Trip To The Inferno [OLD VERSION]

Part 64

'Lead us' Laird snarled and lowered himself on all four. The little wolf turned around and bolted, with Laird easily keeping up. Cane was having a bit of problem to keep up as his body was trained more towards damage than speed.

All three of them ran through the forest, towards the center of the island. They almost reached the border when the little wolf stopped and Laird saw that half of his pack was here, all hidden in the bushes and frozen in shock. Laird sneaked forward, his body barely covered by the foliage as his attention turned to a small clearing. In the middle he saw another wolf beast eating a freshly caught deer. He was completely absorbed in his kill, not noticing that he was surrounded. The beast's fur was a soft grey colour with his feet and hands in darker colour. His ear tips were also darker grey in colour and it looked as if he was dipped in some paint, but not fully submerged. The beast was smaller than him and not as muscular, but Laird could see that the visitor was quick.

Then, the light musky scent reached his nose. The same musky and light scent that lingered around the burial chamber. At that moment he noticed the it wasn't a he.

It was a she.

The fact that the beast was a female with the same scent found at the burial chamber shocked him. He moved back a little, but his body was squeezed in frail bushes. His hind leg broke a branch and a painfully loud snap rang throughout the clearing. The female beast froze, a possessive growl broke the silence as her ears turned towards him. She slowly turned around and looked into the foliage, trying to find the source of the saund. Her snout and claws were drenched in blood which made her red eyes stand out. Saliva dripped from her foaming mouth, died in pink from blood. With short and quick breathing to add up, she really did look like a crazy animal, but she wasn't.

She wasn't won over.

That fact made Laird confused. Everybody born, not given, with inner wolf goes through this "crazed" stage that happens after the first change. The beast side always takes over the body, after years of being suppressed and the human side rarely can take control over the beast. For this reason, the father challenges the beast and wins him or her over, showing that he is the dominant beast and that the "crazed" beast has to get himself together. If the father is not available then the mother dominates the beast. If the pup has no parents by the time his first change happens, then the leader of the pack challenges the "crazed" beast. But the change happens around the 12th winter, not in the adulthood, like for this particular visitor.

Laird glanced at Cane and the latter's pointed look didn't pass through his eyes.

'Surround the clearing' he growled silently and Cane nod, sending the order. Laird didn't wait for others to get into their position and he moved out of the shrubs. The female beast's eyes instantly locked on him and she growled, snapping her teeth at him in warning. He returned the gesture with his own teeth snapping. That defiance to back down instantly ticked the female beast as she roared at him and jumped forward. Laird dodged the attack by jumping to his right, but the female was faster than him and instantly jumped on his back. He began shaking, trying to get her off. Because of constant shaking, the female beast dug her claws of her hind legs into his side and bit down on his shoulder, missing his neck. Pain shot through Laird's shoulder and sides and he let out an angry snarl. Standing on his hind legs, he slammed into a nearby tree, crushing the female beast between himself and hard wood. The tree shook from the force, dead branches falling down and he heard a growl from the female beast. She clung to his shoulder, digging into his shoulder deeper and Laird slammed against the tree again. This time the force knocked the air out of the female beast's lungs and she released her jaws from his muscles. Laird moved away from the female a little bit, giving her a bit of space, and turned around.

She was standing on all four, her body hunched in defence. Her breathing was erratic, her mouth foaming even more. She was livid. Laird roared again, trying to get her back down, but she was having none of that and snapped her teeth at him.

Laird came up with a quick winning move in his mind and jumped on the female. Just as he predicted, she rolled sideways, dodging him. Seeing an opportunity, she sunk her teeth into his hind leg and Laird growled. Her attack was just what he needed though, and he quickly twisted and fell on her. Pinning her down, he dug his canines into the spot where her neck met shoulder and growled. The female beast began trashing around, trying to get him off. She began slamming her body into his own, trying to overthrown him on his back, but he was more massive than her.

Laird felt her trashing subsiding slowly until she went completely still. Keeping his teeth in her muscle for a moment longer, in case it was all an act, he felt her shrink. Quickly releasing his hold, he watched as the visitor began shifting back into her human form.

Not a moment later, a woman laid unconscious underneath him. A woman who Laird lost to a white stag only a half day ago.