Chapter 22: Killer Instinct

Crossing the river that split the two territories seemed like a rebellious move; yet like we were slowly reconnecting as one. Once we were right in the northern territory, I looked at the barren trees, and the grass. Everything seemed a bit more lifeless and duller then in the east. Everything was so green in my territory, so alive and happy. The scents were different; Asher smelled nothing like the north; it had a sickly scent and Asher had a pungent aroma of his own that was just irresistible to me.

Caiman and the other two seemed like they were not observing anything at all, they just looked straight ahead. "How do we even know where the rogue camp is?" I decided to question, because I do not remember anyone ever being there, and I had certainly never been. Caiman chuckled a bit, "We have spies." I gave a silly glare to him and continued my thoughts about this new scenery.

Then I heard a loud rabbit's screech coming towards the south, my heart sped up. I remember Asher telling me how he is always out hunting; he is usually the only one that is out hunting consistently for his clan. I instantly turned my rhiadorn towards the rabbit's screech and made it run as fast as it could. Caiman's voice yelled after me, but I know he had reacted too late to catch up to me. My heart was beating as fast as the creature was running and I was anticipating what was ahead of me.

As soon as I hit the edge of the woods, I saw the white of the south in the distance; the river was not too far off. I jumped off my rhiadorn and tied him to a thin tree. I looked around me and saw nothing. I was hoping I would at least hear something else. I walked closer to the river and looked both ways down. To my left I saw a dark figure just on the borderline of the trees. I squinted, and shape shifted to my feral form. Something in my gut felt terribly wrong. I got back into the safety of the trees and crept closer to the dark moving figure. As I got closer, I could hear a male's voice but was not close enough to make out the words. I could also hear a struggling voice, as if there was someone else that was gasping for breath. Was I witnessing a murder? Or was I witnessing a harmless injury being helped? I could not tell, I did not want to give away my cover, but I tried getting closer to hear what they were saying. Then I heard his name, the name I have been mooning over since day one, the name I couldn't keep out of my head, Asher. I changed again and revealed myself, "Asher?" I looked at the both of them. They were both wolves. The one on top of Asher was larger, and a deep darkened brown. There was blood coming out of his side and he had some on his muzzle as well. I was frozen, trying to register what was happening, what was going to happen. Then the other wolf changed and stood up. Asher laid there as if he was paralyzed with his paw pressed to where his lung was, he was gasping for breath, but his eyes planted on me immediately, with eyes of panic. I looked at the man standing before me, dark short brown hair, and a muscular build. He was larger than Asher, but his face gave away that he was younger. "Well, look at this gorgeous thing here." He gave a large grin as he examined me. Then he looked back to Asher then back at me, "Oh my dear lovely lady, don't mind him, we were just out on a daily patrol when that beast lunged at him." He pointed at the dead black rabbit on the ground. I could not seem to speak though. He stepped towards me and grabbed for my hand, but I backed away quickly and pulled my hand out of his reach. I knew something was not right. "Sweetheart, please you don't think I did such a thing?" He could not stop smiling or staring at me so intently, his voice riddled with amusement. "W…why were you on top of him?" I countered, "You both were wolves. You must have been fighting." He laughed and stepped towards me quicker this time grabbing my wrist. I tried pulling away, but his grip was tighter. He pulled me closer to him and grabbed my other wrist as his face was looking down close to mine. "Oh, come on, Asher can't always be the center of attention, especially when such a lovely little lady like you is in my presence. My name is Aiden." I glared at him and tried struggling free, but the more I struggled the tighter his grip got and the closer he pulled me to him. "Yeah...Aiden. I don't believe you have earned the respect to know my name yet." He gave a low laugh, "That's ok I already know who you are." My eyes went wide as I looked at him, I knew he was not lying.

Looking towards Asher, as he was trying so hard to move, to get up, to defend me, but he could not; and the more he did move, the more blood came out. "Don't move your attention to him, he's useless and I'm far more handsome, and stronger, much more suitable for a princess." I dropped my hard mood and looked at him like the sweet girl he wanted me to be and gave him a smile. "Oh, you have no idea what kind of Princess I' am. Sweetheart." My voice took on a bit of attitude that I failed to hide, but before he could notice my smugness, I took my knee and drove it straight up into his groin, making him squeal like a little mouse. He instantly released his grasp on my wrists and fell to the ground. I ran over to Asher and ripped off the half bottom of my shirt. His feral form faded away, just like my fathers had when he was dying. "Asher don't you dare leave me." A tear was rolling from my left eye and my throat was becoming tight. I took my shirt and blotted all the blood away. I cupped his face and looked into those eyes that took my breath away every time I saw them. His mouth was trying to say something, but his strength was leaving him quickly; then my name slowly escaped his lips, and his eyes were set behind me.

