Loving the enemy

Chapter 13

Dans POV

I slink through the forest in wolf form, getting closer to the pack of deer. It's been hard this winter trying to find food, and I feel as if I have come across a jackpot.

It's almost too good to be true.

I watch them trying to evaluate how I am going to plan my attack, I am alone so I wouldn't be able to drag anymore than three back with me. Then the others would scatter, almost never to be found again. A female deer wanders slightly away from the others, peeling bark from a tree. I crouch my body close to the ground, hiding as much as possible. The animal is oblivious to me, I arch my back ready to jump.

"Hello doggy." says a taunting female voice. I spin around in shock, unprepared and unknowing someone else was with me.

The woman has long red hair and is wearing a studded leather jacket and black torn jeans. I immediately can tell she is not human or werewolf but a vampire. I bare my teeth at her and she smiles with a small cock of her head. "Are you going to be a good dog, or do I need to put you down?" She says with a sly grin. I don't move, standing my ground.

"Leave, and maybe you'll live." I say with a low growl. She laughs, the noise causing the deer I was stalking to scatter in fright.

"Oh, why I think you are underestimating who is in charge here, doggy." I look around and see more glowing eyes in the trees, hundreds of them. I look back at the woman.

"What do you want?"

She looks at her nails nonchalantly, almost bored. "Oh that's simple. Blood." her eyes flash up to me and she draws a knife from her back, before I can react she streams forward and slices my face, I yelp and spin around as she is now behind me. I go to jump forward at her but hands grab my hind legs as I'm mid air, slamming me to the ground. The vampire from the trees all run at me, cutting me, kicking me, holding me down as they abuse and torture me. I bite at the one closest to me, digging my teeth deep into the mans leg. He yells out as I tear flesh from his bone, he almost falls down but is caught by someone behind him. As he is dragged away another vampire immediately fills his place.

I scratch and bite but I am engaging in a hopeless battle. Me against hundreds of bloodthirsty vampires is a fight I'm destined to loose.

They beat me relentlessly, breaking bones and tearing flesh. Eventually it becomes too difficult to remain in wolf form and my body shrinks back into its human figure. Soon it becomes as if I am no longer feeling the beating, but floating above my body and observing.

Peaceful

I know this won't last forever, soon I will loose this tranced state and will regain feeling, and it will hurt more than anything I have ever felt before.

Then, just like Bo, I will be left to die.

••••••••••

Max POV

I know something is wrong before I see him.

I can feel it in the air, the same silence and tension that is there an attack, after a murder. Instantly my heart beat doubles and I run forward, screaming his name.

I'm too late

Just like Able

I'm too late

I hear a agonising groan from my left, I instantly run in that direction. Then I see him. His body is curled up small and weak, blood pooling around him and his limbs twisted awkwardly. I fall beside him and take his beaten face in my palms.

"Dan, Dan it's Max. I'm here. Its going to be okay. I'm here." I know it's not going to be okay, and I feel he knows that too. He doesn't open his eyes, as if it would take all of his energy. I know he is alive, he is moving slightly and pained noises are coming from his mouth. "Dan, look at me. Please."

"I can't." he says heavily, his split lips quivering. His arm slowly moves up and he places his hand over mine, me still holding his face.

"Why not?" I say quietly, terrified of the answer.

Then, his eyelids flutter open, for a moment I feel relieved but then I see. His eyes are completely red, his eyes are bleeding.

"I'm blind Max, they blinded me." he says, his body shaking. "Max, I won't be able to see again, I won't-" he stops speaking as his words starts to shake.

"I'm not going to leave you, Dan. Shane will come looking for us soon, then he can go get help. I won't leave you here. I won't let you die. Won't let them come back." He doesn't say anything for a while, his body just shaking faintly. I slowly lean my face close to his, resting my head on his forehead. We stay like that for a few minutes in silence, until he speaks first.

"Max?"

"I'm still here."

"Do you have your bow?"

"I always have my bow."

"I don't want to live like this. I don't want to live a life without my vision, live a life coated in scars-"

"Stop. I'm not going to shoot you." I almost snap, cutting off his words.

"Please, what kind of life can I live now? My life is spent as a hunter, now I can't see. I can't hunt."

"Stop it, Dan. You will live just fine. We can get through this, you will be helped."

"Please." He begs, "Shoot me, Max."

"No!" I almost yell "I am not letting anyone else I care for die! Especially not at my hand! You are going to get better, and you will live a long and happy life. You will find your mate, fall hopelessly in love, have pups, grow old, you will learn to see beauty as it grows in the hearts of people rather than their appearances. You will live." He doesn't say anything for a moment, emptily looking up at the sky.

"I want to be with my family, Max."

"We are your family." Tears start to brim in my eyes. "Shane cares about you, and I can tell he needs you. You have done nothing but help me, and you have had no reason to do so. Not after what I did to your sister. I don't ever expect you to forgive me for that, Dan. Not ever. But I do care about you, and I am forever grateful for what you have done for me, for Shane. So I refuse to let you die here. Not this way."

"My life is my choice." He insists one last time.

"Not if I'm the one pulling the trigger."

Nothing else is said between us, not until Shane and more of the Alphas men find us huddled together on the forest floor.