Teeth, Claws, Lipstick

Chapter four

The wolves come at us in hordes. At least that’s what it seems like. From a distance, there looked to be such a small number – closer it’s much different.

Instantly, despite my pain, I’m flying into the fray, leaping at a decent sized she-wolf. She turns on me with a snarl, teeth instantly going for my throat.

She’s too slow. It’s easy to duck my head and dive for her shoulder, ripping a chunk out of her. She yelps in pain as I knock her down, biting deep into her vulnerable throat. It takes a few seconds, her attempting to buck free – but my jaws lock and I don’t let go.

Killing like this is the easier way. The throat, cutting off the windpipe, but it’s difficult too. My wolf has no problem with it. My human hides in a corner of my mind, wishing for it to be over.

I jerk away when the she-wolf draws in her final, shaking breath. I drop her body as I move to the next wolf, the taste of blood lingering in my mouth.

The small male wolf lasts seconds, already weakened by another fight, confused in the middle of the battle. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

I turn for the next one, my breathing laboured, my stomach aching painfully, trying to focus on my next kill, despite the so many fights going on all around me.

“Shit!” I hear a following yelp.

I whirl around, instantly prepared – only to see Matt being separated from the pack by two huge males. I take a breath and leap forward.

“Hold on Matt – I’m coming!” I yell, dodging around everyone, my body focused entirely on helping him.

He turns his head towards me and one of them leaps at him, knocking him over. Images of Matt’s dead body surges through my mind and I let out a noise that resembles a scream of fury as I jump for the wolf on top of him, bringing him down – and going with him.

He obviously wasn’t expecting me but instantly he’s on the offence, biting and scratching – noticing my stomach and going for that right away.

God, he’s huge, so god-damn heavy! I let out a grunt when he kicks me in the gut, the opposite of my wound thankfully.

I quickly look for Matt. He has the upper hand on the other wolf. I have a split-second to scan him for injuries before the wolf shoves me onto my side and away from him.

I turn to snap at him to find myself faced with two wolves instead of one. I swallow hard but keep my wolfy face poker-straight. They walk slowly towards me, not attack, forcing me to step backwards. Never good to put yourself in a corner – but it’s damn hard not to.

I soon realise that they’re not backing me into a corner – rather they’re separating me from my pack! Not for long. I leap at the nearest one, ripping my claws across his right shoulder. He lets out a howl of anger and jumps at me, but I dodge out of the way, attempting to run around him and his friend. As I do, the other one digs his claws into my hind legs and drags me backwards.

I roll and snap at his face, managing to scratch across his muzzle with my teeth. He kicks me hard in the stomach and it hurts. Damn Keegan! If he hadn’t...

Every single thought disappears when he bends his head and strikes fast, burying his teeth in my exposed throat.

I let out a yelp of surprise but it’s soon cut off when his teeth close around my windpipe and suddenly... I can’t breathe anymore.

I try to gasp but it’s silent and it hurts. Oh god, it hurts. I buck and fight, claw at him but it doesn’t work. I can feel his jaws moving as they work to keep me still, to get a better hold on my throat. A low whimper builds in my throat and died as a gurgle.

Is this what it felt for the other wolves I’ve killed like this? But surely I’ve never done it so slowly before, not like this! He’s purposely suffocating me as slowly as possible – I can distantly hear the laughter rumbling through his chest.

Black and grey dots swim before me as my vision blurs, as my struggling begins to stop. I hear a yelp suddenly – and then the great hulking weight above me disappears.

I blink blurrily and blood splatters me. I heard a great thud as a body is dropped to the floor. Seconds later another as the other wolf is killed quickly and skilfully.

I try to focus my eyes on my saviour but can’t. He looms just above me, something oddly familiar about his scent. He’s not one of my pack.

Him... from before. Suddenly it’s all clear. The guy from before who I hadn’t been able to keep my hands off of!

I want to jump up – or at least open my eyes to see what his wolf form looks like but my eyes keep closing.

“Not quite yet Little Wolf.” His voice is exactly the same. So utterly delicious. “I’m not finished with you.”

Something nudges me in the side, a head and it’s increasingly annoying. All I want to do is sleep. I’m so tired now, so sleepy. Wouldn’t it be nice if I just dropped off and stopped fighting? Ended all this for good?

“Get up!” A rough voice snarls, completely demanding.

For a second, I think about disobeying, just ignoring the voice until it leaves me alone. But when the command is repeated, I know that I can’t. I have to do as he says.

“Okay.” I whisper, my voice barely audiable.

As I slowly climb to my feet, I realise that I’m not in pain anymore. That absolutely nothing hurts. I’m mostly just numb, the pain dulled.

I lean heavily against the dark blurred wolf with the beautiful voice. “Where are we going?” I ask as he leads me away.

“We’re getting away from this mess.” He growls.

“No! No! What about my pack?” Suddenly panic hits me as I remember those that I’ve loved – and those that I might have lost.

“They’re doing great. They don’t need you.” He says reassuringly.

“They do!” I say weakly and suddenly I’m fighting him, despite the fact that my wolf tells me no, I can’t help it. He pins me down, clearly trying to be gentle. It’s obviously a big effort for him.

“Do as I say.” He growls.

I struggle weakly for a moment. “No.” I whisper – and then everything falls into blackness and I am no more.