A growl released behind me, and I went feral and threw my body backwards twisting myself to face the wolf coming at me. I knew his first instinct was to go for my throat, but I knew better. I ducked my head down and bit at his chest, then at his legs trying to make him crumble. I managed to get my teeth onto his right leg, and as soon as I was going to go in for a hard bite, he clamped his jaws onto my shoulder and tossed my body aside. He had landed a killer bite on me and left me winded. Aiden changed and looked at me, "My goodness my lady. You are an outstanding werewolf; that gorgeous white fur just takes air from my lungs. What beautiful kin you and I would make. With my strength and leadership and with your rule and beauty, we could make Telaerion a wonderful place, a new world. Now please forget about him and come with me." He gave me a wicked grin and carelessly held his hand out towards me.

His arm was dripping with blood, and he had a couple of new scratches on his face. I knew I was doing damage, and I knew I could try and knock him out at least to save Asher. I got up and slowly walked towards him as I got closer, I jumped and pinned him to the ground, but when he shifted forms, he knocked me off easily. He growled at me in annoyance and lunged for me. I tried jumping away but I could not react fast enough, and he grabbed my back ankle and yanked me towards him. Slamming my back on the ground; I could not help but yelp at the sharp bites and whines that slowly slipped from my jowls. I wriggled underneath of him, but he was too strong and too big for me. He just stared at me grinning, with blood lust in his eyes. I started snapping my jaws at his ankles, but they were just a bite away. My mind was whirling, and Asher was dying, yet I felt completely useless pinned down to the ground. I shifted back into my human form and his weight increased, but he backed off and changed too. I glared at him, breathing heavily as I bit my lip in frustration, "Let me go." He grinned a charming smile, "Maybe if you wouldn't make things so difficult it wouldn't have to be like this. I will not kill you if you just cooperate with me. I don't want to kill you at all; I need your beauty by my side." He smirked at me then leaned in to try to kiss me.

"I would rather die!" I snapped at him as I went into feral form as fast as I could and used my back legs to throw him off; then as he changed, I lunged at him once more and got my teeth grasped on his side and stuck my claws on his throat. I paused and heaved a growl, daring him to move. He struggled but yelped as I bit down harder. When I looked up at Asher he was not moving; I could not even tell if he was breathing, and that made my heart sink.

Aiden took his front paw and slashed his claws on the side of my head and made me lose my grip on his side and my paw to slip from his throat. He then rolled me over on my back again with his claws out and burying into my fur this time. Just as he was digging into my sides even more an arrow shot right through his shoulder. He yelped and collapsed in pain, looking to where the arrow came from. It was Caiman and the other two guards; Caiman was running straight towards Aiden, but Aiden ran away to the west. Caiman stopped at the edge of the trees and then turned to me, instantly getting off his rhiadorn, "My lady, are you ok?" I could hear the panic in his voice as he saw the blood. I changed back and got up without thinking about my own pain and rushed to Asher. I put my hand on his face, tears swelling in my eyes, "I'm fine, but Asher…he needs help immediately." Caiman looked at Asher's pale face intently, before picking him up and propping him on the front of his rhiadorn. He got up on the rhiadorn and held Asher's head on his knee. "I' am sorry my lady, but we will have to come back to discuss our plans with the rogues later. This boy must be taken to the infirmary." I nodded and went to get my rhiadorn who had broken the tree I had tied him to, and he was already coming towards me with panic in his eyes. I calmed him down, jumped on his back and followed after them.

Now I could feel everything coming back to me as I was following behind Caiman; the bite wounds, the scratches, the bruises, my head throbbing, and something definitely felt broken on my shoulder where Aiden had banged me into a tree when he threw me off. Then suddenly, my head was spinning, I felt like I was going to vomit, my body felt heavy, my eyes began to blur; and then, just like that, my body slid off the rhiadorn and I blacked out.