Adrenaline slammed into him, instinctively his body tightened with both fear and anger. He had, at some point, gained a good lead on Aidan during the chase and he now found himself alone. Kyle sniffed the air, trying to determine where both Aidan and the intruders were. If he’d thought there was the possibility of there being a threat nearby, he would never have tried to get so far ahead of Aidan. He wasn’t a fighter; he had never been in a real fight in his life.

As if to answer his questions, a series of growls rumbled out from the shadows of the forest. Three wolves, all larger than Kyle, emerged from the darkness. All of them were staring at him, their lips raised to show their teeth. Kyle took a step back, all too aware of the fact that he was now alone and facing down a pack of unknown werewolves. They could be simply lost and trying to find their way out of an unknown territory and just responding to a foreign smell with natural aggression. That hope quickly died when they continued to advance on him, their growls deepening in their chests as they stepped closer.

His wolf’s instincts screamed at him to run, recognizing a losing fight when it saw one. His human mind grabbed hold of that impulse and pinned it before it could take over. They were too close; he would never get away from them with virtually no head start. The only reason he’d gotten so far from Aidan was because the alpha had allowed it. Kyle was no athlete anymore than he was a skilled fighter, so he wouldn’t be able to get away from them. To turn and run now would mean certain death, so he fought off his wolf’s flight instinct.

He tried desperately to figure out what he could do to get out of the situation alive. One of the wolves was smaller than the other two, and he might be able to fight that one. Trying to fight all three simultaneously, no matter how brief a time it was for, would mean a quick death. The only reason they hadn’t jumped in for the kill was they knew there was no way he was out here alone. They were most likely waiting to see if his back up would arrive. They were probably a small pack, or part of a larger pack sent to spy on his sept’s land, learning the lay of the land or trying to ferret out what their resources were. It meant that if Kyle really had wandered off too far, this strange pack would kill him, the only witness to their intrusion, and try to escape without being seen by anyone else.

Kyle snapped at one of them when he saw the werewolf getting too close. His only hope was to hold his ground, pretending he was more confident than he felt. Any hesitation or delay he could manage would buy time for Aidan to show up. He had no idea where the alpha was, but he knew he’d never wanted Aidan beside him more than he did right at that moment.

The smallest of the intruders leapt forward, and Kyle jumped back, snarling harder than he’d ever done before. Only then did he realize his mistake, seeing that the werewolf hadn’t jumped far. They had been testing his nerves and gaining ground in the same motion. His reaction had been one of fear, and he had chosen to retreat rather than attack. They knew that he was either not a warrior, or they thought him a coward without support. He was easy prey, and he had just handed them that information.

A howl rose up from somewhere in the dark, and a shadow barreled out of the woods beside the intruding pack. The three werewolves turned as one as Aidan dove straight for one of the larger ones. Both of them tumbled to the ground, Aidan gaining his feet and lashing out with his teeth at the nearest werewolf.

The werewolf that had advanced on Kyle had turned to help his packmates and Kyle reacted instinctively. He knew Aidan was good; there was no way anyone could survive on the border of two enemy septs’ territory and not be skilled in battle. The sight of the third werewolf trying to ambush Aidan while he was occupied drove Kyle forward. His human side’s control was driven away as his wolf saw its mate in trouble, leaping toward the smaller of the three intruders with a guttural snarl.

The werewolf had completely forgotten about Kyle in its rush to help its packmates. It yelped in surprise when Kyle’s weight slammed into it. It kept its feet better than Kyle had hoped, stumbling to whip around with a gnashing of teeth. Kyle dodged aside, knowing his only hope was if his smaller size gave him greater agility. He would never survive if he tried to fight the other werewolf with strength alone.

The werewolf dove forward, trying to take Kyle down quickly so he could return to help his packmates. Kyle dodged to the side, leaping into the werewolf’s space and trying to sink his teeth into something. His teeth found only fur as Kyle’s opponent managed to squirm away. Kyle rolled when he sensed the werewolf trying to take advantage of Kyle’s missed blow, feeling the hard rocks and the pine needles pricking his skin as he tried to gain his feet once more.

