Branches and thorned vines snagged at their fur as the pair raced through the forest, the distant sound of the battle becoming louder as they neared the edge of the woods that would place them near to the pack house.
Breaking through the tree line, the two teenagers were met with a devastating scene of carnage. Dead bodies from both their pack and the enemy littered the ground in front of them. Red rivers of blood were seeping into the dirt everywhere they looked, turning the landscape a deep crimson.
Pushing through the fighting wolves, unable to avoid the dead that lay at their feet, the pair tried to help their members as they passed. Jumping in to any fight that looked to be turning against their own and killing the foe before continuing to force their way toward the pack house where they were sure the Alpha would be fighting.
Garrett’s wolf, Gavin suddenly whimpered, stumbling slightly as his gaze moved to the left where the dead and mutilated body of his father was laying on the ground. Automatically, the young wolf made to approach, wanting to do something, anything to bring his parent back.
‘I know Garrett’ Hudson called out through the mind link, ‘but you can’t help him, I’m sorry, but he’s gone. What we need to do is take revenge now, for your father and every other wolf that has lost their life today. We will kill them all and then we will mourn your loss.’
Nodding, Garrett faced forward, anger rolling off him as he lunged at the nearest attacking wolf and started to bite into his neck, trying to rip his throat out.
Hudson’s wolf charged another enemy warrior, taking him down and ripping him to shreds with his claws before moving on to his next target. Wolf after wolf, body after body all he saw was red. Moving closer to the pack house, he suddenly felt pain tear through his as a grief filled howl filled the air, the howl he knew belonged to his father. Pushing through the sea of fighters, he staggered at the sight of his mother, the Luna of the pack, her throat ripped open as she lay in the ground, her eyes staring into nothing as blood poured from her wound.
Hudson howled, a sound full of pain and anger, his whole body taught as he turned to find the culprit, the wolf that had ended his mother’s life, ripping a pure soul from the earth for no reason that he could comprehend.
A rage descended upon him as his wolf trembled, a growl so deadly emanating from his chest that the wolves near to him shuddered instinctively.
He rushed the nearest enemy wolf, knocking him off the warrior he was fighting and sank his teeth into the interloper’s leg, taking satisfaction from the scream of pain as the loud snap of a bone cut through the air.
The warrior tried to fend him off, swiping at his muzzle with his claws, but Hudson was fuelled with grief. As the claws connected with his face, he didn’t even feel the sting of his claws slicing through skin, he focused only on the river of red that flowed out of his target as he dragged his own claws down the other wolf’s stomach, reaching into the wound and pulling out his heart.
The Alpha didn’t even wait to see the light leave the other wolf’s eyes, dropping his body and turning to the next target, grabbing him by the scruff and throwing him with all the strength he could muster before pouncing after him.
His new opponent skidded on the ground, using his claws to slow himself to a stop before whipping around to face Hudson, his teeth bared, brown fur raised as he growled threateningly.
Hudson rushed toward him, leaping at his opponent who reared up on his back legs and met his attack head on, the pair scratching at each other, trying to draw blood.
Landing on all fours, facing the enemy wolf, Hudson snarled, swiping at his face, the other dodging out of the way and snapping at his hind leg as he skipped to the side, evading him.
Back and forth the pair sparred, the other wolf was highly trained and the young Alpha guessed he must be at least Beta rank if not of Alpha blood due to his strength and agility.
The two circled, tuning out the battle around them, focused only on each other as they growled menacingly. The brown wolf attacked first, aiming for his neck, but as Hudson dipped to meet him, he feigned right, bringing himself in line with the Alpha’s shoulder where he sank his teeth, hitting bone.
Hudson howled in pain, twisting, trying to remove the wolf’s canines from his flesh, the other clawing at his side, cutting him open as he hung on tightly.
A snarl behind them was all he heard before his opponent was ripped from his side and Garrett’s wolf threw him to the ground, ripping his flesh from bone in fury.
Giving his Beta a quick nod of thanks, Hudson headed back into the fight, taking on enemy after enemy as he inched closer to the steps that led to the packhouse.
To his right, a large auburn wolf was facing off against two warriors, though it was a two on one fight, the opposing wolf was winning. Despite it’s size, Hudson was surprised to realise it was a female, her speed and strength was impressive as she ripped a chunk out of one warrior’s leg with her teeth whilst her back leg kicked at the other, keeping him at bay.
Spinning around, she moves in a blur and suddenly the second wolf is on the floor, blood gushing from his neck as he whimpers. Not sparing him a glance, she is back facing the first who was trying to get a grip on her hind leg.
