Lola (Completed)

27 Blood...lust

Lola

My heart is pounding out of my chest. Bastian's Mark pitches and rolls like the deck of a ship in a storm, but it's with excitement, not fear. I do exactly what Bastian and Alpha Ryker told me to do. They drilled this into my head.

Find Mackenzie. Go behind the lines of RueClaw wolves. Do not look back at Bastian. Get behind that line as fast as you can.

Mackenzie was also briefed, of course, and as the ripple of shock takes over the wolves on the Green we grasp hands and race towards the line of warriors Alpha Ryker brought to "witness" the Challenge. We run right past them, behind them. Only then can we turn to watch from the relative safety behind the RueClaw pack's warriors.

When I finally turn to look I see that the realization of the new reality has sunken in. The town Green has descended into chaos. Bastian giving the Harbor pack to Alpha Ryker has caused an immediate, massive problem with hierarchy. Every wolf who has a spot of power, or thought that they would have a spot soon, now has to fight their way to the top.

Bastian and Ryker have both shifted. They are tearing through wolves that I assume attacked them first. I can only see glimpses of them through the wall of wolves in front of us.

"I wish I wasn't so damn short," Mackenzie snarls.

I grunt an agreement. Not that being taller would help. I have over four inches on her and I can't see anything past the four wolves guarding us that haven't shifted. They are massive males. I wonder if Alpha Ryker feeds his warriors steroids.

A furry body crashes into one of the males. He grunts, takes a step backwards into us, but catches himself, shoving the wolf back into the fray. To my shock the guard doesn't shift or start fighting. OK, so they are well-trained, steroid-fed warriors.

I see a glimpse of a tawny brown wolf. Samuel. Then a darker tan wolf attacking him. Jacob. Goddess, the brothers are fighting. I know that Mackenzie has seen them when her hand suddenly grasps mine and squeezes. I know what she is thinking. Which of the brothers has sided with Bastian and Alpha Ryker? Which brother sided against us all?

Brett joins the fight, and a light grey wolf that I think is a RueClaw. I lose sight of them, then the flashes of fur re-appear. Tawny brown, grey, dark brown, white, and black.

I want to clasp my hands over my ears like a pup, but I refuse to embarrass Bastian by acting like a child. The sounds are too raw, too vicious. Growling, snapping, and the worst noise of all, the sound of pain-filled screams.

Jacob gets pinned by two wolves that I know are RueClaw and I suck in a shaky breath. Whether we win or lose, Bastian has lost his best friend to this fight.

"Some of ours are on the wrong side, Luna," one of the men announced grimly.

Mackenzie nods and grits her teeth. "Then Ryker will kill them," is her cool response. I stiffen, but bite my tongue before I can even gasp in dismay. Ryker is not an easygoing Alpha, but he just became mine, so I had better get used to it.

Can I do this? Can I be the First Beta female of this pack?

As if he hears Mac's words, I see a flash of the giant silver wolf ripping the throat out of a smaller black one. Ryker has taken down one of his own pack, a traitor. I blink the tears from my eyes, frustrated as they blinded me. Flashes of fur, different colors moving blindingly fast, growls and snarls and howls of pain make the battle so chaotic, dangerous. It's nothing like hunting criminal rogue wolves. There is nothing organized about this. It's pure mayhem. It's terrible.

I finally see Bastian again. His dark brown wolf is next to Ryker, then gone, then back. He is fighting like a Beta, I realize, jumping to face a threat, then back to his Alpha. Protecting his leader's blind side as the opposing wolves throw themselves at the alpha, trying to take him down first. Ryker stays stationary for the most part, a beacon in the tumult for his wolves. I hate that Bastian is fighting. He is tired, worn out from his death match with his father.