Rivals of the Heart

Rivals of the Heart: ~ Chapter 5

"Think that you can handle it, boy, it's on

Just step into the danger zone

Shake it if you wanna roll, never bend,

Just take control, stakes are on."

- Poison by Nicole Scherzinger

***

I watched silently as the wolf sniffed the ground furiously in front of it, then dragged its noise lazily so it was positioned a mere foot or so away from edge of our border. It inhaled the grass in two short huffs, the action disrupting the slightly dew covered blades.

Question marks appeared in the mists of my mind, which was already buried deep into the task of trying to uphold my stealthy position, keep a rain-check on my inner lion and keep tabs on the wolf. Scratch that. Wolves. It was relatively easy to pin point the second, more inexperienced mutt that was marching through the fauna like an elephant on the move.

The wolf who was currently in plain view raised it's honey coloured mussel up to the air, sniffing the breeze that was continuing to travel downwind to me, overpowering my senses in a overly disgusting pong. I scrunched my nose but other than that remained like a statue frozen to the thick tree branch, wary that I would alert my presence to them.

Why were they here, I wondered to myself. If you want to obtain territory or to sneak up on an enemy, you do so with stealth, silence and numbers; not two pups whose ability to be silent is most likely equivalent to that of a baby. Zilch.

Granted, they are uncannily close to Brad's borders, and I don't think that they were sent here to parade around with out a motive. But sending only two is a little small for an attacking party, if that's what their intention was. So, scouts then?

A sharp bark came from behind the barrier of trees which I knew to be concealing the second wolf, before a light dirt brown mutt trotted over to the burlier golden one. The more experienced dog scowled, nodded and rocked his head subtlety towards the tree both Brad and I were concealing ourselves in.

I felt a growl swell in my chest but I hastily pushed it down. They knew at least one of us were here, and my common-scene reminded me that two minutes ago I wasn't the one vigorously sweating before wiping my scent all over a tree. So that might have been enough to discourage my scent and keep me hidden from them.

Still, if they intended to lay one paw on us they would have to cross the boundary linking our territory to theirs, and once they did I would have no objection to taking them down.

I heard Brad suddenly move from his position from behind the thick tree I was currently residing in. Instinctively I turned my head to gape at him in shock before I caught my movements halfway and stopped myself before I revealed myself. What on earth is he doing?

I almost groaned. Any element of surprise we could have used has now been thrown out the window with absolutely no regard, I though darkly, but keep my eyes intently trained on the wolves, in case they decided to make any sudden movements towards him.

The honey coloured wolf snarled lightly under his breath as Brad displayed himself and actually showed some intelligence by positioned himself under where I was stationed, a few branches above him.

The golden wolf's ears flicked backwards so they were flatted against his skull, a scowl evident on his wolven features. He shuddered once before he started to Shift, moulding into his human form.

My sharp Were eyes allowed me to see the mutt's human form in greater sharpness then I would have liked, and I averted my eyes to the wolf remaining in as a mutt . Not because I was embarrassed - having grown up in an all-male family has its disadvantages - but because I had a belief.