Rolling over, the she wolf uses her body to overbalance her opponent but hitting out his front legs, as he stumbles, she clamps down on one and breaks the bone with ease.
Keeping hold, she stands up, pulling the werewolf onto his back as she glares down at him, growling warningly. As his warrior reaches up with his free paw to swipe at her, she released her hold and bit down on his neck, ripping out his throat.
As her head lifts, her gaze meeting the Alpha’s, Hudson charges toward her, knocking her to the ground ignoring the way her eyes widen in surprise. He claws at her chest viciously as she tries to feebly push him away, not even fighting him.
Hudson growls, grabbing hold of one of her paws and biting down on it, feeling the bones crumble, ignoring her whimpers as she pulls it from his mouth toward her body.
Scratching at her belly, he feels nothing but anger as the blood seeps from her wounds, somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders why she isn’t fighting back. He saw what she could do, she should be defending herself but still she just allows him to hurt her.
With a final howl of grief-stricken anguish, Hudson looms over his prey, lifting his paw to her throat and carving a deep line across the exposed skin with one of his claws.
A gargling noise leaves her throat as the she wolf looks up at him, pain etched into her face as she stares at him, her gaze not leaving him as blood runs down her fur staining it from the luscious auburn colour to a blood soaked mess.
Hudson couldn’t take his eyes off her, holding her gaze as her eyes widen slightly in shock before the life ebbs away leaving just her shell.
Her body going still, the auburn wolf begins to lose her form, slowly her body morphs back into its human state until a small red headed woman is laying on the ground, her hair splayed out around her, stained with her own blood.
Hudson gasps, his body wobbling as he finds himself staring down at the lifeless corpse of his ex mate, Quinn.
Unable to hold his own form, Hudson shifts back, his body trembling as he falls to his knees beside her, his hands frozen by his sides even though every atom of his being is screaming for him to reach out and grab her.
‘A howl of anguish suddenly rips through the air from his left, warriors being thrown aside as a huge black wolf runs toward them, shifting a few paces from Quinns body into a tall, naked man in his early twenties with black hair and striking green eyes.
Rushing to her side, the huge wolf picks up her body, cradling her to his chest as he howls, grief and despair emanating from him.
‘I told you to stay home, I told you not to come Quinny’ he yelled at her expressionless face. ‘Why did you come here, this was no place for you, why did you disobey me? I ordered you to stay back and not follow us.’
Hudson watches the pair, a tinge of something pulling at him, making him want to rip his mate’s body from the stranger’s arms.
Laying the she wolf back down on the ground with the care of someone who loved her deeply, the other man stands again, his gaze falling on to Hudson who is still on his knees, his eyes glued to the woman that was supposed to be his.
Reading the pain in his face, the older wolf’s expression darkens as realisation hits. ‘You’ he growls, the force of the word making the ground shake, ‘you’re the one, the wolf who broke her heart!’
There is no question in his words as he stalks toward the future Alpha, teeth bared, his claws slipping out from his fingers.
‘She felt it you know’ he snarled, ‘when you were with your whore last night? She was writhing in pain on the floor of our pack house. We couldn’t help her, the pack doctor even tried to sedate her but nothing worked, she just screamed and screamed as she ripped her claws through her own chest. We had to force her to tell us what happened.’ The werewolf glowered down at the Alpha in fury, ‘had to Alpha command her to tell us about the bastard who rejected her and was out fucking someone else before the week was over like she was nothing.’
Stalking closer, until he was standing over Hudson’s pain riddled body, he hissed ‘you killed her, and for that you will die.’
Hudson couldn’t move his limbs, only his eyes moved, of their own accord to the side where his father was locked in battle with the Alpha of the attacking pack. The young werewolf didn’t even flinch when the other Alpha lifted his claws and sliced through Alpha Carlton’s neck, severing his head from his body.
Turning back to his own attacker, he crouched silently, his gaze moving back to Quinn and staying there, glued to her corpse, whilst the werewolf in front of him, extended his claws and sliced through his neck.
Instinctively, Hudson reached up, his hands slipping through the blood as he tried subconsciously to stem the flow of blood. A scream echoed out from behind him, one that he was sure belonged to his Beta, Garrett. The sound was muffled to his ears as he fell forward on to the ground, his gaze unwavering as he drank in the face of Quinn, his mate, the girl he had murdered with his own claws.
Darkness pulled at him, calling for him to surrender, and slip into peace. He felt like he should fight it but he found he had no energy left to climb out of the abyss that wanted to take him down.
‘I’m sorry Quinn’ he gurgled, a single tear running down his face before blackness swallowed him and he was no more.