The Enforcer

Part 3 - Chapter Thirty-Three

Blood.

There was something very particular about the taste and smell of it. It was like rust, but different. Rust made your nose wrinkle when you smelt it, like when you touched a rusty tap you could almost taste that rust. But blood...it was slightly different. It might be grosser than rust, yet that metallic smell was somehow addictive.

Rust didn't make you feel things. Rust didn't make you angry, sad or vulnerable. Rust wasn't the life and death.

But the semi lukewarm liquid in my wolf's mouth was the difference. The difference between the whimpering before silence, difference between the stillness after thrashing for someone's life. The difference to what made me feel even worse as a human, or a wolf.

When I felt his body go limp, my wolf finally let go of him, and she felt no remorse.

Yet every bone and feeling in my body felt for him, felt more for Cameron than I had for my own brother. And the pain, at the back of my throat told me that this backstab meant more to me than anything ever would. Was I sorry he was dead? Yeah.

But would I take it back? Not when it concerned Noel.

Noel.

I tried to take control of my wolf, call her back to me as she turned around heading towards her injured mate and Noel. She had a mind of her own as he prowled towards the boy, casting a look at Hercules on the ground. He also seemed a bit doubtful, that look in his eyes as my wolf neared them. Hercules reached for Neol but froze when she snarled at him.

A look that told me that he didn't trust her, no more than I did. But she was strong, and her willpower was even more.

My wolf felt an arm against her neck, Hercules' hand trying to almost tell her it was close enough, but when was that ever going to stop her. She pushed past his arm nearing Noel till she was only a breath away. Noel didn't move, he must have thought it was me. It might have also been the first time he had seen me like this, the only other one would have been my mum and she never shifted unless she had to.

"Hill?" Noel's soft voice asked.

My wolf took half a step forward and my heart stopped when she opened my mouth, but instead of her razor sharp teeth, her tongue slipped out giving the side of his face a lick. I shuddered hoping he couldn't smell the blood in her mouth. She gave him another gentle lick before crouching down, half on Hercules letting him carry half her weight.

I felt another hand on her fur, Hercules giving her a little scratch, something she didn't mind too much.

I could hear a scream in the distance, but I was distracted by her nuzzling Noel as he wrapped his hands around me, or her, thinking it was me. I could almost feel his body against mine.

"Ilargia!"

My wolf turned towards the sharp female, a threat, but instantly calmed when it was my mum running in, with just a shirt covering over her.

"Oh god, thank god you guys are ok."

She rushed towards us, my wolf stepping aside as she reached for Noel, "Oh baby, are you ok?"

She turned her attention towards Hercules, who was handling the pain better than he was showing it, she leaned over inspecting his wound. "We need to get you to the house, I'll get my kit. We need to get out of here the water has risen," she said, and I realised that it was up to her calf now.

My wolf leaned over sniffing Hercules' wound, only just realising the trace of silver.

"I'm okay," he said.