wee hours of 4am. :):) So if it doesn't make sense, please tell me.
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MY HEART THRUMMED violently through my body, as I raced toward the
sound with Derryn right behind me.
I ignored every screaming part of my brain that thought of the
possibility of Satchel's death, and I held on to the glimmering hope
that maybe he was still alive. But every thought that summoned in my
mind, I couldn't help but feel a little numb inside every time I heard
his guttural howl.
Of course, his howls made certain that he wasstill breathing, but it
was the way he sounded—as if the unearthing shudder that escaped from
his mouth was painful—and may well have been the last breathhe was
going to take.
I sucked in my breath, as a gray wolf jumped out, obscuring my path
and I cowered back in surprise.
No! I silently screamed, backing away from the gray speckles that
glowed in front of me. I shook my head, when I couldn't hear Satchel's
howls no longer, and my heart constricted violently.
Snow White, you're just in time, Trench puffed out of his muzzle, as
he smirked in triumph. Half of the scruff was covered in candy red
liquid, and he was limping…but that wasn't what surprised me. It was
the fact that he was still alive.
I slowed to an abrupt halt when I reached the clearing, my eyes
casting over the shrubbery as I sought out any other threats besides
the one in front of me. When the dreaded words came flitting through
his mind to me.
He's dead, Snow White. Gray wolf stalked toward me, and I mirrored his
moves stepping farther away, shaking my head in denial.
No! My mind exclaimed.
He nodded, eyes wide with victory. It's true, ask your Grandmother,
she's the one who killed him.
I didn't want to listen to his impotent threats. But the only threat
was whenI saw the black lump lying forlornly by a nearby tree, when my
eyes found Black Wolf. The threat of finding himdead.
He wasn't moving, and I couldn't stomach the thought that he was gone.
Grams dragged his limp body toward the other kills she'd conveniently
piled together. Apparently they'd found another pack, and killed them.
The scent was foreign, so I didn't recognize any of them, but Satchel.
Satchel …my eyes stung from the sight of him.
I swallowed down a whine of my own, my whole body stricken fromthe realization.
He looked smaller in his disheveled and limp statelike that. My pain
and sorrow roiled inside me, and brought the most animalistic sound
out of my throat, echoing through the forest.
The asphalt shuddered beneath me, and my claws grew along with my
canines as I pegged my eyes on Gray wolf with blood lust. Snarling,
until I saw red seeping from my glowering eyes.
Stand down, Snow White. He ordered.
I stalked forward, inviting the challenge. I should've killed you when
I had the chance. I bit out.
Trench stood his ground, and I should have been scared out of my wits,
but the induced rage I'd succumbed to, had me pouncing toward him.
He dodged the attack, and nipped my tail. Neverbreaking the skin.
I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to, he sent back.
I growled, snapping my hungry jaws, clinging onto his leg. He howled,
ripping his leg out of my greedy bites.
Now you're pissing me off! He growled.
I panted, spitting his blood out of my mouth, and smiled. I didn't
give him the satisfaction of stalling, as I charged at him. He dodged
to the left, but I saw it coming as I snapped my jaw overhis ear and
ripped it out of its socket.
The howl coming from him was just like I remembered it, when I'd
bitten his neck all those weeks ago.
Hearing it again, was likemusic to my ears. I reveled in his pain, and
suffering for Satchel's sake. Avenging him was anatural instinct of
mine. But I was going to play dirty this time, no playingaround.
Although, I couldn't just submit to him so easily. My instincts didn't
recognize Trench as my Alpha, and bowing downto him willingly would
beimpossible.
We couldn't control them, but I sure knew how to trick them. I cast my
eyes up into gray ones, and mentally my mind conjured up green ones.
His gray fur in my head changed to black as I tried picturing him as
Satchel. My lover, my alpha, my mate: Black Wolf. The perfect image of
Satchel clouded my mind, as I rolled on to myback in submission.
An act that I'd given my trust and securities, baring my neck in the
process, as a welcome treat.
Trench stunned in his place, as I did so—that was the kind of reaction
Iwas looking for. He neared my body and I kept Satchel's image, as
ifit stained my mind.
That's more like it, Alpha Female. Trench muttered in his head, and
the sound of his voice snapped the band of my perfect image, as he
lowered his muzzle to myface.
Big gray eyes stared down at me. Before he could wrap his mouth around
my neck to complete the mating he'ddone, I latched on to his neck in
stead and locked my jaw around the thick skin, and growled.
His guttural howls lost onhis lips, as I bit into him as hard as I
could, letting the taste of victory seep in the cavern of my mouth.
The light finally dying out of his eyes, as his heart stopped beating.
Letting him go, I stared down at the lifeless body.I don't know how
long I was standing there, but Derryn's whimpers snapped me out of my
stupor.
Black Wolf, wake up! she pleaded.
My eyes fell sad, as I watched Derryn nudge her brother in the side,
but there was no response. Licking my lips,I cleared the rest of
Trench's blood off me, and stalked over to where Derryn's whines only
got louder. The pain hit down harder, and I squeezed my eyes shut
toblock it out. My heart breaking along with hers, clenching and
twisting to the point of oblivion.
Satchel…?