His agility was only serving to extend the fight, and he knew he would never win it. There was no way he could manage to beat an opponent who was far more skilled than he was. He would wear down eventually, and his hardier opponent would simply take advantage of his weakness. As they dodged and weaved around one another, he could feel his body beginning to tire. Kyle hadn’t been to a training session in ages, as both he and the village content to let him simply play doctor for the sept, and part-time babysitter for Mags.

The enemy werewolf sensed his growing weakness, his movements becoming more aggressive. He was trying to drive Kyle’s reactions with the aim of tiring him quicker, and Kyle despaired when he felt it working. One of his attempts to dodge his opponent left him stumbling away instead of the nimble weave he had been trying for. The werewolf he’d been fighting sensed it, twisting around with a sudden burst of speed and lunging for Kyle.

The hulking black shape that was Aidan appeared in Kyle’s vision, slamming into the werewolf that had been going in for the killing blow on Kyle. Kyle could smell the blood on Aidan, and he whined when he saw one of the other two werewolves leap forward to snap at Aidan’s hind leg, scoring a hit with a horrible snarl. Aidan twisted, snapping at the werewolf’s face as he pinned down the one who had nearly killed Kyle.

Kyle searched frantically for the third werewolf, finding it stirring feebly in the dirt nearby. Its throat was torn, and Kyle realized with a flicker of hope that the enemy was down one combatant. Emboldened, he dove forward and took the larger werewolf’s hind leg in his teeth, biting down hard and shaking. The werewolf howled, trying to twist about enough to grab hold of Kyle while attempting to shake him off. It felt as if his brains were being rattled around in his head as Kyle held on tight, trying to buy Aidan enough time to finish the fight.

The werewolf Kyle clung to was too large to twist around and get hold of Kyle. He shook harder, trying to jar Kyle off but he couldn’t get to him. There was another yelp that felt as if it drove into the center of Kyle’s brain, and a wet gurgle that sickened him. He could only hope the sound had come from the werewolf that he had been fighting, and not his mate.

The weight of the leg in Kyle’s mouth was suddenly shoved to the side, crashing to the ground and taking Kyle with him. The leg spasmed, kicking out and catching Kyle in the chest. The air rushed out of his lungs but it only made him hold on even tighter than before. The werewolf he was attached to kicked a few more times, and Kyle shook his head, determined to keep his grip. Even when the leg stopped its attempts to shake him off, he held on tight with the taste of blood in his mouth.

He felt something nudge him, whining faintly and he tensed, waiting for fangs to sink into his exposed stomach. Instead, he felt a cold nose prod him and heard another quiet whine. It was only then he realized that save for those whines, there were no other noises in the forest. He released the werewolf’s leg, gasping as he lay on his side. Kyle could smell the blood then, almost as strong as the taste of it in his mouth.

The wolf he’d been clinging to lay unmoving, a puddle of dark blood pooling beneath him. Aidan stood before him, his shaggy black head down low as he licked at Kyle’s muzzle. Kyle heaved for breath, only now realizing it was over and they had won.

He pushed up from the ground, trying to steady himself on all fours as he gazed around. All three enemy wolves were sprawled out on the ground. Aidan had finished each of them with his fangs at their throats and the smell made the human in Kyle feel ill. He had seen plenty of wounds in his time as doctor to the village, but he had never seen the aftermath of an actual battle before. It reminded him too much of the day he had come back to the village as a teenager, that coppery smell in the air around his home.

Kyle stumbled back from the dead bodies, feeling his throat working as he tried to fight off the images of the dead and dying in his head. He hadn’t remembered the attack on the village in ages, and it still turned his stomach. A gag seized his throat and he tried desperately to not throw up. He couldn’t throw up, not when he’d just gone through his first fight, and not in front of Aidan. The alpha had done all the heavy lifting, and Kyle couldn’t afford to make himself look even weaker by losing what little dignity he had left.

