Wildfire

Chapter 4

Rue

I run as fast as my legs can carry me. Adrenaline pumping through my veins as I sprint for the border to a wolf pack. The shimmering translucent borders flickering in a warning. Alerting any outsiders of a pack member approaching as well as warning the pack of a potential intruder.

I will myself to run faster. Farther away from him... From the memories...

A loud roar startles me and I glance behind me.

A mistake.

A small white figure darts in front of my path, causing me to crash into it. I yelp as my leg twists painfully. I tumble down a small hill and into the frigid water of a river.

A large brown wolf snarls at the top of the hill. A rogue...

The wolf's fur was matted and mangey. Its rotting yellowed teeth dripped with saliva. Its eyes glowed a bright ominous red.

I scramble to my feet, crying out as I place my weight onto my injured leg. I couldn't hide from the rogue now. It would be near impossible to shake him off my trail now that I could barely feel my leg. He would be able to spot me easily anyways. My red fur coat was making a large target out of me. Being a red fox, my fur wasn't exactly practical for hiding from predators.

The little white figure jumps to its feet and I catch a glimpse of its form. What would a rogue wolf want with a little fawn?

The small white fawn bleats noisily, fear coming off of him in waves. I limp out of the water just as the rogue wolf charges at us. It takes all my strength to dart away from the wolf. I quickly realize that I was neither a target nor a threat to the rogue wolf as he chases after the deer shifter.

Now here is where any normal person would run for their fucking lives. To save themselves and leave the weakest one to die at the hands of the rogue. But my stupid brain wills my body to move towards the pack border. Towards the fawn... and the rogue...

The rogue wolf corners the little fawn between two thick trees. The fawn was so close to the border. If I could just distract the rogue long enough, maybe the little fawn could make it to safety. Or close enough to the border before the pack wolves arrived.

The little fawn cowers in front of the rogue wolf. It turns around and buries its face between its hooves. I notice that his backside is red and caked in blood.

So that's why the rogue wanted the fawn...Disgusting rogue...

I lunge at the rogue while it is distracted by the fawn, clamping my jaws around its hind leg. The rogue snarls and whips around to face me. The fawn scurries away while the wolf is focused on me, successfully slipping into the pack lands. The shimmering border flickers rapidly, alerting the pack of a breach within the borders.

The rogue freezes when he sees that the fawn was on the other side of the border. He growls lowly in his throat, sending me flying through the air with one strong kick. I slam into a tree hard, my back cracking with the force. My chest heaves as I desperately try to retrieve the air that was knocked out of me.

With hooded eyes, I watch the rogue dart away from the borders, most likely not willing to risk being caught over a fawn.

That's right, motherfucker! Runaway like the little bitch you are!

I take a minute to catch my breath. When I open my eyes again, the world stops spinning and I can stand on shaking legs. The small fawn stands a few feet away from me. The crazed look still in its eyes. Goddess, the poor thing must be traumatized. I should help it find its mother if she's still alive.

I take a step towards the fawn. He begins to bleat loudly in distress. Panicking and tripping over its legs as it backs away from me.

No! Come here! Can't you see that I'm only trying to help you?

The more I advance on the deer, the more it panics and steps away from me. The fawn's eyes widen when a soft click resounds in the small clearing. The fawn yelps as its leg is yanked upwards. The fawn hangs upside down from the snare trap, struggling and kicking frantically. Blood drips from where the wire cuts into his leg.

I back up, not wanting to meet the same fate as the fawn. But just my fucking luck, there is a snare trap right behind me. My name fucking written on it and everything! And of course, the wire wraps itself around my bad leg.

Fuck! This is what I get for trying to be a good fucking person and help someone for once.

The fawn's cries make my heart ache painfully. I listen to the fawn cry out, not for its mother, but the rogue. This leads me to believe that the rogue was the only one that the poor fawn had ever known. That the fawn had no one else but the rogue to rely on. Even though it was clear that the rogue abused the fawn. The fawn must find comfort in knowing his fate instead of supposedly being left out to dir by the rogue.

Now that the fawn was strung up on the snare I could see that he was a boy. I make small chittering sounds to distract the fawn from the pain in his hind leg. The fawn seems to calm down, his little head tilting in curiosity at the noise.

I take in the fawn's appearance. I had never seen a deer like him before. He had snow-white fur, save for the patches of blood. His wide eyes were big and blue. A beautiful light baby blue. The fawn had a little pink nose, the insides of his ears pink as well.

The once calm fawn begins to panic again. His legs kicking out in all directions, bleating frantically. The sour stench of fear returns to the air. I hear the wolves approaching before I see them.

Three wolves come to a stop a few feet from us. They shift into their human forms, as naked as the day they were born. They dress quickly, never taking their eyes from me and the frightened fawn.

The man seemingly leading the group has white-blonde hair and grey eyes. He was an adonis of a man, strikingly beautiful. A younger, smaller man stands beside him. Coppery hair and blue eyes. They both stare in shock at the little fawn. They most likely saw the dried blood that surrounded his backside. I know that I was in shock after seeing the damage that the rogue had caused to the helpless little deer.

When my focus turns toward the third man, I notice the smell. The man looked similar to the first one. Perhaps they were brothers. His hair was a more sandy blonde, his eyes a lighter grey. The smell surrounding him was intoxicating. A mix of fresh berries and water clung to him. It made me yearn for the man's touch.

"Mate..." The man whispers in awe.

Fuck...