears in this form rang with the intensity of a tornado siren. Off to the left were the sounds of the wolf I loved amid a deadly confrontation with an Afflicted. A lancing pain tore through my neck and shoulder. I wasn't surprised. My face was the first thing to hit the ground upon impact. Moving wasn't an option. I was seeing double and stiff with pain.

I watched as Keitan misread which direction his opponent intended to take. It gave the Afflicted just enough time to break free and start running toward his allies' yipping. Craning his head in my direction, I could see Keitan was torn between giving chase or staying with me.

Go, Keitan! Don't let him get to the others! I'll be fine.

With one last lingering glance, he took off after my assailant. The sensation of his thoughts penetrating mine wrapped me in warmth and security.

I love you, Zor. I'll be back for you.

No sooner had he given chase than a familiar feeling crept over me. Keitan had only been fighting one Afflicted, but I'd seen two from the air. With the pungent smell of cattle blood lingering, Keitan must have missed the Afflicted's scent. I wasn't alone.

I tried to morph, fly—anything, but I could only hobble.

"Why can't I fly?" I asked myself.

Panic grew; I knew it was here because I could feel it watching me. Wherever it was, I knew it was close but wasn't making its location known.

It didn't take long to figure out why. Less than thirty seconds later, the rest of my hunting party was stampeding toward me. I squawked as loud as possible, but most of them passed over me. Noah and Cole were bringing up the rear. Cole kept running, but Noah stopped directly in front of me. He saw me with knowing eyes and picked me up. Being in a wolf's mouth should have creeped me out, but it didn't

I wondered for a split second why he'd been able to recognize me when none of the others had. Then it hit me—his superior sense of smell. My natural scent would remain even while morphed, and he'd picked it up.

He'd started running to catch up with the others but stopped suddenly. I knew he'd picked up on the hidden Afflicted's scent. Noah shifted and gently placed me on the ground to bark a series of fast, sharp-pitched yips. He was calling to the others for help.

He paced back and forth in front of bushes where the Afflicted was hiding. I'd noticed it when we first met Noah and his family. Noah was different from the others; he didn't exude the persona of a feral fighter. Instead, he was calmer, less aggressive, and had a bright intelligence to his personality. There was a gentle nature about him; he was a lover, not a fighter, a resounding voice of reason.

The Afflicted jumped out of the tall brush with ferocious intent. There would be no sensible reasoning with this creature as Noah stopped pacing and directed a less-than-intimidating growl toward the Afflicted. The beast was not moved at all. Then when the Afflicted saw an opening, it lunged at Noah.

I could do nothing except watch in horror as Noah's attacker made its move. The two tumbled through the pasture grass, and Noah's sleek brown fur flew everywhere as his assailant bit huge chunks from his side. I cringed at the sound of Noah yelping in agony as the Afflicted ripped, shredded, and tore at him. The others ran toward us, having heard Noah's yips, with Keitan a distance ahead of the rest.

Even with all his speed, he wasn't fast enough. I turned back toward Noah, who'd fallen silent, his wolven head partially detached and gushing blood. His body twitched and then went still as the life fled from his eyes.