Legacy Wolves

Chapter 7: The Battle of Blood and Teeth

The air was thick with the stench of blood, sweat, and fear. Cassian's body screamed in agony, his shoulder was a throbbing mess where Alice's arrow had pierced him. It burned with an intensity that left him sweaty, dizzy and slightly nauseous.  

Alice grabbed his arm, pulling him back to reality. Her eyes were wide with urgency. "We need to move! Now!"

Cassian nodded, trying to push himself up, but his limbs were like lead, his body refusing to obey. The ground beneath him felt like quicksand, each movement slower than the last as his blood poured from the wound. His vision swam, but he could hear Alice above the din, shouting something he couldn't make out.

"Come on!" Alice yelled, propping his weakening body up. "If we don't move now, the silver will kill you."

"Silver?" Cassian whispered, his limbs falling to his side and Alice tried deperately to make him move.

He felt his body slam against a tree as Alice grabbed his collar. Her face swam in his vision. She drew herself up to eye level. Her blue eyes were piercing against the black of her hair - like icicles.  

"The arrow is slowly poisoning you and as a blood heir you're extremely valuable - alive."

Cassian shook his head, the sweat dripping off his body. "I'm not a blood heir."

Alice ripped his shirt off his shoulder. Cassian let out a scream as pain ripped through his body. 

"Look! Your blood is turning black!" Alice said, but Cassian wouldn't look. 

Alice let him go, stepping back. "Fine! Die then."

Cassian slumped to his knees breathing heavily as the poison spread. He looked up at Alice but before he could say anything, a massive blur of fur and muscle slammed into Alice, knocking her to the ground with a grunt of pain. The wolf was on her in an instant, its jaws snapping viciously as she struggled beneath its weight.

"Alice!" Cassian croaked, his voice weak, his body sluggish.

She kicked out desperately, managing to keep the beast's teeth away from her throat, but the wolf was relentless. It snarled, saliva dripping from its jaws as it lunged again, its claws tearing through her jacket.

Cassian tried to push himself up, every nerve in his body screaming in protest. He pulled himself up on the tree and took a few shaky steps. But he stumbled to his knees, blood dripping down his side, the ground spinning beneath him.

Suddenly, another wolf barreled into him from the side, its massive body slamming him back into the earth with bone-rattling force. Cassian hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs in a painful gasp.

The wolf hovered over him, its fangs bared, saliva dripping from its mouth as it growled, eyes locked onto his with a fierce, predatory glare. Cassian's heart pounded, his body frozen with fear as the wolf's hot breath hit his face. For a split second, he thought it would tear him apart, end his suffering right there.

But then, with a low snarl, the wolf turned away, leaping toward a hunter who had charged in with his blade drawn. Cassian lay there, chest heaving, watching in horror as the wolf tore into the man with brutal efficiency. Blood sprayed across the trees as the hunter's screams were silenced, replaced by the wet sound of flesh being torn from bone.

Cassian forced himself to move, crawling across the forest floor, his hands slipping in the dirt and blood. Every inch was agony, but he had to get away—he had to survive.

His vision blurred as he dragged himself toward the trees, the sounds of battle echoing around him. The wolves were everywhere, their hulking forms moving with terrifying speed and grace. The hunters were shouting, their voices growing more frantic as they realized they were losing ground.