Don't Go Out in the Woods Tonight...

The silent air is split by an icy laugh.

I twist around and look at the tree branch. Troy is standing, holding one end of the impossible large branch ion one hand over his head. The other end is jammed into the ground, forming a triangle.

On the branch, laughing down into Troy's molten gold eyes is Lyris. He is standing up, balancing with no trouble, with his wings glistening from the rain.

I don't know which one is more amazing.

"Kate, Get To The House." Troy growls, never taking his molten metal eyes off Lyris. "Go now. Run and don't look back."

"Yes. Run home, little Katherine." Lyris mocks him, chuckling.

Troy sidesteps. The log drops with a deafening crash and Lyris stays on easily. I'm frozen, even as Troy surges forward. Lyris beats his wings in a strong down stroke, lifting him out of the way, then drifts to the ground.

"Kate." The warning in Troy's voice thaws me and I turn toward the house. I look behind me at the two of them facing off.

Lyris looks after me with lust seething in his eyes.

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So. She leaves. Now it's just this Mutt and me. He hasn't even taken his form yet. He's only human. For now.

I have to be careful or he'll shift and rip me to shreds.

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He moved in a circle, around the stranger. He paused, feeling the wind and rain and the smell of the forest.

She wasn't near them. She was safe. So he shifted. White rage blurred out his human mind and strength and heat overtook him.

The rain had no effect on this form.
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Great. Now I don't have to hold back. I can really fight. And when I defeat him at his strongest, I will crush his spirit and leave him. I will have her back from him

I hate those eyes. That gold rage of his. I don't see how she is so taken to this Mutt.

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The muscles in his legs pounded forward, like pistons. The tendons in his arms flexed and the black leather of the stranger’s wing ripped like delicate paper. The stranger hissed, from pain of rage he didn't know.

He didn't care.

Then the wings beat out, lashing at his face with the claws, and the hisses became shrieks. They fought, drawing out the blood and hate from each other.

He and the stranger were evenly matched. A cut for a cut, giving up defense to get a hit, taking a hit.

The wind and rain around then became heavy again, with lighting flashing over the darkened sky. This didn't stop them, in fact it might have spurred them.

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I run, and I don't stop till I get to the house. The rain is coming down in sheets by the time I throw open the back door. Once inside I collapse against the door, locking it and then sinking to the kitchen floor.

My breath races raggedly over my throat, making it feel rough and dry. My lungs burn and the pain in my side causes me to clench my jaw.

Ghost strides in and prods me with his great head. His huge brown eyes gaze at me. I place my hand on his shoulder and he holds still as I stagger to my feet.

I barely manage to pull open the frig door. After a few pauses I shallow two glasses full of water. The cup clanks on the counter and brace myself against the frig.

By then the three other wolfhounds had come into the kitchen and now they're all sitting around. I stare at them, wondering. . . things.

The wind howls outside, making me shiver and creep out of the kitchen. I flick the light switch on and crumble onto the couch. Then, after i feel too exposed in the light and I turn them off.

I clutch a pillow to my chest and stare at the back door, the light from the T.V. flickering around the room. The ever-changing shadows and light play off the walls and the dogs and my face.

Please... Be safe.

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...Be safe He heard her, safe in the house, and frightened. That could wait for a moment, because if he didn't focus, he'd lose.

The blood wasn't clotting, now. It was too thin to stop flowing, it simply seeps from the multiple wounds.

However, it wasn't in vain. The stranger was beaten, the wings were hanging to ragged shreds, and they were pulled in, not a source of escape. Those wings were only causing the stranger pain now.

If he could hold on.. just...a...little...long---
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I can't stand this. He is too strong. Too fast. ARRRG! He keeps going for my wings. I can't even feel them...except for the GAAAAAH Pain.

But... I haven't even pulls all the stops yet.

I can see it whining, that power, that rage. It is draining out. now he is only holding on to wait me out. He isdying and he is holding on by a thread.

I. Shall. Win.

His spirit shall be destroyed.

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Ghost is scratching at the door again. It's been almost two hour, guessing by how many shows have flicks on and off.

The Irish half-wolf hounds each are making rounds around the house. I watch them. One would stand by the back door, another by the front, while one moves silently around upstairs. The last one would sit curled on the floor next to me.

The pillow has taken on the shape of my body. So when I go to the kitchen, the pillow on the couch stays molded.

The tension in the air is suffocating. The rain seems to drag the oxygen out of the air and slamming it into the earth. Being inside house is bad, so I step out with Ghost.

I leave the door open behind me and in a moment the other three Wolfhounds leave the house and spread out over the lawn and into the woods.

Rain pounds down, the wind blows and small flakes of snow mingle on the ground and as I sit on the threshold of the door I really start to second guess...everything.

