72 - ra
The rogue lunges at Ben, bringing him down hard, and I catch a glimpse of sharp teeth before Ben shifts and they tumble apart. I start to shift myself, ready to assist, when suddenly another wolf crashes into me with full force. This one is a pale grey, and the stench it carries is overwhelming far worse than the usual bad breath of rogue wolves. It smells as if it''s rotting from the inside out. My wolf instincts take control; I shift fully and dig my ws into the damp earth, using it to slow our momentum. We lower our heads close to the ground, muscles coiled, prepared to spring. Thunder rumbles deep and low above us, a storm finally arriving after days of anticipation.
I can hear snarls and grunts from the wolves near me, but I force myself to stay sharp. These rogues aren''t just here to fight-they intend to kill us, to clear the way for whoever they want to install in power. We tumble and snap, ws scraping and teeth gnashing. I''ve shed repeatedly across this female''s side, and blood flows freely, but she doesn''t seem to notice, as if the pain has no hold on her. For a moment, I hesitate. They don''t understand what''s happening to them. This possession is soplete they have lost all sense of self-preservation.
“Ben, don''t kill them,” I call through the bond, my voice urgent. "They don''t know what''s happening. They have no control."
A grunt, a snort.
"No kidding!" Ben snaps back, breath ragged. "She''s trying to kill ME, ra! I might... not have a choice here."
I twist awkwardly, managing to grab the female rogue and pin her by the neck. Her legs il wildly, scraping at the dirt as she struggles to escape. Holding her down takes every ounce of my strength and weight. She''s tearing at herself, skin and fur shredded by my wolf''s fangs. If she keeps fighting like this, she''ll kill herself. But Ben is right—I can''t let her go. She won''t stop attacking.
"Where are the witches who are supposed to be helping us?" I demand, frustration creeping into my voice. "Can''t they break this spell they''re under?"
"How the hell should I know?" Ben retorts sharply. "You''ve spent more time on the magic than I have. I told them to stay back-there''s no way they''d survive out here without getting hurt."
The rogue beneath me bucks again, her blood slickening her fur and making her even harder to hold. She''s on her back now, kicking and pushing against me with frantic desperation, only worsening the damage to her neck. Even if I could calm her, she won''t make it back to the pack to heal.
"ra!" Ben''s voice cuts sharply through the bond. He senses my hesitation, my indecision. I close my eyes, breathing deeply, inhaling the foul stench of decay that clings to her. Then, with a grim resolve, I mp down with my jaw and twist- breaking her neck, sending her spirit back to the Goddess.
I spin to see Ben, now in his human form, lying bloodied beneath the wolf that attacked him. No. I don''t allow myself to think it. We shift instantly, rushing to his side, shoving the dead rogue off him. He''s breathing, but barely. The blood on him is a mix of his and the enemy''s-I can''t tell which is which.
"I... I... What do I do? I don''t know what to do!" I call out to my wolf, panic pounding in my chest. I can''t lose him. No matter what, I can''t lose him. The desperate need to keep him alive consumes every part of me.
"We passed a cave not far back," my wolf suggests. "We need to get him inside. I can clean his wounds there, see what we''re dealing with."
"Okay," I exhale, grateful for a clear purpose. I can follow directions.
With care, I help him sit up, then drape his arm over my shoulder so he leans on me. On all fours, I shift slowly, making sure not to jostle him as we move toward the cave. His head rests just between my shoulder and neck, and I feel the gentle rise and fall of his breath through my fur. It''s the only thing keeping me grounded, focused amidst the chaos.
Inside the cave, we find a sheltered nook away from the biting wind. I lower him down as gently as I can. I don''t have the means to start a fire, but my wolf can tend to him—clean his wounds and share body heat until we can either move or get help.
She works slowly and carefully, licking the blood from his face and upper chest. The rest of his body looks stable, but we need to know if any vital organs have been damaged. My wolf growls softly at the bitter taste of rogue blood, as foul and decayed as their smell. When she reaches his back, she pauses-arge bite mark on his shoulder catches her attention.
“I think their bites might be venomous or carry some kind of toxin,” she murmurs, confused. “I can smell infection already. That shouldn''t be possible this soon."
“Maybe grab some snow from outside,” I suggest. “You can use it to clean the wound and hopefully spit out the infection. We can''t help him if you get sick too."
"I don''t know if that will be enough," she replies. "It''s already in his bloodstream. He needs something stronger. He needs you to mark him.”
"What? No! I can''t do that to him... forceful marking? You heard him before-he wants me to reject him."
"No! He thinks you don''t want him, just like thest girl he loved. He''s giving you an out! Now, mark him before he dies! He won''t survive past tonight if you don''t!"
She''s never yelled at me like this before, not with such desperation. I can feel the fear in her voice the terror of losing him and his wolf. It would break her. I can''t let that happen.
“Okay... I''ll do it..." I barely get the words out before she sinks her fangs into the space where his neck meets his shoulder. He gasps sharply, and a wave of euphoria washes over me as the bond seals itself. I feel the infection begin to leave his body, his wounds starting to heal. He draws in a deep breath and exhales slowly, but his eyes remain closed.
"We''ve done all we can," she says softly, curling up beside him. He moves his head, nestling his face into her fur. He breathes in deeply once more, and together, we drift into a fragile, hopeful sleep.