6 d..、，.. #MY_BLACK_KNIGHT d..、，..6
Happen 34
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
Theme: Saved At The Last
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~~~~~~~Eli’s POV~~~~~~~~~
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There are intruders from the Silver Woods Pack on our territory, I told
Gabriel, bracing myself for how he would respond. I was panting, having been running border patrol all day, but as soon as we’d caught the scent I knew I had to tell him.
For a second I thought I sensed a glimmer of emotion coming through our mind-link and I instantly knew why: Skylar. For a brief instant Gabriel had
probably hoped it was Skylar coming back, before he realized I would have called her out by name.
Who? He demanded coolly, all vestiges of emotion vanished. He had a
prominent distaste for her pack as a whole, I knew, and it would be worse when he found out exactly who had come to visit.
There’s no mistaking it. The scent is very faint so they must have just
crossed our border but it’s distinctive. It’s got to be their Alpha. There are three others with him.
Their ALPHA is trespassing on our territory?
Gabriel snapped and I winced, detecting the simmering anger there. If an
Alpha from an enemy pack was crossing without permission that could only
mean one thing.
Yes, Alpha.
There was a snarl in his voice as he spoke again. I’ll be right there. Rendezvous with me at the fringe of the forest.
—
By the time we met up with Gabriel, I knew that the intruders would be
quite far into our territory. The thought made me uneasy. Something must have happened to set the other Alpha off, I thought. He had never dared infringe upon our territory before.
We ran as fast as we could, all in Wolf form, as the overpowering scent
continued to waft towards us on the breeze. Judging the trajectory, we
made a rough estimate of where we would intercept them and continued in that direction. Running along next to the Alpha I couldn’t help but feel
concerned. Surely it wouldn’t have anything to do with Skylar, would it?
His Wolf would know if something happened to their Mate, my own Wolf said calmly. As usual, though, I felt his pang of sadness as he spoke of
Mates. We had yet to find ours and we were long past eighteen, although younger than Gabriel, who hadn’t found Skylar until he was twenty-five.
I hope so, was all I responded. At this distance Gabriel could only feel
Skylar’s pain if it was severe, like when the vampires bit her. He hadn’t really felt anything so she had to be okay, I tried to assure myself.
We continued on and the scent steadily intensified. I could see Gabriel’s fur standing up, and I knew it must have infuriated him that someone dared
trespass. He was a very proud and unforgiving Alpha, after all. The other Alpha didn’t stand a chance.
Soon enough we had emerged onto open land, the trees’ shade neglecting us to be replaced by rocky hills and scraggly grass. We stopped just out
onto the open land, the trees still circling behind us and to our immediate left, while the rocky plains stretched out ahead and disappeared into a
fringe of forest in the far distance. Gabriel told us to Shift back into human form and get dressed while we awaited the intruders. We weren’t exactly
sure of the other Alpha’s intention, but it was customary for Alphas to
address each other in their human bodies unless they decided to fight.
It didn’t take long for Skylar’s pack members to arrive. They burst out of the forest far ahead of us, already having Shifted back into humans. They
approached at a rapid pace while we waited, tensed in defensive stances
although it was not werewolf custom to attack another pack without
exchanging words first. Their Alpha, Brett as I thought I’d heard him called in Meetings previously, was at the forefront. Three other werewolves were spread behind him, all muscular and imposing.
We had the same numbers, then. I would normally have stayed behind to watch the pack but, since I’d already been out on patrol and caught the
scent, Gabriel had allowed me to tag along. Vincent was normally present at Gabriel’s side but he was overseeing the pack for the brief time we were gone. Not that it mattered; the intruders were so far onto our land by now that we weren’ta terribly far distance away from the pack village.
As they grew closer, the look on the Alpha Brett’s face was unmistakable: pure, unfiltered rage and loathing. Something must have happened to set him off. His eyes burned with such ferocity that I highly doubted Gabriel
would get out of here without a fight, not that he wanted to. If Alpha Brett trespassed on his territory and challenged Gabriel, the two would battle.
Whichever wolf won would be within their rights to kill the other. It was the nature of Alphas to be harsh and unforgiving. The custom was one of our more primitive ones, but we had animals inside of us, Wolves that refused to bow to human morals. Killing was natural among Alphas. Survival of the fittest, as they said.
