Jameson
I fled through the forest, my legs not moving fast enough as the death of my pack members surrounded me. The cracking of twigs beneath my paws made me flinch; every other sound wasn't a twig but a bone, a bone of my companion. Just up ahead.
Not far now. Just keep moving.
Blake and Kido were flanking me, two steps behind. I was the fastest, the fiercest, but I knew I'd act without sense or reason in this state. The smell of the Helsings' blood called to me. I longed to spill it. I'd have it run over my muzzle, my paws, I'd bathe in it when I was done with them.
I broke through the trees just in time to see Abraham's thick arms locked around Sampson's neck. He was dark grey; the oldest of the pack. He'd taught me so much about being a wolf.
I rammed my head into Abraham's hip, throwing him off balance, but it was too late. Sampson sprawled to the floor, his body limp in death.
Jess and Ryan were already dead, still in wolf form, discarded like broken toys amongst the trees.
No. This isn't happening. It's not happening.
I threw myself at Abraham, my claws ripping his fine jacket to shreds. He roared his fury at me, throwing a fist into my ribs. I was knocked sideways. I crashed through the mud and the snow, rolling and rolling until I managed to regain my feet.
Abraham lifted his pistol, aiming it at Blake then Kida. “Enough!” he boomed. “We are only here to talk.”
Blake whined as he spotted his mate, Jess, dead on the ground, launching himself at Abraham. I panicked, fearing his death with all my heart. Kida got there first, barging Blake aside as Abraham pulled the trigger. Kida's shoulder took the wound, but the damage wasn't fatal. The two of them stumbled back in fear, Blake bowing his head to lick the blood from Kida's shoulder.
My hackles rose as I slowly approached Abraham, my razor-sharp teeth bared. One, well-aimed bite could take him down. But I'd likely go out with him.
Abraham swung his pistol toward me and I pressed my forehead to the butt. I'd die for all of them, if that's what it took to stop this.
“Hello Alpha.” Abraham smiled, the expression somehow cold and calculating.
I growled, readying to launch myself at him, ready to die.
Kida barked and I swung toward the warning sound.
Too late.
With a crack and rustle of branches, someone dropped from the trees, clamping a heavy collar around my neck. A whirring caught my ear and a needle slammed into my throat before I could react. Katherine's fingers were tangled in my fur, her laughter ringing through the trees. My vision clouded and darkened but I watched in horror as Blake and Kida willingly took a collar whilst Abraham kept his gun steadied on me.
My legs began to wobble as I snapped feebly in Katherine's direction. She aimed a sharp kick at my side and I sprawled across the ground, falling into darkness.
◐ ☼ ◐
I woke to screams. Horrible, gut-wrenching screams.
Blinking slowly, I was groggy as I came to, finding blood spreading over my paws in a thickening pool. Not my blood...
“I'm growing tired of this, Ulvic,” Abraham growled. “How many more fingers do you want to lose for the sake of a girl and a Vampire?”
I blinked again, glancing up through the haze encasing my mind. I tried to speak, but realised too late I was still a wolf, a snarl rolling past my lips instead.
“He's awake,” Katherine said and I managed to lift my head enough to locate her in the cabin. Her long hair was wound in a Rapunzel-style plait, her hands smeared with blood; one of them fisted around a handgun.
Ulvic was strapped to a wooden chair, his wrist clamped in Abraham's hold who was perched casually on the sofa. He played with a switch-knife in his other hand, the blade stained red. My stomach rolled as I took in the remains of Ulvic's left hand.
I shut my eyes, wishing to return to the darkness. But I had to face this. Had to fight.
Unsteadily, I rose to my feet, knowing I wasn't yet strong enough to take them on. My heart beat harder at the thought of my pack and I spun violently around, trying to locate them. In a row along the cabin walls were what remained of us. Alive; their bellies rising and falling. Emerico, Nadine, Blake and Kida; all under the restraints of collars. My heart sank. We were done for. Our only chance of surviving was Ulvic giving up Varick and Selena. But I'd die before that happened.
How had two Hunters taken on my entire pack?