Aidan slipped next to him, pressing his larger frame against Kyle. His massive head rubbed against Kyle’s, licking his ears as he whined softly. The muscles of Kyle’s throat eased as he listened to the worry in Aidan’s voice. He allowed himself to be bumped, taking comfort in the feel of Aidan’s strength as he tried to get his head on straight once again. Aidan was there. Aidan was trying to comfort him, that was what he needed to focus on.

The urge to throw up began to fade, and he felt the swimming in his gaze ease. Aidan continued to nuzzle him, and Kyle finally whined back, butting him with his own head. The alpha made a soft noise, pawing at the ground as he shoved his head beneath Kyle’s. Kyle would have laughed, but instead he gave a series of huffs that mimicked it as best he could. Yes, he wanted to tell Aidan he was okay, and that there was no need to worry about him.

It was then that he saw Aidan was heavily favoring one of his legs. Kyle whined harder than before, turning around so he could see the damage clearly. There were puncture wounds on Aidan’s thigh, presumably from where one of the werewolves had dug their teeth in. Kyle knew it had happened when Aidan had been forced to take his attention from his opponent to save Kyle. His heart sank and he licked the wound, lowering his tail with worry.

Aidan huffed, sounding irritated, but stood still to allow Kyle to lick the wound clean. Kyle glanced around, trying to find the bag he had kept with him during the run. It had fallen off during the fight and he saw it laying in the dirt nearby, strings broken.

Shaking himself, he forced the change to sweep back over himself once more. The sense of shrinking from the shift to his wolf was replaced by one of stretching. His bones shifting beneath skin, fur fading away to reveal vulnerable human skin. After several seconds of working through the change, he stood, as naked as he had on the beach, completely human.

He crouched in front of Aidan, running his hands through the thick onyx fur, “I need you to turn back so I can treat your leg.”

Aidan huffed at him and Kyle frowned. “Don’t give me that. The transformation will heal the worst of it, but it’s still going to need bandaging. I don’t need you bleeding all over the place because you were too stubborn to be treated properly. You got me?”

The black wolf shook itself slightly with a huff. Kyle was relieved to see Aidan turn and make his way further into the forest. Aidan was going to accept being treated, but he didn’t want Kyle to see him do it. When a werewolf transformed with an injury that transferred between forms, it was usually a painful experience. It certainly did wonders for accelerating the healing process, but all that stretching and shifting skin and bone made the wound far more painful than it would normally be. Kyle had seen particularly stubborn werewolves pass out from the pain before. He had no doubt Aidan didn’t want Kyle to see him while he tried to force the change.

“Stubborn,” he mumbled in the alpha’s direction as the wolf disappeared from view.

He walked over to the bag, checking its contents, glad to see nothing had been broken or ruined. The salves and potions he’d made himself were sealed up in bottles made of durable glass. He wished they could invest in containers made of human plastic, but everyone, especially Mags, hated the stuff. It wasn’t natural, and unlike glass, if it was lost, was a detriment to nature. It was less brittle than glass though, and sometimes Kyle wished they could get over the possible risks if it meant sturdier containers for their healing products.

“Oh what’s it matter?” he asked, talking to himself and feeling a pang of guilt as he scooped the bag up.

It obviously wasn’t the first injury Aidan had sustained, and the scars painted on the alpha’s body were a testament to that. However, it would be the only injury Aidan had that came from Kyle’s inability to protect himself. He hated that Aidan had to defend him. Kyle hadn’t been able to hold his own, and the alpha had gained a new wound because of it. The best Kyle could do was stitch up the wound to the best of his abilities, and live with his guilt.

“Are you coming?” Aidan asked from the shadows of the forest.

Kyle smiled at the sound of Aidan’s voice. “Yeah, I’m coming, and you better be sitting down or so help me.”