“Okay, but we at least had clothes on when we were kids, and we also didn’t exactly touch each other even if we shared the same bed.”
“Let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay, why did that wolf save our lives?”
“I saved his life.”
“When?”
“When I was in school. He was a year above me. I used to go for runs in my wolf form all the time to get my mind off things. His third year, he had to survive a week outside in his wolf form, and an avalanche had fallen on him. The force of the amount of snow and ice that fell on him crushed his bones and forced him into his human form. He was able to dig himself out enough to breathe, but he would have died of hypothermia if I hadn’t randomly stumbled upon him. I was able to dig him out and find him shelter, where I built a fire and kept him alive until he healed.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.” We lay like that for at least an hour. I could feel that I had fractured several different bones in my body and the wolfsbane was still burning within me. Even if I managed to get us out of the cave, we wouldn’t be able to get far. But I was relieved that the painful pulsing from the deaths of pack members had stopped. I realized then that my father had lived with that pain for years, constantly feeling every pack member’s death as it occurred. He’d finally retired only to see the end of his own life just a few short months later. I sighed.
“What are you thinking about?” Luke asked.
“My father.”
“What about him?”
“He’s dead, Luke. Adalwolf wasn’t the only one who saved my life today. I got distracted when you shifted, and the only reason I’m still alive is because my father jumped in front of the wolf that was going to kill me in my moment of distraction.”
“Fuck, I’m sorry, man. Your dad wasn’t a nice guy, but he’s still your dad. How do you feel?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t excuse everything he’s done, but it’s like my mom said: he wasn’t all bad.”
We lay in silence, reflecting. After some time, Luke suddenly uttered, “Blake, I think this is the most you’ve talked to me in five years. I feel like you’re finally opening up to me again.”
“Okay, Luke, please don’t make this awkward. You’re talking to me about opening up while I’m lying naked on top of you.” I gave a small chuckle.
“I thought we weren’t going to talk about that.” He laughed.
Just then, a wolf entered the cave. I could smell that he was from the Bois Sombre Pack. I used whatever strength I had to sit up. I still couldn’t shift or mindlink, but maybe I could use my alpha aura. While it wouldn’t work as efficiently on stranger packs, it would at least restrain him for a few seconds until maybe I could grab him with what strength I could muster.
“Stop!” I bellowed, trying to force the alpha aura out, but it was useless. I had cheated death twice already. But, as they say, third time’s a charm. He approached us slowly, his teeth bared as Luke and I stared at him, both of us completely powerless, wolfsbane burning our bodies.
“Stop!” a female voice yelled out from behind him. Suddenly he was stunned into halting, frozen and unable to move. Taking advantage of the few seconds he was motionless, I grabbed him, using my arms to restrain his mouth and hold him against my body.
My eyes widened when I saw Jasmine enter in behind him, quickly shifting into her wolf form. Springing into action, I shouted, “Jasmine!”
She turned to me, her amber eyes taking in the scene before her.
“Jasmine, you need to kill him!” I yelled.
She came closer.
“Just use your teeth to bite into his neck and separate his head from his body.” The wolf was struggling against me, now having regained his ability to move. She was hesitating, I could tell. I was certain she’d never killed before. I found a regained strength in her presence, holding him more forcefully. “Jasmine, kill him!” I yelled.
“Kill him!” Luke repeated. “Before he kills us!”
She finally moved forward, opening her mouth, and bit down on his neck as I restrained him against my body, his limbs thrashing against me, trying to get free. I strengthened my grip even more, enduring the blows to my already injured body as her teeth sliced through layers of skin and his cervical spine, finally severing his head. It rolled off his body and smashed against the ground, and he fell lifeless on top of me in his human form.
“Holy fuck! You did it!” I shouted, throwing the dead corpse off me. “How the hell did you find us?”
She sat down next to me, and I patted her wolf form. I could see she was struggling to mindlink me. “I can’t even receive mindlinks, Jasmine. I’m too weak right now,” I explained.
She stared at me in her wolf form, lifting her nose up in a gesture.