Flight of a Thousand Gold Feathers

Creatures of the Night

Cameron's pov

"Alright everyone, form a line." Today was the day of the monthly pack run. We do it every full moon even though most of the pack aren't wolf shifters. Usually the Alpha leads it, but my father had some business to attend to so I was leading the pack run. We formed five ranks of twenty four. We weren't in any particular order but filing like this made things much more organized. We were all crouched ready to shift, waiting for my command.

"On your marks, get set, Shift." There was a symphony of tearing flesh and cracking for about thirty seconds before the air filled. I stood at the head, my wolf standing proudly. His fur was a mix of gray and white with a ring of black around his head. I could feel his excitement but I turned to make sure everyone was ready. When I was certain, I let the final command ring through the mind-link.

"Run." There was a flurry of bodies as lions, tigers, birds, and an assortment of other animals raced to the forest. Many heading in different directions. Even though we started the run as a pack, what happens during the run is up to the shifter, as is when it ends. My wolf took off on his own deep in the forest, he wanted to hunt.

He ran until we could no longer hear the pack, only the sounds of the forest. He sniffed the air and once he found the scent of deer he took off even deeper into the forest. He found a lone stag peacefully eating. He crouched low and began to crawl slowly toward the deer. He'd just gotten close enough to pounce when the deers head popped, it sniffed, then pounded off. My wolf huffed in frustration and was about make chase when he stopped. He could smell something in the woods nearby.

The smell was horrid, even worse than rouges, like sulfur and ash. Something could be seen moving in the woods and my wolf began to growl in the direction of it. Several red eyes appeared before a figure lept out of forest at my wolf. He rolled to the side dodging the attack and standing to face the attacker. It was ugly, motley gray skin covered a hulking gray body and bat like wings extended from its back. It hissed showing sharp canines before launching itself at my wolf again. He tried to dodge the blow but another came from the side knocking him into tree. I could feel several ribs break and blood run from two gash wounds in his side from the creatures talons. Two more, smaller but still as ugly, creatures flanked the first one. My wolf attempted to stand but his legs gave out.

"Help!Help! Somebody, I need help!" I was screaming into the mind link, but I knew I was too far for anyone to hear. My wolf was beginning to lose consciousness when I saw something gold fly into the creatures. I could hear the pained and terrified shrieks of the creatures and the angry call of the gold something. Then it went silent. I felt something big walk up to me and nudge my wolf, as if to get him to stand. But he couldn't even open his eyes and I was quickly fading. I felt the wind gush and heard wings flapping before feeling talons wrap themselves around my wolf and then the jerking feeling of being suddenly lifted upwards. My wolf and I were almost unconscious, but I could feel strange pleasant tingles coming from the touch of this creature and I could feel my wolf chanting one word before losing consciousness.

Mate.