Chapter 7: My Savior

The air surrounding me goes cold, as I stare into the devious and sinister eyes of a wolf I know very well means to harm me.

The bloodlust oozing out of her is enough to choke me.

I need to escape, somehow, but...I can't even move my fingers.

She inches closer to me, claws extruded, murder in her eyes.

I search my surroundings, for anything whatsoever that can help me.

But I find nothing save for grass, flowers, and more grass.

Even if I were to see a weapon, getting it would be another question.

What do I do, what do I do?

My heart sinks.

This...this is...just like.

"Ahhh!" I scream when she pounces me, hands clutched at my throat.

She still smiles, her mouth somehow getting wider by the second, exposing more of her perfect teeth.

"I didn't think I'd actually get to see you do it. But before my very eyes, you saved that girl." She points towards Rosemary, and I lose what little breath I have flowing through my windpipes.

"What...what do you..."

"Shhhh." She places her right index finger on my lips. "No point in asking any questions." I feel a sharp pain lining my left cheek, she is cutting me. "The dead have no need for answers."

She pulls her right hand back, claws completely out, and ready.

She will go for my heart.

I...I have to do something, I have...

"Ahhhh!" She screams as light consumes us both, red and orange light.

A second passes, and so too does the light, when I can see again, I find a glow in front of me.

I prop myself up with my elbows, and then I find the wolf, grasping at her face, while her hair is on fire.

I lose all words to say, how is she on fire?

Was, that my doing?

"You b*tch!" She screams as she pulls on her hair, ripping it off her head and flinging it in every direction.

She turns her gaze to me, anger becoming her.

She lets herself go, and her wolf form takes over.

Fur lines her skin, her face elongates, her ears rise, her clothes rip apart, and as it does so.

Right before her right hand becomes covered in fur, I find a tattoo a few inches above her wrist, a tattoo that shatters my being.

My head goes back several years, and as though it is just happening, I am upside down, hanging from my car's seat belt.

Mom is beside me, and a hand creeps into the car, aiming for her.

And several inches above his wrist, is a tattoo, of a moon with bat wings.

I am pulled out of my head, and it is clear, it is the same tattoo.

A tattoo I thought I'd never see again, but now, here it is, right in front of me.

She bares the same tattoo of the wolf that murdered my mother, and brother.

"Who...are you?" I ask pointlessly, as she continues to transform.

She is related, to, the deaths of the two people I loved most in this world.

And, now, I am next.

I...I need to get out of here, but...I am still weak. My legs won't move, and my hands won't hold out any longer.

I have to do something.

A light goes off in my brain.

That's right, I have to do what I did before, call upon an Instinct I never knew I had, fire.

If I can cover myself in fire again, I can ward off her attack, for however long I can, till help arrives, if help will arrive.

My eyes go blurry.

No, not now, not yet.

I focus my head, trying to stay awake, then, I find her transformation is done, she growls at me, bearing her fangs.

Fire, fire fire fire.

I repeat, but nothing.

She wastes no more time, and then she pounces.

"No." I cry out, and shield my face with my hand, as I close my eyes, waiting for what it would seem is my fate.

But, for several seconds, nothing happens.

When I open my eyes, I find, underneath my arm, the wolf clawing and biting at nothing in front of me.

At least I had thought it was nothing, but upon closer inspection, I find the spot of nothingness she bites and claws at, glowing with a faint blue light.

Something clicks inside me, and I realize this is an Instinct, the Instinct of the Marlow pack.

Their Instinct creates a barrier, that surrounds them and protects them from every and anything.

Surely, I am not the one doing this, am I?

As though answering my question, a shadow passes over me.

By the time I realize it is Darius, he is already holding the wolf by the throat, and she struggles in his hand.

Upon seeing him, I finally am able to breathe.

My arms lose all strength, and my back hits the grass underneath me.

I force myself to look at Darius once, as his presence, now alleviates me to a degree, that I feel I can pee myself.

