3. Protecting the Pack

Ellie

If it were possible, I would never leave our cabin. But unfortunately, we need food and supplies to be comfortable. That being said, a grueling trip into town is in order.

Koga hops into the passenger seat of my truck and we take off. It takes nearly a half hour to get there and luckily the street isn't overly crowded. I put the truck in park and crack the windows open for Koga. He whines a little but doesn't try to follow me. He knows that he can't come in the store with me but he relaxes at my promise to make it quick.

I stroll through the aisles, grabbing all essential items and then some. There are very few people in the market, the squeak of the faulty wheel on my shopping cart is possibly the loudest sound here. Those I pass stare at me uncomfortably. Some whisper as I pass. They look at me like an insect. A piece of the puzzle that just doesn't fit.

They wonder where I came from and claim they heard I am running from the law. They think maybe I don't have a husband because I killed him. They say I look like the type. It honestly amazes me what comes out of some people's mouths when they have nothing better to do than gossip, especially when none have ever even spoken a word to me. I am an outsider. I accept that. Therefore, instead of getting angry, I simply laugh at the accusations. None of them have the gall to say it to my face anyway. Even the cashier ringing me up doesn't dare to look me in the eye. I smirk, appearing as dangerous as they assume I am.

When I exit the grocery store, I stop short. Four men huddle around my truck, one has a rifle slung over his shoulder. Hunters. And they're staring at Koga, who is growling at the unwanted visitors.

I rush over to the truck; they look at me as I approach.

"Do you mind backing up? You're scaring my dog." I'm not waiting for a response. I'm putting the groceries in the bed as fast as I could. We need to leave.

"That ain't no dog." One of the men spoke with a country twang in his voice. He's got a beer belly and mustard stains on his dirty white shirt.

"What are you doing with a wolf, little miss?" The older man with dirt on his face asked smoothly, attempting to appear non-threatening but failing.

"That's none of your business." I grit. They're not leaving.

The youngest one with yellow teeth speaks, "No need to act like a bitch."

I'm starting to get pissed; I need to get us out of here before things get ugly. Koga can sense the hostility in the air and growls louder.

"Get. Away. From. My. Truck." I say through my teeth.

The older man speaks again, "Wolves are dangerous creatures, miss. You should let us do you a favor and put him down. Before you get hurt."

I glare at him, "You should leave, before you get hurt."

The fat one steps up to me, "You threatening us, sweetheart? That's mighty bold of you, seeing that you're all alone." His breath reeks of old chicken and beer. It makes me gag. But I'm not backing down.

"I'm not your sweetheart. And by the looks of it, I'd say this would be a fair fight."

They look at each other then back at me with laughter.

"Aren't you a feisty one." The older man spoke again, his tone slithered up my spine causing me to stiffen, "I do admire that in a woman. The feisty ones are always the most fun to – break." He said as he looked up and down my body. The notion disgusted me almost as much as his words.

A vibration thrummed through my body. I was buzzing with fury.

The fat man slowly started to take a step back, his eyes widening as he kept staring at me.

"What's up with her eyes?" He whispered to the older man.

A growl was rumbling, low and threatening. I thought it was Koga trying to ward them off but from the vibration in my chest I realized that the sound was coming from me.

"Walk away, now. While you still have legs." I don't know who this voice belongs to. It sounds like me, but I have never spoken to another person like this in my life. Not even my father.

It seems that my threat has shaken them out of whatever trance they were in. The youngest one, clearly the one with the most fragile ego, makes the first move.

"Someone needs to remind you of your place." He grits as he pulls his arm back to swing at me.

I stand still, stoic on two strong legs. My posture cannot be disrupted. I catch his flying fist in my hand and squeeze.

The kid's eyes widen, this fight is not going how he expected it to.

"I warned you." I growl through gritted teeth right before I jab him in the throat. As he gasps for air, I raise my foot to kick him in the chest. Even I was shocked to watch him fly backwards from the force. The fat guy is next. He reaches for me, but I maneuver out of his grasp, using the momentum and weight of his own body to swing him towards the truck. I grip the back of his head smacking it against the rusty metal. He falls to the ground, discombobulated.

The older man snatches a handful of my hair, cursing me under his breath. Koga is barking now, throwing his body against the body of the truck, trying to break out and help me. I can faintly hear a voice, shouting desperately and angry, 'Don't you touch her!'.

The man uses his grip on my hair to throw me to the ground. Koga's barking grows, he is furious. I look up in time to see the older man's boot coming down towards my face. I react in time to block it with my forearms, and I don't stop. I'm like a machine, driven by purpose without having to think. I've never acted or even felt like this before. I've never even learned self-defense.

I grab his boot with both hands and twisted quickly, a snap could be heard before the older man starts howling in pain. I stand quickly to get the upper hand but I still as I feel the cold metal of a barrel against the back of my head.

"Easy, darlin'. I'd hate to blow a hole in that pretty face." The man with the rifle says slowly. I hear a soft click, the sound of the safety getting switched off. I'm not even scared knowing that there's a gun to my head.

There are people on the street now, witnessing the debacle. Some are even walking past us as this person holds a gun to my head, no one bothers to say anything let alone try to diffuse the situation. That drives me mad. I have never done anything to anyone in this town. These men harassed and attacked me, yet while a gun is pointed at my head, they stand and gawk like they're watching a show.

Screw all of them. If they want a show, I'll give them one.

I turn so fast, he doesn't see it coming when I snatch the rifle out of his hand and smash the butt into his face, shattering his nose. Even with blood gushing out of his nose, I'm not satisfied. Holding the rifle in both of my hands, I swing it like a bat, cracking it against the man's head. He falls unconscious to the asphalt. I unload the weapon, throwing the bullets in one direction and the rifle in the other.

Some people have gathered even closer for a better view. I don't stop to admire my work. It's only a matter of minutes before the cops show up and I'm the one to be put behind bars. If they lock me up, they'll kill Koga. I can't risk any of that happening.

The onlookers back away, afraid of me and what I'll do next. I jump in the truck and peel out of there, driving out of town and leaving my victims behind.

We're quite aways from town now but my blood is still boiling. My adrenaline running hot until I finally pull the truck up to the cabin. My adrenaline is starting to simmer now, but knowing what I just did, my panic starts to rise.

What did I just do? Where did I learn to do all of that?

What's going on with her eyes?

I flip down the mirror and gasp at my reflection. My eyes … they're not their usual shade of emerald. They're – gold. Gold! Like the crown of a King in the old ages. How is that even possible?

I'm having trouble breathing. Koga whimpers beside me and tries to get my attention. I look into his cinnamon eyes, and I can't look away. He is calm, not at all bothered by my change in eye color or what just happened. The look in his eyes feels like he's trying to tell me something. I can almost hear him, like he's trying to say, 'It's okay, you're okay'. I take a few deep breaths to calm down. After doing this for a few minutes, my panic has eased and my heartbeat has calmed. I look in the mirror and see my eyes have returned to their natural color. I look at Koga and smile lovingly, "Thank you, sweet boy."

His huge body falls into my lap, allowing me to hold him. That's when I realize that I don't feel an ounce of remorse for what I did to those men. Koga is my family. My pack. And I protect my pack.