The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 32: Kyle

-Kyle’s P.O.V-

The forest was peacefully silent, save for the soft snores that sounded from the girl in my arms. She looked exhausted, but happy in her deep slumbers. Her wild hair was loose, and a few stray tendrils rested on her face, but I quickly brushed them away. Her hands clutched loosely onto my cotton shirt, her face slightly tilted into my chest. I liked the way that when she slept she wasn’t afraid of me, or eyeing me suspiciously.

As a wolf, Florence had run quite a distance into the reserve, leaving me with a long walk ahead of me, but I didn’t mind. It was just my thoughts and imagination to keep me company, and too often were they focused on a particular person.

A few steps later, and I knew that something was wrong. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and my survival instincts warned me that something or someone was near. I threw a nervous glance down at the innocent girl I was carrying. In a fight, I would not be able to protect her very well.

The threat presented itself as a group emerged from the shadows of the trees, and I recognized their leader instantly. It was the Alpha’s son from this region, the one that I obviously did not get along with. He was not alone. Four fully shifted wolves flanked him on either side, each in a battle stance with their ears pricked and alert. Each one was exceptionally large for our kind, but they did not scare me. The Alpha’s son was in human form though, no doubt to communicate.

“We have a score to settle, but it seems that I caught you at the wrong time.” He spoke in a quiet voice but I could still hear him. His eyebrow quirked up in amusement at my chosen attire, and he ogled Florence while she slept, which earned him a death glare from myself.

“And what score would that be?” I asked him, ever so slightly bringing Florence closer to my chest. I pinched her gently and her eyes fluttered open sleepily with a groan. To her, I murmured: “When I say go, you need to run for the trees and don’t look back, understand?” She was wide awake now, but she didn’t dare move to see what the problem was. She nodded; her eyes wide and frightened.

“Have you not forgotten when you bested me in our fight?” He called across the sizeable gap between us. As he said it though, he looked nervously down at his warriors as if he was afraid they could hear us. He didn’t want them to know that their almighty leader had lost in a scuffle.

“As I recall, you hunted me down to attack me. That fight was a simple act of self defence.” I informed him. At the ongoing discussion between us, the wolves shifted eagerly, waiting for the fight to begin.

The boy’s eyes narrowed in irritation. “Enough said. You’re going to pay for what you did to me, as well as humiliating my father in front of his men!” He growled. He flicked his wrist and the wolves prowled forward. We had seconds until they were upon us.

“Go!” I shouted to Florence as I flipped her onto her feet. She sprinted behind me to the tree line and I cast her out of my mind. I had done all that I could for her, now it was time to defend my honour.

Shifting came easily to me and within less than a few seconds I was fully morphed. The first two wolves attacked from both my left and my right, and so began the deadly dance of our fight. I opted for getting rid of the one on the left first, and I lunged for his unprotected throat without hesitation. He was caught off guard, and proceeded to slump to the earth in defeat. In one swift movement, I snapped his neck with a sickening crunch. He would not last much longer in the living world.

The second wolf on my right was clamped onto my hind leg, gnawing away painfully. I whipped around and clawed him across the eye, blinding him temporarily. He yowled out and I sent a solid head butt into his chest, keeping him at bay for now. While he was recovering from his injury, I took the chance to advance on the third attacker. This wolf was obviously female, but judging by the blood thirsty gaze she was withering me with, I shouldn’t go easy on her just because of her gender.

She lunged for my belly, but I jumped back and dived in for the back of her neck. Blood filled my mouth and I tried to ignore the taste. My inner wolf was becoming harder and harder to keep a leash on, eager to sink his teeth into the action. The blood had set him off, sending him into a wild frenzy he was nearly impossible to keep caged up. I gave into the temptation of letting him free, and allowed him to take the reins. All my rational thinking was disregarded, and my raw instincts kicked in, my wild side in full play once more. It felt good to let that side of me free for the while, but I had a problem on my hands later when I tried to rein it in again.

Before where my attacks were tactical and thought through, I was now attacking with brutal force. I barrelled into the small female wolf and beat her to the floor, clawing her side for good measure to keep her out for the count. Her body rose up and down with each breath, but it was laboured and thick blood was seeping through her multiple claw marks. She was still a moment later, no signs of life in her open but empty eyes.

Claws and teeth had punctured my thick pelt, and the fourth wolf was clinging onto my back, dragging me to the floor. I turned away from the gruesome sight of the dead wolf and focused on dealing with this one instead. I bucked him off and spun around, ignoring the pain of my wounds. It didn’t take him long to slip up and reveal his unprotected side, and I lunged for it, taking it into my jaws and swinging his limp body to the side with ease.

The last wolf left was cowering on the floor in pain, a bleeding, blind eye watching me in fear. I swiped at him again and again with my sharpened claws, until he stopped struggling and whimpering. The brutal battlefield was silent now, with four new bodies lying around me.

Physically, I was at my peak at that moment. My chest heaved as I inhaled heavily, my muscles buzzing with the exercise I was doing. Every part of my body felt alive, and all my senses were linked together to help me in my fights. My vision was slightly tinted red at the blood lust I was experiencing, and my mouth dripped blood, but it was not mine.

My eyes scanned the space around me, but something was missing, something vital. In my rage, it took me a few moments to discover what it was. It was the leader of the group, the human that was missing. He was not in the clearing at all, nor could I place his scent anywhere near.

I took off at speed. The girl, I had to check if she was alright. Her scent was easy to follow, sweet and musky. It trailed between trees and over small bushes. I followed it to the millimetre, leading a path of destruction in my wake as I trampled through the nature.

She had run farther than I thought, and I nearly missed seeing her altogether as I sprinted past. I skidded to a stop and turned around, taking in the small figure as she pressed herself against a tree. She sat with her back up against the bark, a small stick wielded in her arms as a defence weapon. It was laughable really, but her life was at stake.

I didn’t even feel the need to attack her this time, as I had so many nights ago. Her scent had changed now, and I could detect that she was a werewolf easily. She was not prey anymore, but she was still mine. I had to protect her. The need to keep her safe ran deep in my mind, a silent command that I put her needs above any of mine. I would not let her come to any harm.

The other human had shifted, and I could smell the wolf’s scent all around this area. He was circling slowly, without a sound. The shadows were so dark, and even with my exceptionally good nocturnal vision, I could not see him. His fur was also black, which provided a natural camouflage in his surroundings.

He was literally an invisible attacker, and I had to spot him before he had a chance to strike where it hurt most, the vulnerable girl.

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Okay so this is where I stop haha. You'll have to wait a little longer for another chapter, but it will still come soonish. The picture on the side is of Joullian, I still don't know whether he should be played by Alex Pettyfer or not...

Vote, like comment please! It really helps me! :)

-Moozelle