misplaced || l. valdez

27 || a man with a wolf-sona attacks us because he doesn't like tofu

° ~ •. ♆ chapter twenty-seven ♆ .• ~ °
"a man with a wolf-sona attacks us because he doesn't like tofu"

"Wolves." Piper said. "They sound close."

Jason rose and summoned his sword. Leo, Mari, and Coach hedge got to their feet too. Piper tried, blinking in confusion.

"Stay there." Jason said. "We'll protect you."

Just outside the firelight at the entrance of the cave, she saw a pair of red eyes glowing in the dark.

More wolves edged into the firelight— black beasts bigger than Great Danes, with ice and snow caked on their fur. Their fangs gleamed, and their glowing red eyes looked disturbingly intelligent. The wolf in front was almost as tall as a horse, his mouth stained as if he'd just made a fresh kill.

Mari kept her sword steady, holding it at eye level.

Jason stepped forward. "Quid vis? Non vimus pugnare."

To her surprise, Mari could understand almost every word. However, she didn't think a human language would have much effect on a wolf. But the alpha wolf curled his lip. The fur stood up along his spine. One of his lieutenants tried to advance, but the alpha wolf snapped at his ear. Then all of the wolves backed into the dark.

"Dude what was that?" Leo asked. "Latin? What did you even say?"

"He asked them what they wanted." Mari said, her eyes trained on the mouth of the cave. "He told them that we didn't want a fight."

"How— how did you even—" Piper started, but Hedge interrupted her.

"Well, it wasn't enough. Look."

The wolves were coming back, but the alpha wolf wasn't with them. They didn't attack. They waited— at least a dozen now, in a rough semicircle just outside the firelight, blocking the cave exit.

The coach hefted his club. "Here's the plan. I'll kill them all, and you guys escape."

"Coach, they'll rip you apart." Piper said.

"Nah, I'm good."

Then Mari saw the silhouette of a man coming through the storm, wading through the wolf pack.

"Stick together." Jason said. "They respect a pack. And Hedge, no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind."

Mari faltered, her sword lowering a bit. She quickly regained her composure, trying to cover her fear with fake confidence.

The wolves parted, and the man stepped into the firelight. His hair was greasy and ragged, the color of fireplace soot, topped with a crown of what looked like finger bones. His robes were tattered fur— wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others Mari couldn't identify. The furs didn't look cured, and from the smell, they weren't very fresh. His frame was lithe and muscular, like a distance runner's. But the most horrible thing was his face. His thin pale skin was pulled tight over his skull, his teeth sharpened like fangs. His eyes glowed bright red like his wolves'— and they fixed on Jason with absolute hatred.

"Ecce," he said."filli Romani."

"Speak English, wolf man!" Hedge bellowed.