The group of intruders finally stopped, several yards away from us, staring us down angrily, Alpha Brett angriest of all. He was trembling and I was
surprised he was even controlling himself. He had the look of a madman.
“Why are you here?” Gabriel asked, a growling undertone in his deep voice. “You,” the other Alpha snarled, balling his hands into fists. The veins stood out along his arms. “Those…those f**king monsters are here because of
you!”
For a split second Gabriel looked taken aback, and I saw a flicker of betrayal cross his features. So Skylar had told her pack then, I thought. I wondered if she’d had a choice? She didn’t seem the type to just blurt out secrets like
that. In the Black Mountains Pack, I was the only one who knew everything about Gabriel’s history. I had been Commanded to never tell anyone about his heritage. I’d been glad when Gabriel told me he’dfinally confessed
everything to his Mate.
“That doesn’t give you any right to trespass,” was Gabriel’s cool response, although I could see anger rising in his dark eyes.
“I have EVERY RIGHT! I should have done this a long time ago. You’ve
abused your power far too much,” came the Alpha Brett’s snarling reply. “I should kill you for your disrespect,” Gabriel snapped. His Wolf was likely not taking kindly to the power struggle.
“I’d like to see you try! My daughter is DEAD, you soulless bastard. Dead
because of you and Skylar!” I blinked in shock at the revelation. The wolves behind Alpha Brett shifted, looking pained as the topic was brought up.
Gabriel tensed up, looking murderous. “Leave Skylar out of this, ” he
growled dangerously. If he was surprised to hear the Alpha’s daughter was dead, he didn’t show it. Knowing him, he didn’t care.
*
Hall Of Supernatural Stories
*
Alpha Brett laughed, the sound coming out distorted and cruel. “Too late. If she wasn’t such a spineless liar, none of this would ever have happened.”
A furious snarl erupted from Gabriel’s chest. His fury was so palpable that my Wolf winced and shied away from his Alpha power. I saw the other two werewolves in our pack flinch as their Wolves did the same; I noticed
uncertainty on the faces of Alpha Brett’swarriors.
“I swear if you f**king touch her-“
“She’s in MY pack! I will punish her how I see fit! She’s practically a traitor anyways, thinking that you’re worthy of any sort of forgiveness. She
deserves to be exiled,” Alpha Brett seethed.
Gabriel leapt forward in a blur of motion, coming to stop directly in front of Alpha Brett. The two Alphas radiated power, standing mere feet apart,
Gabriel a couple inches taller. I, knowing Gabriel’s full heritage, could see that Alpha Brett had no chance despite his fury.
“And you deserve to have your throat ripped out. I will tell you one last
time: leave. Her. Out. Of. This. You will not harm a hair on her head!” Gabriel leaned closer he spoke, growling. There was a Command in Gabriel’stone
as he spoke the last words, and I saw Alpha Brett take a step back, gritting his teeth as his Wolf bowed to Gabriel’s Command. I knew that because of Gabriel’s blood he could Command other Alphas, but it was still
disconcerting to watch as Alpha Brett’s veins stood out, his face turning red as he vainly fought the order and failed.
“This is the last time I will ask you. Why are you here?” Despite Gabriel’s obvious anger, he had to obey the formalities. If Alpha Brett was
challenging him, it was customary to say it outright. At this point I didn’t think the intruding Alpha gave a damn about tradition, but Gabriel would follow it to retain the respect from us, his pack.
Alpha Brett stood upright, baring his teeth as he spoke the words and
confirmed our suspicions. “I, Alpha Brett, the Alpha of the Silver Woods
Pack, challenge you and all of your rights as Alpha of the Black Mountains Pack herein.” The words normally ended there, or at least I thought they
did, as I’d never seen anyone challenge Gabriel before. Brett, however,
recklessly continued, “I think you are weak and pathetic, hiding behind your Commands and your brain-washed pack. Your actions against my pack are despicable and you don’t deserve to live. You-“
But Alpha Brett never got to finish. In a movement quicker than lightning that even Alpha Brett couldn’t prevent, Gabriel struck him with a powerful punch that sent him flying, rolling into the dust. Alpha Brett turned over, snarling, and then began to Shift, clothes ripping. Gabriel had time to
quickly strip his clothes off before he transformed into the midnight-black Wolf he was notorious for.
