Lycer's POV
I jolt awake. 'Celestial?' I look to see her also awake, equally startled. 'Please tell me that's your mate.'
She whispers back, "Definitely not."
I'm quick to stand, moving myself to stand in front of Celestial. She pushes herself up with a struggle. The second coat falls to the ground. She doesn't bother to retrieve it.
I study the forest, scanning the trees to find if anyone is watching.
"Maybe it was just-"
A force hits my side and sends me spinning to the ground. Cold and wet earth weaves itself into my fur. My jaw bounces as I come to a halt.
The growl sounds again.
I push myself up as an ache forms in my jaw. A wolf with an inky black fur, greasy in appearance, snarls at me. The left side of its face and body have no fur, instead veins protrude. And the eye on that side seems to sink deeper into its face. 'Karlin?' He doesn't respond.
I glance to the direction I flew from to find Celestial backing up as she eyes the scene in front of her. Her eyes catch mine. I give her a subtle nod.
Karlin growls again. By the time I look, he's running straight for me. I run to the left, causing Karlin to launch to nothing, tumbling to the ground much like I had just done. I back up cautiously. He catches himself, claws sinking into the wet earth. He's fast to launch himself again. This time, I'm ready.
I side step him again, biting into the fur of his side as he comes to an abrupt halt not far from where I was previously standing. Blood invades my mouth as my bite is more successful than I initially thought it would be. Karlin growls, ripping himself away from me and his now separated chunk of flesh. I spit it straight at him; it lands not a foot away as he backs up.
He prepares to attack again and I prepare to defend. Defend my freedom. Defend Celestial's freedom. Protect Celestial.
Like the previous attempt, I'm ready for his launch. I turn my head inward and jut my shoulder into his oncoming throat. He whines at the assault. Steadying himself on his feet, he growls a sound deep in his chest. I let out my own growl. It echoes off the trees into the sharp air. Karlin's ears go back momentarily at the sound. Then he growls again. His fur, save for his furless left side, spikes up. He chops at the air, a threat. I snarl back, not as loud as my growl before.
Then he looks back at her. In the split second I glance in her direction, he takes off running. 'Don't do something you'll regret!' I spin on my heel, chasing after him. I nip at his heels and he kicks back, leaving him in an awkward gallop. 'Karlin!' I leap, tackling him to the ground. We roll several times before I land on top. 'Hurt her and I'll kill you,' I threaten. He doesn't respond.
His eyes don't even glaze over as I link him.
'Karlin?' He continues to snap at me. I hold him back, my claws sinking into his chest. 'Can you not hear me?' He should be able to. He keeps snapping.
I growl.
"Lycer?" My head snaps up, finding her in the same spot I left her. She stares in confusion.
'I don't think he can link.'
"What does that matter?" She holds her bad arm closer to herself. I can see her shiver again.
'It means I can't try to reason with him.'
Karlin kicks up his back legs, getting me right in the stomach. I lose my grip just enough that he's able to slip away. He runs straight towards Celestial.
I'm quick to chase.
I nip at his heel once. Twice. He turns to snap at me, his teeth grazing my nose. I snap back, my teeth catching his nose in a harsh bite that quickly tears through the cartilage. He howls and his chase towards Celestial is halted.
I lower myself. Karlin does too, blood dripping his torn nose. I slowly move one leg over the other, sneaking my way to the right. Karlin does the same, unknowingly giving in to exactly what I wanted. I glance briefly over my shoulder to see Celestial now behind me.
'Karlin, I'm sorry,' I admit. He advances. I pounce forward, he jumps back. 'Because I can't let you have her. And you won't leave without us, will you?'
"Lycer?" Celestial is within proximity of the link, hearing everything I say.
'Did you ever have anyone to protect? To care for?' He steps to the right. I let out a growl, my spine tensing. 'That you would kill for?' He glances at her and I'm almost convinced he's heard me all along. 'Was there ever anyone who felt that way for you?' He moves back a step. I follow suit. 'When you were normal, I hope you had love.'
We launch at the same time.
Paws meet and claws interlock. He's quick to snap at my face. I dodge by a hair, putting in as much force as I could to push him back from me. He goes for my shoulder instead, biting into the flesh until his teeth puncture my skin. Blood begins to flow as pain strikes me. I push him back further until he topples to his back. My paw quickly goes to his chest.
'May the Goddess carry you home.' I clamp down to his neck. He tenses. Clamping down further brings a spurt of blood and then Karlin slumps to the earth. I let go of his neck to find his eyes staring straight at me. The left side of his face is just as alarming in death as it was in life. Only now. Now no one suffers.
'Celestial?' I call out after several long moments.
"Are you okay?" When she was younger, her voice would have trembled. She always worried for me. Still, she does. Only now she's. I hate to say it, but she's grown up. Seen too much too. Now not even the cold phases her too much.
'I'm fine.' I step back from Karlin's lifeless body. My head hangs down as I go back to Celestial.
She meets me halfway. Her hand hovers over my fur. "You're bleeding."
'It'll stop.' It doesn't stop for a while. I motion for Celestial to walk and for several miles, the wound bleeds and emits a stabbing pain with every step. I say nothing. Neither does Celestial.
Miles more and the snow begins again. Little flurries, falling fast and melting just as quickly. It melts upon my fur and I'm not sure if it helps wash away some of the blood or only pushes it deeper into my fur. Celestial pulls her coat tighter around her, huffing her cheeks as she likely fights the chatter trying to build in her teeth.
The sun begins to set, warning me of the approaching temperature drop.
A noise comes from out in the trees beyond. A doe I had been eyeing off in the distance looks ahead before running in the opposite direction.
Celestial tenses.
'What's wrong?'
"Celeste!" The sound turns to a word.
She whispers back, "Xavier." And then she's running, her arm held tightly to her middle.
'Celestial!' I give chase, not wanting her to go far.
I skid to a halt, my claws digging into the cold ground.
Celestial stands, her chest heaving up and down.
Before her, a tall man with unruly dark hair gently caresses her cheek.
The Alpha of The Paramount Pack is here.