We could have been prepared. This is Ulvic's fault.
“You don't seem to be getting the message,” Katherine said, walking purposefully toward the row of wolves behind me. She aimed a rifle down at Kida's head and I barked sharply, rushing toward her. A swift kick took me to the floor again and I cursed whatever poison they'd injected me with. I could feel it slipping away though. The veil was drawing back and my strength would soon return. But how long would that take?
“How many of your wolves will you let die?” Katherine demanded.
Ulvic panted through his teeth, his body trembling and soaked in sweat. “I told you...I don't know where they are. I only helped my wolves escape the game. I have nothing to do with them!”
“Liar,” Katherine hissed, swinging her gun toward him. “We have witnesses who saw you leave the island with them!”
“They saw wrong!” Ulvic cried.
“Tell me...how much do you love these mutts?” Abraham dropped Ulvic's mangled hand and he cried out in pain.
“More th-than anything,” Ulvic sobbed, straining against the restraints around his chest. “Please. Don't kill any more of them.”
“Then tell us the truth. Did you help Varick and Selena escape?” Abraham asked, his tone as cool as ice.
Ulvic broke down, sobbing loudly. Abraham strode to his side, violently cutting the cords around him and dragging him to his feet. “Tell me,” he snarled, pulling Ulvic within an inch of his face.
Ulvic somehow managed to calm down, his breathing ragged as he finally gave in. “Y-yes. I he-helped them. But only to save my w-wolves.”
His words tore me apart.
No - don't give them up you traitor.
Abraham sucked in a slow, calm breath, firmly placing Ulvic down in an armchair. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the speckles of blood from Ulvic's cheeks. “Alright, that's all we wanted to hear. Just tell us the truth and no one else needs to die but you.”
“But m-me?” Ulvic stammered in horror, his eyes bulging.
Katherine gave him a grim look. Her sharp-angled face was model-esque and all the more horrible for it. “Yes, of course we can't let you away with what you did. But the rest of your pack will walk free.”
“I d-don't want to die,” Ulvic stammered, breaking down all over again, hunching forward in his seat.
“Tell us where they are, Ulvic,” Katherine probed. “And maybe we can discuss your options.”
“Op-options?” Ulvic lifted his head, hope glinting in his eyes. I snarled in warning but Ulvic ignored me, cradling his butchered hand.
Katherine nodded, lifting a foot and resting it on the coffee table, leaning closer to Ulvic. “Tell us.”
Ulvic sucked down three rattling breaths, looking to me then back to Katherine. I growled loudly, stepping toward him, ready to kill him myself if it meant their location stayed secret.
Abraham casually swung his pistol in my direction. “Now, Ulvic. And this will all be over.”
Ulvic nodded, dragging down another breath. “B-Brendan Grey. They're with Selena's father. At Th-The Sanctuary.”
“It exists?” Katherine raised a brow.
“Y-yes,” Ulvic nodded fiercely. “He th-thinks S-Selena is the c-cure to V-Vampirism.”
My heart sank as I listened.
“The cure?” Katherine questioned curiously, looking to her husband. “I suppose that would explain a few things...”
Abraham nodded, his brow lowering as he faced Ulvic. “So where is The Sanctuary?”
“I d-don't know. I've not b-been there. I don't know anything e-else, I sw-swear.”
Abraham looked to me, seeming to consider something. He stood, glaring at me as he pressed his gun to Ulvic's forehead.
“NO!” Ulvic cried, raising his good hand to uselessly hide from the gun. “Please! I beg you! H-have mercy!”
“Abraham...” Katherine gently tugged her husband's arm down. She turned to me, malice in her eyes. There was so much hate spewing from her expression, it was hard to understand it. What had I ever done to this bitch to make her look at me like that?
Her next words were my end. “Command the Alpha to kill the others. Then our debt will be paid here.”
“Wh-what?” Ulvic stuttered.
Terror spread through me, the heavy collar shifting around my neck. I shook my head, backing away, desperate.
Please no. Not that. Anything but that.
“It's you or them,” Abraham growled in agreement.