The two wolves circled each other, teeth bared and haunches high. Gabriel was bigger than Alpha Brett’s grey wolf, although not by much. The sheer force of their Alpha dominance was overwhelming and the rest of us
backed away, our Wolves intimidated. We were mostly there as witnesses or back-up if the other Pack broke customs and attacked, while it was
supposed to be a one-on-one fight. By the looks of the Silver Woods pack warriors, they had no intention of attacking Gabriel.
Menacing growls erupted from the Alphas’ throats. With a snarl, Brett leapt at Gabriel, but Gabriel dodged easily and came to circle around him. Alpha Brett, in his furious anger, attacked again. Gabriel continued to dodge and the dance continued, Brett never landing a single blow. Brett moved very
fast,fast enough that I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with him. That being said, he wasn’t enough to take on Gabriel. Even I could see that
Gabriel was toying with him, tiring him out. Gabriel knew he was the
stronger fighter but he wanted to humiliate the Alpha that had trespassed
on Black Mountains Pack territory, and it was even worse because Brett had insulted Skylar.
*
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
*
After Brett lunged, quicker than lightning, Gabriel twisted around and
sidestepped, sinking his teeth into Brett’s haunch as he did so. The grey
wolf howled in pain and backed away, snarling. It got considerably more
violent from there as the two wolves lunged simultaneously, connecting
with a mighty roar. The two began to rapidly exchange blows almost faster than the eye could see. From what I could tell, though, Gabriel was easily
overpowering Brett in every exchange. The grey wolf howled in pain as a
gash was opened on his thigh, followed by one on his upper back. Gabriel’s face was a mask of snarling fury and sharp teeth as he continued to let into the other Alpha. Judging by the cries of pain increasing in frequency, he
was holding nothing back.
Watching them, I knew just what was going to happen. Skylar’s Alpha was a goner.
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~~~~~~Skylar’s POV~~~~~
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I was exhausted. Luckily, my Wolf had incredible strength, because my
human form would have passed out long ago. I had run all through the
afternoon only stopping for water, no food, because I just didn’t have the time. There were leaves and twigs stuck to my light silver fur and my paws were caked with mud but I paid no regard.
I had to hold on to the hope that I could stop Gabriel from killing Alpha
Brett. I knew there was a very slim chance, because when one Alpha
challenged another, it was usually a fight to the death. Alphas were proud and did not forgive. It was their animalistic nature to kill their rivals. And Gabriel was considered one of the cruelest of all.
Half an hour ago the scent had gotten increasingly fresher and I knew I was
getting close. I had long since passed into Gabriel’s territory but no wolf had come to stop me yet; perhaps they were all focused on the more
prominent trespassers. Or maybe they recognized my scent. Either way, I was nearing the edge of the forest, and I couldn’t help the sense of
preoccupation that struck me. This preoccupation worsened when I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder that wasn’t mine, indicating that Gabriel must have been bitten. I winced, briefly breaking stride as the simmering pain slowly faded, only to be replaced by another in my hind leg.
Was I too late? I had run recklessly all day and I thought I had gained some ground on them. But I would have noticed the broken mind-link if Brett
were dead, and the pain I felt from Gabriel only indicated minor wounds; I probably only felt it because I was getting so close to him. Growling my
frustration, I pushed my paws to go faster. My Wolf, excited at seeing her Mate and wanting to protect her Alpha if she could, complied. My muscles burned but I streaked through the forest at a breakneck pace.
Only when I heard the sounds of snarling fighting did I alter direction,
deciding to follow the line of trees until I was as close as possible to the
battle. I could use the element of surprise to my advantage, perhaps startle Gabriel enough that I could buy sometime. While my lack of faith in my
own Alpha would be disconcerting to some, I somehow just knew that Brett would lose. He had no chance.
And then I saw them through a break in the trees. What I observed made my blood run cold and my heart almost stop, but I could not be surprised, because it was exactly what I expected.