Surveying his wounds, not one of them looked like a bullet wound. All
bites from a wolf, and I couldn't stand the look ofhis front foreleg.
It was almost hanging from its limb.
Trench's wounds looked worst for wear. He'd been ripped beyond
recognition now that I got a better look at him. Iwas surprised Trench
hadmanaged to stand on his own. It's probably why it was easier for
him to be killed.
I blinked away from him, and focused on Satchel, ignoring the clear
stick needle I stood on, and saton my haunches. Licking his face, to
spark a nerve.Anything to get a response.
I padded a paw on his face, but it only bounced back…lifeless.
I whined, and I whined again, but still he couldn't hear me.
You broke your promise, Satchel. You said you'll come back.
I nudged my muzzle under his face. You promised.
I joined in with Derryn's howls as we both mourned beside him. In
between howls, I licked at his wounds, but the top ligament looked
like too much. It needed emergency care.
"Willow, that's you isn't it?" I turned to the voice of my Grams.
I snarled back at her. "My God! You look just like him. Like your
granddad." Her wrinkled hands cupped over her mouth, as her gray-blue
eyes stared in distress.
"The eyes, the coat. You even have the same brown tip on the end of
your tail. Exactly like his."Her eyes started to water,as she dropped
the shotgun.
"Oh William. What have I done?" She slowly approached me. And I bared
my teeth at her, warning her away. Protecting my mate, and his sister.
Her hands shot out in a calm down gesture, and approached me in slow
subtle strides.
"I'm so sorry, William. I never meant to hurt you. I just…didn't
understand at the time. I do now. Please, forgive me."
My ears perked up, and so did Derryn's. A whirr of sirens sounded in
the distance, and a team full of uniformed people trotted through the
woods.
Automatically I thought that Grams' poaching team had caught up
withher, but I was wrong.
Satchel, we have to go. Come on, get up.
I whined, licking his muzzle.
Get up, I told him as a tear escaped from my eyes and found its way
tohis muzzle.
I prodded him again withmy paw, nipping him over the nose, the ears
anywhere that would geta response from him. Satchel? Get up, for me.
My teeth caught the frontscruff of his neck and I letmy scent mark
him. Of course, it only worked when a male did it, but I was
determined to mark him as mine. Like I was his.
The sounds of footsteps grew closer and my panictold me to run, but
not without taking Satchel.
I pulled on his neck to drag him further into thebrush, but he was too
heavy. He was four times the weight of me in wolf form. My eyes
swiveled, and pushed Derryn to go hide but she just stared in shock.
Come help me. It was a feat, because we failed tomove him. He was a
lot heavier than I thought. By then, the sounds of footsteps were
almost near, and if we didn't run, we'd be caught too. I licked
Satchel on the mouth, and dropped my eyes to his lifeless body.
I love you, I licked his face savoring his musky scent, and leaped off
toward the trees. Derryn and I hid behind some overgrown wild rose
bush, just as the first sight of a human foot appeared.
"Ma'am, is this your shotgun?" The man in a black jumpsuit addressedmy
Grams, skimming his flashlight up and down her body.
"Yes," said Grams. Her shocked face never allowing a single glance at
the ranger, but she was staring through the trees. Looking for me, I
presumed.
The guy surveyed his surroundings, as the lightof his torch flickered
overGray Wolf and then over Black Wolf. He noticed the bullet wound
instantly, and then narrowed his eyes on Grams.
"And I suppose that killing is yours?"
She nodded at once. "It is, but—"
The ranger unclipped a set of silver cuffs from hisbelt. His thick
white mustache bounced as he addressed my Grams formally.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but we have no choice but to arrest you for illegal
poaching in this private area. Wolves are protected under law herein
the state of Colorado, there's signs posted everywhere."
"But you don't understand, they're not wolves. They're
people—monsters—that turn into these predators. They kill innocent
children; they take away your love ones."
"Please ma'am, it would help if you calmed down,you'll make your case
worse from resisting."
The officer read her rights, as he clamped the handcuffs over her wrists.
Apparently, Grams had made her wealth from killing wolves, poaching,
and selling their coats to potential marketers in New York.
They'd been trying to track her for years, and I couldn't help but
feel bilein my throat, knowing that most of my clothes—my material
possessions came from blood money.
One of the other rangers grabbed for the shotgun,stuffing it in an
oversizedclear plastic wrap, while another knelt down beside Trench
and Satchel.
After he finished with Trench, they wrapped him with a similar plastic
and hauled him in the back of a carriage.
Kneeling beside Satchel, he put a finger in front ofhis muzzle to test
his breathing. Picking up a clear stick on the side of him. He slipped
the unidentified object into aplastic bag, and called one of the
rangers over to him.
"We've got a live one over here."
My body froze, as the orange light of his torch illuminated Black Wolf.
A live one? But…that's impossible. Another set offootsteps sounded, as
one of them knelt beside him.
"You're right. Make sure Dr. Levvy gets a look at this ones leg, too.
It's almost off the bone...and be sure to inform him to not use any
anesthetic. That dart did enough to put him out for days."
All I could do was watch them leave down the dirtroad, with unblinking
eyes as the words We've got a live one ring in my head.
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