Thorn, a werewolf tale of love and obsession

Chapter 25 ~ re-call ~

~ Burma  c 956 ~

The last few remaining soldiers watched as the General fought the alpha of the wolf pack they had followed.

None of them wanted to get involved after they had discovered the real reason that Htan had asked them to join him on his quest but they stayed to see if Htan died because then they could collect the silver that lay on the ground and divide it between themselves and if he somehow managed to survive ... then he could be seriously injured and would die anyway? 

Steel scraped against steel causing sparks to fly as the two men fought hard and the only sounds that could be heard where the clashing of their blades and grunts as they struck out at each other, both trying to land the death blow, one striking while the other blocked.

"you fight well for a dog" Htan said as they locked their blades' each man trying to gain the upper hand.

"just make haste and die, I need to go to my mate" Paik growled making Htan angry.

"she's only yours for a few moments longer Paik" Htan roared pushing Paik backwards until he lost his footing and fell dropping his sword.

Paik quickly rolled over and grabbed the hilt of his blade before blocking Htan from a kneeling position then he stood up and faced Htan once more, he wasn't as experienced a fighter as Htan in human form but he had given his word fight fairly and not shift and his principles would not allow him to cheat.

They had been fighting for some time and both men were tiring as their movements slowed and the heavy blades took longer to swing when suddenly Paik heard a howling in the distance, his scouts were letting him know that they had reached the river and found the place where they could safely cross.

His mind wandered for a fraction of a second as he thought of the pack and he foolishly took his eyes off Htan's blade until he felt it slice deep into his heart and he dropped to his knees as his life blood drained into the dirt beneath him, he was cold, so very cold and his last thoughts were of Hassaman and their pup.

He had let them both down, he had let his pack down and as he drifted into unconsciousness he could hear the howls of his pack as the link was severed and died with him.

Htan was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling as he smirked at the man who was laid at his feet.

"she's mine you mutt" he said as he looked back at the soldiers who had been watching him fight.

"well ... are you coming with me to get my woman or are you going to run away too?" Htan asked them.

The men looked at each other wondering if they should go? those wolves at the other end would be thirsty for their blood now and they would be outnumbered.

"go then, get out of here you cowards" Htan roared while half dragging, half lifting Paik's still warm body and throwing it across his horse then he gathered as much of the silver as his horse could carry and set off to claim his prize.

He would need Paik's body to prove to Hassaman that her precious husband was gone but what he didn't know was that she already knew, she had felt the blade as it pierced Paik's heart and had fallen to her knees at the exact same time as her mate, gasping for air as he took his last dying breaths.