I'm putting him in danger. I'm putting everyone in danger. I'm being selfish. What if Troy dies? What if Lyris goes after my family? What if-

Snap

The loud cracking and then the howl of wind makes me look out into the forest. It really does look like a green beast now.

I stand up and start to walk toward the forest. The wind driven snow biting at me face, but i keep walking.

"HEY!" I shoat, "GO AWAY!"

It's the stupidest most un-thought through thing I've even done... But I out did my self...

"If you want to hurt somebody... I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Yeah... beat that.

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Well that was Dumb. My little Katherine, I didn't know you felt that way.

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He would have been mad at her... if he had had the strength
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I'll leave him here. He's a waste of time from here; he can't even move because of the blood loss.

Time to pay a visit...to a friend

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I collapse on the lawn, covering my face with my hands, sobbing. The rain, wind, and now the steady snow silence the world, leaving me to my tears.

"Why? Why is this..." I weep, for no reason.

grrrrrrrrr.

The low menacing growl makes me look back at the house. The four wolves are each staring at the forest, the hair on their backs raised.

"Hello, there."

No... I didn't mean it... Go away.

"It's a little late for that, my little Katherine."

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At last... she is within reach. They won't laugh at me now, not ever again.

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I look up at Lyris. And almost throw up.

Blood runs in rivers from huge wounds. His wings, as menacingly beautiful as they had been, are only tattered bloody flesh.

His once Grey t-shirt now has large gashes in it, clotted blood holding it to the heaving chest. The breath is short and harsh. The black jeans have suffered the same fate.

Troy did that to you. ...

"What have you...?" I stare at his grim pale face, my mind working over what Troy might look like. Then slowly a smirk animates the death mask that stares down at me. "No. NO!"

I leap up and make a dash for the forest, only to meet to hard resistance of Lyris wrapping his arm around me. There is a soft sound of dried blood crumbling as I'm pressed against his torso.

Ghost, Mist, Jack and Creep, the wolves, step closer, and i hear them snarl. Lyris flexes his wings slowly, facing the talons out and towards them. They flick their ears at some noise, then the tension breaks

I watch as Ghost and Creep run for the forest, extending their bodies into a full run. Mist then leaves. As they each fly into the forest I feel more and more betrayed. Jack, the black half wolf, is left.

His brown eyes stare at me, trying to give ... comfort, and then he too strides passed and into the forest.

Lyris starts to walk away, moving slowly in the snow and wind. I twist around, looking over his shoulder at Jack's black body slinking through the trees. It trigger's my fight.

"Let go. Let me go!" I yell. "I have to go to him! LET GO!"

Lyris, having no strength to argue, simply holds me still. I struggle, twisting in his arm. I barely notice how quiet he is, until he wraps the other arm around me.

When I look down and see that the gashes are reopened; the blood seeping from them. It almost makes me feel sad. Almost I grip his arm and twist trying to dig my nails into the cuts.

This almost makes me gag. The muscles and flesh crumble under the weak pressure, but nevertheless, my fingers tip the edges of bone.

Lyris groans softly and doubles over. Only he doesn't let go, like I had wanted. Instead, my legs crimp under me and our bodies mold to each other as Lyric crouches close to the ground

"Stop that." Lyris whispers in my ear, the breath making me shiver more than the freezing weather.

"Let go of me." I say, digging my fingers deeper into the arm, getting a feel of the smooth radius bone.

He moans in pain and clinches tightly to my body. He seeks to his knees, and since I haven't been let go yet, I'm stuck. The closeness of his body to mine causes me to grip harder.

This causes Lyris to lose it. Whatever it is.

He lets go, but instead he twists me under he and shoves me to the ground, the snow melting against the back of my head. He leans close to me, his breath coming out in clouds.

"Do. Not.--" he stops, closing his eyes and cringing in pain. "-- Don't test me, Katherine. Please, I won't hurt you, Dear One, if you just let me heal."

He finishes and almost falls over from what looks like a wave of pain. When is passes and he reopens his eyes, they flash red. That makes me shiver.

Lyris, slowly, gets up and drags me with him. The crimson blood pools a little on the white snow. I look back at the woods, and make a quick decision.

I rip away from Lyris and run for the trees. I pass the tree line and leap over a fallen log. Then something heavy hits me in the center of my back, contorting my body and throwing it to the ground.

The breath is knocked out of my lungs and they burn from the lack of air. My head hurts and I know I hit it on a rock; I feel blood warming it's way across my forehead and down across my left eye.

Black haze fringes around the edges of my vision. I hear snow crunching, and a shadow falls over me. Cold fingers trace the line of my cheekbone.

I fade out, letting black warmth overtake the white cold.