Alpha Brett, in wolf form was on the rocky ground, battered and broken, blood oozing out of numerous open wounds. It looked like several of his
bones were shattered. Gabriel stood over him, fur standing on end,
snarling. Gabriel’s injuries were barely visible. As I watched, sprinting
through the forest parallel to the group, my Mate jerked his head and sunk his teeth into Alpha Brett’s side, ripping his skin open. Then he withdrew,
only to leap to Brett’s other side and do the same thing. Alpha Brett was too weak to retaliate, only able to cry out in pain as he beating continued.
Gabriel, my Mate, was basically torturing and humiliating my Alpha, and it honestly scared me. I had never seen such a dark side to him in person and I recoiled from his brutality as he closed his jaws in on Brett’s hind leg,
crushing it. My Wolf whimpered, not liking the sight of our Mate in his cruelest form.
I was near the edge of the trees now immediately beside the group of
werewolves. I felt fear strike my heart as I realized what I was about to do,
what I had to do. Gabriel was circling Alpha Brett slowly. His stance was
menacing. My heart was struck with fear as I realized that Gabriel was going to do it now, he was going to kill my Alpha.
I couldn’t let that happen. It would tear our packs up beyond hope, and I realized that was what Cain wanted . He didn’t need his enemies uniting. Hell, he had probably killed Anne predicting something like this would
happen!
So, for the first time in a very longtime, I acted without thinking it through. I exploded from the trees a scant few yards from the group. Gabriel was still circling near Brett, letting him suffer, but prepared to deliver the killing
blow. I did the unthinkable. I tensed my body and leapt, putting every ounce of strength into my lunge, sailing over the heads of the nearest wolves as they turned to gape at me.
Gabriel, intent on killing his foe, noticed my presence at the last instant. I saw a glint of his eyes, cold and unforgiving, flash to me. He was in the
middle of the battle, about to kill his rival, and I recognized nothing of him in his Wolf’s orbs. He was lost in his animalistic nature. I knew what I was
doing had probably never been done. It was unthinkable to interrupt an
Alpha’s fight; if I did so, the Alpha had every right to kill me, too. But it was what I had to risk. I had to hope he realized who I was before he let is Wolf annihilate me for interrupting the battle.
I landed somewhat unsteadily near the two and I quickly sidled forward,
placing myself in the small space between Alpha Brett’s prone figure and
my Mate. Gabriel snarled furiously at being interrupted in the middle of his kill. I looked up, trying not to cower as I made eye contact with Gabriel, who was approaching me slowly and menacingly.
He doesn’t know us! He doesn’t recognize us! I whimpered internally. His Wolf has taken over, we interrupted an Alpha’s fight, what were we
thinking?
He has to know us, my Wolf responded, although she seemed unsure. It was much easier for an Alpha to lose himself in his Wolf than it would be for me. Perhaps his Angelic side would actually come in handy here.
All eyes, except Alpha Brett’s, were fixated on the two of us. I crouched low,
acting submissive, praying my Mate would come to his senses. It would be much easier if we had already Mated but as it was, the bond was still
tenuous. All I knew was I had to keep my figure in front of Alpha Brett, whose breathing was labored and unsteady.
Gabriel halted suddenly, his growls ceasing. He appeared to be having an internal battle. I saw confusion flicker across his eyes along with inner
turmoil. After a few tension-filled seconds, I saw what I had been looking for most: recognition…which was quickly followed by incredulity.
My Mate straightened and continued to walk towards me, even more
slowly this time, until his snout was less than a foot from mine. My Wolf
wanted to curl up against him, seek comfort from his black fur, but I held her back. The pull was still very strong but I could manage; I wasn’t sure
what was going through Gabriel’s head right now. His eyes as a Wolf were much more expressive than when he was human, but I couldn’t be sure.
Gabriel whined, very softly, and I winced at the pain apparent in his
expression. He had wanted me to come back, but clearly realized I had
done so only for my Alpha. His eyes flickered to Brett as if remembering he
was there, and then back to me. He seemed to be struggling with himself as if he didn’t know whether to follow the Wolf’s instinct or listen to me, his
Mate.
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#Tobecontinued……..
_ _-Agboola-_ _