Ulvic sobbed again and I turned toward the nearest wall, having only one idea of how to stop this. I threw myself at it full-force.
Katherine's disgusted words fell over me. “What on earth is it doing?”
I tried again, ramming my head into the wall, desperate to knock myself out. I couldn't obey Ulvic's command if I was out cold.
“Do it,” Abraham snapped at Ulvic. “Now.” I heard the priming of a gun. The only sound that seemed to exist in the world.
Him or us. Him or us.
Be him. Be him. Be him.
“J-Jameson,” Ulvic's voice cut into me. I turned to him, devastation pouring through every inch of me. “K-kill them.”
I hated him in that moment more than I'd ever hated anything or anyone in my entire immortal life. I didn't know pain like this. And the worst thing was, I couldn't fight it.
I barked and thrashed, knocking over everything in my path as I tried to stop myself from following his command. But I was already there, standing above Blake who was sleeping soundly, never to wake again. I tasted the blood before I'd really registered what I'd done. My body didn't belong to me anymore. It belonged to my master. A man who was going to save his own skin by burying us all. By forcing me to do the most heartbreaking thing he could ever have asked of me.
Part of me wished I was one of my sleeping pack, not the one standing there above them having to do the unthinkable.
My teeth sank deep into Kida's neck and a cub-like cry rolled over my tongue. Ulvic sobbed apologies behind me and I willed my body to stop, to turn around and take his life instead. How could he do this to us? Did he value himself so much more than the pack?
I dug my paws in as I moved to Emerico's sleeping form. I growled ferociously, pushing back, desperate to stop myself.
I'd rather die than this.
I willed my body to turn, but the collar was keeping me this way. I was trapped in hell. I'd take the games, the Helsings, anything over this.
My teeth found Emerico's throat, but I held back from landing the crushing blow, my jaw shaking with exertion.
Kill me now.
End this Ulvic. Let me die.
My canines sank deeper and I knew I'd never forget the moment it happened. The sickening crack and Emerico's body falling entirely limp between my jaws. I released him with the kind of pained whimper a dog gives out when it's kicked.
I shifted toward Nadine, lost, a dark acceptance filling me. She who had loved her pack fiercely, whose loyalty had perhaps surpassed all the others, who wanted nothing more than to find a mate and bring kids into the world. But now none of it mattered.
Nadine blinked, stirring, looking up at me and my heart crumbled at the sight. She took in what was happening, her eyes wide as she found Ulvic across the room.
“I'm s-sorry,” he offered her and I willed her to move.
Run.
I snapped my jaw in warning as she eyed the blood on me. But she was shaky, getting to her feet, the drug in her body keeping her weak.
I had her pinned to the floor in moments, but still I held back, her paws flailing beneath me.
Fight me off.
She pushed back, but not nearly enough as I bore down on her, taking her throat between my powerful jaws.
A click caught my ear, enough to distract me and her claws ripped down my muzzle. But still, I didn't let go, my jaw tensed to land the killing blow.
“Stop! Stop!” Ulvic cried and I released her in a wave, his hold over me ceasing.
I stumbled back, unable to face what I'd done, turning to Ulvic, finding him alone in the cabin. I didn't hesitate for a second, rushing at him, the sound of my pounding paws drumming through the air.
The Helsings were gone, the house painted red from their visit.
“Do not hurt me!” Ulvic commanded, cowering back into his seat, his legs drawn up.
I skidded to a halt, crazed with a fury unlike anything I'd ever known.
“Nor you,” he added, looking to Nadine over my shoulder.
I panted, stalking back and forth before him, desperate to get my revenge.
I'll rip you to shreds.
“I'm sorry...oh my dear Alpha.” He reached for me and I snapped my teeth close to his hand, warning him off. Not that I could hurt him now. But he complied anyway, withdrawing from me, looking like the pitiful excuse for a man he truly was.
Nadine howled suddenly and I turned, finding her nuzzling Emerico's body. Pain unleashed inside me. I couldn't bear to face it. I couldn't be there a moment longer. I charged out of the cabin, howling at the night sky and cursing Ulvic Hund for ever having brought us to this island.