Never had I thought I'd be so happy to see him, him of all people.

But, why is he even saving me? Surely, I don't mean more to him than any of his maids do.

Or, perhaps, I'm asking the wrong question.

I fall my head back onto the grass.

Then I ask myself, why, is a wolf, presumably from a cult, that killed my mother and brother, trying to kill me?

My eyes become heavy, but I can't go out yet, Rosemary, I have to check on Rosemary.

I force my head up, trying to get on my feet, or at least crawl to Rosemary, but when my head rises, I find Darius staring at me.

Which causes me to freeze.

I remember again, that I am afraid of him, but as I stare into his eyes, I can't help but admire--more so as he has saved me--the brilliant gold of his wolf eyes, and I don't know how, but for the two times I've seen them, I have found them to suit him perfectly, when compared to any other wolf.

'Are you okay?' He speaks to me with the Neuropath Instinct of my pack.

'I...I am fine.' I say back, feeling angry that even in my mind, I can't speak properly to him.

I try to rise, pointing my gaze towards the spot behind a rose bush, where Rosemary lay.

But as I struggle, I find out of the corner of my eye, Darius walking towards me, which causes me to flinch.

But I force myself steady.

He takes off his jacket, then when he reaches me, he takes a knee, then spreads his jacket over me.

I raise a brow at this act, wondering why he is doing this, but when I inspect myself, I find I have nothing on.

What happened to my clothes?

I wonder, my cheeks going hot red.

It's nothing he hasn't already seen, but still.

"What happened to your clothes?" He says to me, now missing the usual grin that always lines his face.

His demeanor is now quiet, and calm.

I look away, not able to hold his gaze any longer.

Or perhaps, I don't like his red eyes, now that the gold had died down.

"I'm not sure."

"What happened here exactly?"

"I...I was attacked."

Immediately I utter those words, something shifts behind Darius, which pulls both of our attention.

As we peer towards the shuffling, we find the wolf Darius had immobilized, vanishing into the shadows.

I see the gold surfacing in his eyes again, followed by what I believe is a growl.

"A shadow traveler." He says with a growl, laced with anger.

I force my gaze away from him, then I turn to the spot where Rosemary lies.

"Ro..." My voice breaks as my vision blurs, and my strength seeps away.

I can't pass out, I need to see Rosemary.

That is what I say to myself, but then, the hands holding me up lose all strength, and I fall.

Or, I thought I would, but Darius, to my surprise, catches me.

He bears down on me like an angel, and I don't even know when I sink into his arms, finding comfort and safety in them.

My eyes become all the more heavy, but I can't give in.

"Ro...rosemary." My voice now barely a whisper.

But I can tell he got it all.

I feel his hands running under my calf, which makes whatever sensation is left working in my body tingle.

When his hand is all the way through, I can feel him tightening his grip on me, while pulling me closer to himself.

I can't help but give in with ease, as I sink into the safety that is him.

When I peer up at him, I feel an overwhelming sense of deja vu.

Then it hits me.

At the party, just before I passed out, I saw Darius.

Was...was he the one who caught me?

Surely, surely it was Elias.

I think to myself, I try to, but the dizziness that is kicking in, is preventing me from doing so.

So I let it go for now, as I do, I find I am taken by the wonderful aroma coming off of him.

It is a mix of the roses I smell in this garden, and a banquet of fruits-mostly mangos, and then meat.

Something about his scent is very enticing to me, now more than ever.

I stare at him, and I keep at it, as I find myself mesmerized by him as the seconds pass.

In the blink of an eye, I find he has taken me to Rosemary, now gently setting me down, so I sit beside her.

But while I sit, he doesn't let me go even once.

So many things are running through my mind as of now, but what takes priority is Rosemary.

'Before my very eyes, you saved that girl.'

The wolf's voice rings in my head.

And as it does, I pray to God it is true, somehow.

I place a hand on Rosemary's cheek, then I trail my fingers down to her pulse.

My heart along with every other thing within me elates when I feel it.