Lycanthrope

Chapter 20

Warning - Violence

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I woke up to a muscle cramp, this tells me its time to properly stretch out my limbs, and seeing as I am currently surrounded by a lush forest, I manage to persuade Adam to take me on a run. Hence how I found myself hiding in the high branches of a tree as Adam – the fully transformed version- snuffles around below me. I had a feeling he knew where I am though, but for the sake of our game he's playing along. 

I smirk, spotting an opening.

I leapt from my perch, letting my unbound hair whip behind me in my bent-knee decent, throat letting loose a small war cry. Just before I made contact with Adams back he swung round and caught me midair clawed hands clinching my hips as he spun in a wide circle, not stopping until I admitted dizzy defeat.

I squealed at the feel of a wet tongue lapping down the side of my cheek, then laughed, pushed his great head away and rubbed behind one fuzzy ear.

"Alright, change back now." I chuckled when he pulled in close and rubbed his chin on the top of my head before stilling. Close eyed, I winced at the sound and feeling of his bones and muscles reshaping only looking up again when I heard his relieved sigh. Adams arms tightened and he snuggled in, pushing his nose into my neck; breathing relaxed. Seemingly content.

"Do you want some pants? It's pretty cold out."

"Mmm," He stood back and stretched his arms up, making the muscles beneath his skin draw and flex, but I was looking at his face, I swear "If you would be so kind." Adam gave me a sideways, lazy, smile.

Turning away, I took the rucksack from my back and shuffled through the contents until I came across some black shorts and a grey top; handing them from behind my back, Adam took them with a laugh. Wolves never got the whole body embarrassment thing, living half their lives in fur and the other half in some state of nudity.

As if the wind shifted direction, the trees stopped moving and fell silent, a wary atmosphere brewed cold air that made the baby hairs on the back of my neck stand; I turned to my left, staring into the distance like something was there.

Adam came to my side, eyes black, looking at the same point that had attracted my attention.

"Can fight?" his guttural voice asked, finally looking to me, I nodded. "Run fast, stay close." 

He was off like a bolt, so fast that it took my brain a stutter to realise he had already left, finally catching up I too took off in a sprint. Eventually matching Adam's relentless, yet obviously slowed, pace my eyes took on tunnel vision, only seeing the path ahead of me as if my feet already knew where to lead me. I didn't see Adam continuously looking over his shoulder as he checked I was still behind him.

Adam's arm winded me into an emergency stop when he barred it in front of me and then curled around me, his body shielding me from the view in the tree clearing in front of us. I felt his chest expand with deep inhales as he scented the area. "Too late-"

A frantic, shifted awareness made me shove Adams arm away and thrust myself forward, running the last few yards allowing me to see the gorish sight.

I'd seen- hell killed- wolves before, but seeing the two mutilated wolves lay to one side of the crimson splattered area, one curled tightly into the side of another, I felt heart tearing agony rip into my being. Especially when their names suddenly sprang to the front of my mind. I walked over in broken steps, kneeling close enough to run my hand through the thick, aged grey coat of the larger wolf.