The Sun Will Rise (Moonlight 1)

Chapter 35-Protector

My paws slide and skid on the muddy ground below as I race forwards. My thoughts move quickly, there's not much time. I knew my goal needed to be getting the other wolf away from Calum. That way he could at least get back over the border.

However, I stalled, when I noticed the hunter raising their bow again. They were ready to strike and Calum was directly in their path. Barely thinking, I dashed in between them and Calum. He had taken enough pain tonight. As I heard their arrow release, there was a slight click as it faltered. I felt the tip of the arrowhead as it scrapped across the back of my hind leg. The spot began to sting, and I let out a small whimper. Through the bond, I could faintly hear Michael and Ashton calling me to come back.

I gritted my teeth and ignored them. I don't know how they could just stand back there and watch. I turned away from the hunter now, looping back around to face the wolf. They now had Calum in the same position, but were thrashing their drawn claws into his chest. Neither seemed to have noticed the hunter.

I pushed forwards off my back legs, as I launched myself onto the other wolf. Fur met my paws, as I landed on top of them. We both fell forwards, the intruder wolf letting out a small shriek of surprise. The wolf turned as we fell dragging me with it. We rolled on the grass for a moment; teeth bared, our strength matched. Whoever they were, they were strong. I threw myself onto them using every bit of force I had. I gritted my teeth as I finally pinned them down. A thought came to me, could I talk to them? I frowned, I'd never tried to talk to someone outside the pack before. It was worth a shot.

'Who are you?' I thought out angrily as I focused my thoughts on them.

'Come on Lukey, think.' The other wolf replied only a few seconds after.

My eyes widened. Only one person called me that. Finn? I recoiled, I still had him pinned but my grip loosened. I hesitated, I couldn't attack Finn.

I felt a large shift beneath me as Finn pushed me off with his paws. The wind rushed through my ears as I fell onto the mess of grass, mud and stones below. I quickly pulled myself up, shaking the mud from my fur. I stood to face him. I should've suspected him to be the wolf considering his behaviour around Calum, but what had pushed him so far as to hurt him?

I looked behind the dark furred wolf to see Calum was lying there behind him, halfway between the border. He'd shifted back, his dark hair a mess of leaves, twigs and mud as it fell across his face. When I focused my eyesight, I could see the raw claw marks across his chest and arms. He breathed deeply, his pain radiating through to me from the bond.

My gaze moved upwards to where the hunter had been to find it vacant. I searched nearby. It appears the hunters had left, which I found odd. There was a small whine and my attention fell back on Finn.

'Impressive, Lukey.' Finn snarled, as he began to circle around me, 'You have a lot more fight in you than I thought. I suppose it makes sense considering what your parents did to my brother. Must run in the blood.' Finn snarled, as he paraded around me.

'Huh? What do you mean?' I ask, tilting my head sidewards.

'Didn't you know?' He sneered, as he pushed his body upwards so that he would be taller than me. 'Your parents murdered my brother.'

I stared at him for a moment, my mind disconnecting from the rest of my body. My stomach sank. I had nothing I could say to that. Since I'd learnt that they were hunters, part of me had known they would have killed a numerous number of werewolves over the years. They were hunters after all. Knowing that they'd done that was bad, but knowing it had happened to someone you'd known was a different story.