Control

Chapter One

In every shadow there is light, In every tear a smile.
In death I know there is still life, that lingers for awhile.

The leaves were a blur. An endless sky of enchanting green, only disrupted by the dark grey of the afternoon sky.

Anything sounded so far away, distant.

The pounding of my paws on the forest ground. The wind whistling in the trees. The breathing behind me, so near, I could almost feel it. The only thing I could really hear, that blocked everything else out, was the blood rushing in my ears. That and the voice in my head, constantly screaming at me.

Run faster.

This was about life or death. I knew it. I was the hunted, the weaker one, they were in an advantage. Not only were they two, but their wolfs were bigger than mine.

I pushed my legs harder, but at some point, everyone reaches the limit. Adrenaline rushed through my body. I didn't feel the pain, the weariness. My eyes were focused on the path before me. The sound of the paws pounding on the ground got louder. I tried to run faster, but I couldn't.

And then one moment it was suddenly silent. All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears.

But the next second the peaceful moment was over and with a loud howl I fell down, feeling nothing but pain in my left hind paw. The canines bit in my flesh, drawing blood and ripping the skin. There was sound of bones breaking and I couldn't help but whimper as I tried to free myself which only caused more pain. The second wolf approached me, it's dark, almost black eyes locking with my gaze. Through the veil in front of my eyes I saw him flashing me a grin, his canines catching a streak of light, shining in the darkness.

The other wolf released some of the pressure on my leg. I closed my eyes, inhaled the fresh air one last time, then I pulled my leg away. The canines cut in my fur, into the flesh underneath, but I didn't care. With one fast movement I launched forward, freeing my leg completely. I didn't catch the other wolf completely off guard, but it was enough to sink my sharp teeth in his side. The blood tasted almost sweet on my tongue.

The wolf tried to move away, but I bit harder. I wanted to move to its neck, ending this, but I was pulled backwards, landing on my back. The other wolf snarled and as I looked in his eyes I could see the bloodlust in them. He was in the advantageous position. His weight pressed my body in the soft ground.

Any other wolf might have been able to still fight back; any wolf but me.

I've been alone since that unfortunate night. I've lived in caves or abandoned houses in the woods since then, however always avoiding other wolves. And if somehow my path would cross with another rogues' all I could do was run.

I wasn't good at fighting; nobody has ever taught me the art of it. My wolf was small compared to others and I was too weak to fight two grown males; even just one. I struggled against his body, but his strength kept me locked.

My eyes glanced up and I could swear the wolf smirked. I shivered slightly, but not enough to let him taste my fear. He took his time. His claws pierced into my flesh and I bit back a wince. I might have been in a deadly situation, but I still had my pride.

The wolf's eyes were pitched black and I could see mine being reflected in them.

It was the first time since years that I struggled against death, that my life was in the hands of another, but this time, there would be no other way. There was nothing, on which I looked back onto.