Devious Claws

Chapter Eleven

It was still pretty dark, but it was clearly early morning. I was on the factory floor amongst the machines still. The fire had turned into a pile of smoking ashes and I had on a thick leather jacket that I didn't remember falling asleep in. My mouth was dry and my eyes barely peeled open. I couldn't seem to place exactly what had woken me up.

Then I heard it.

Above my head, its breath moving small strands of my hair, was a wolf. I knew it. I could feel it. Smell it. Hear it.

And I realized I was alone around the fire.

My eyes went to a rock half-buried within the ashes. It was close, but was it close enough? Was it wise to make a move for it or better to stay still?

"Cindy!"

Luke's voice was heaven sent. I pushed myself off the ground, gunning for the rock. My hand shot through the ashes, wrapping around the hot stone. I swung around, aimed, and sent it barreling towards the large animal.

And it landed right in Eros' face.

I had been right, it was a wolf, but it took me only a second to recognize it. And during that second, the rock fell from his face and hit the floor with a clink!.

Yellow eyes met mine.

Then brown ones.

"Holy shit," Luke said from behind Eros, nervously eyeing his sharp claws. "What are you doing!?"

"I'm sorry-- I thought..."

"Nevermind, we don't have time. They're here, the bad guys. We gotta go!" As Luke spoke, Eros lowered himself. Was it just me or did he look a bit murderous as I neared? The rock laid in front of his nose.

"They're here? Why didn't you wake me?!"

Giving Eros' a quick apologetic grimace, I swung myself onto his back. It didn't feel any less surreal this time, but now I was more scared of the intruders than the beast beneath me. The warehouse was silent, and I noticed Eros' men were gone.

Luke got on behind me, giving a nervous laugh as Eros rose to his feet. "That balm must've really knocked you out, we've been trying to get you to wake for a while now."

I didn't respond. We'd quickly exited the factory floor and were now in the courtyard. Eros' paws tapped against the cement. It wasn't as cold as it had been the other days, but the icey ground served as a reminder that Christmas was nearing. Just like last time, I held on tight as Eros' picked up speed. I realised he was heading for the wall. Luke's arms wrapped around my stomach so tightly I could hardly breathe but I still made sure to lower myself, holding on to the fur between Eros' shoulder blades. His massive size still made me slightly bewildered.

Eros flew over the wall with ease.

Luke and I struggled a bit more, clinging to his back.

"I'm going to be sick," Luke said in my ear. "We're going too fast."

It wasn't many seconds before we'd reached the forest, and just as I expected us to crash into the tightly knit trees, we dove into a small opening between two pines. Suddenly, the industrial area seemed worlds away. We were definitely off-road, jumping across rocks and dodging tree trunks, but Eros moved surprisingly swift for his size. I couldn't see the sky anymore, the trees reaching upwards and clasping their branches together, and the field was nowhere in sight.

When a second large beast joined our side, I at first thought it was one of Eros' men. Our surroundings were blurred but the wolf kept up despite looking quite scrappy. A disturbed feeling settled in my gut just before it snapped its jaws at me - its snarl was menacing enough to make me scream in fear.

I didn't have time to do much before a brown wolf came up behind the scrappy one, pouncing and biting its neck in half.

Our distance grew from the others once more and the mess of fur and blood got lost in my peripheral.

"I guess that was the bad guy," Luke murmured in my ear but he sounded a bit queasy.

When we came to a large rock sprouting from the snowy moss, Eros finally stopped. He lowered himself but that didn't help Luke much who slid down, subsequently staggered to his feet and threw up. I wasn't too steady myself, but I managed to keep myself contained, staring up at the trees. Behind me, I heard bones snapping as I knew Eros was transforming.

A hand was placed to my shoulder.

Eros searched my eyes. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," I lied - badly.

"We were ambushed at the factory, must've tracked us, it was paramount that we left immediately."

"We're fine."

Luke hurled.

"We'll keep going. Alpha Alheesa is a few days away. You'll be on my back, Luke will be on Rafe's."

On cue, a large, grey wolf joined us on the rock. He had a nasty gash across his face, healed improperly with scarred tissue cutting through the fur. His breathing was erratic, his paws trampling restlessly on the moss. He was smaller than Eros was as a wolf, but the somewhat feral look in his eyes more than made up for it.

Luke looked incredibly pale. "I'll be with Rafe?"

"Yes. Now go. There's no time to waste."

"Alright..." Luke neared Rafe, stretching out a hand. Sweating. He jumped a bit as the wolf sprung closer. "Good doggy."

Despite his looks, Rafe let Luke get on and, not missing a beat, then shot off. I watched them go, then released a breath. Once again I felt the sinking sense of isolation there in the woods. It wasn't my playing field - at all - and I was in the mercy of Eros and his men.

"You ready, Cindy?"

"I saw that wolf die. One of your guys killed it."

"Yes," Eros said with a small grimace. "You shouldn't have to see that."

"But you're not sorry that he's dead."

"I'm afraid to say that you will have to grow accustomed to it. Many will die before this is over." He got closer. Too close. His hand was still on my shoulder. "But you won't be one of them. I'll keep you safe."

"Among werewolves? How?" I admittedly snapped, growing nervous by how close - and alone - we were.

"I'll have to make you smell like one of us before we get to Alpha Alheesa."

Eros suddenly grabbed my hair, sweeping it over my shoulder. He pulled the collar of the jacket down, revealing my neck to the elements. He lowered his face. I felt his nose swipe across my skin.

He drew a deep breath.

"Yes. You smell too human." Despite his words it seemed he couldn't stop himself from inhaling one more time as he drew back. "Like a woman - a human woman."

"And how," I trailed, my voice a bit too breathy, "will you make me smell like one of you?"

"I'll find a way."

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A/N
Lessgooo!