Wolf Winter

Chapter 8

There was no escaping it. The fact was real. Right in front of my eyes, from where I was hidden, I saw the black and deep brown scarred female from my dreams, snarling at Mother - her eyes full of the hunger to kill. Just like Holly's eyes had been when she had gone for the kill on Lupin...

"Give it up, Layla!" snarled Adeline. Yes, I knew her name from my dreams. "You can't keep her hidden from me forever! Her fate is inevitable! You hear me?! Inevitable!"

I saw my Mother stalk closer to Adeline, her neck fur up on end and her entire body blocking Adeline's view of the den. Luckily, I was in a corner that couldn't been seen from outside the den.

"She's not going to end up like her real parents, Adeline!" Mother growled back, her tail tip twitching and raised in aggression. "You already killed my friends, and now you want to kill the last bit of Alpha Lily - that pup's mother - that I have left?! Not going to happen - not while I'm still breathing!"

"Then let me take your breath away!" snarled Adeline, then leapt for my mother's throat.

I was stunned - wasn't she my real mother? Suddenly, I saw a black shape around the same size as me, enter the den stealthily. I knew who it was and I wasn't prepared for a round two. The first time had been only when she had threatened my friend and not me. This time; I knew that she was going to kill me if she had the chance - either that or if Adeline won the fight with.... my mother I guessed at the time... then she would kill me and the White Wolf wouldn't be able to save me a second time - if that was who I really was. I kept my claws in my paws and backed deeper into the darkness as best as I could; desperate to hide myself from Holly.

"You might as well come out now, Demi!" cried Holly, laughing a little. "There's no way out of this one - and there's none of your new friends to save you this time!" I didn't reply; that would lead to her finding me. She was searching the right hand side of the den; so I had a little bit of time to take notice of what was going on outside. Mother, just as I looked at her, broke away from Adeline's grasp and she pushed the scarred female's body to the ground; leaving the underbelly exposed. Adeline managed to kick her off and the two of them began circling again. Holly was using her nose now, but I couldn't make a dash out the front entrance - if I did, it would've resulted in both Holly and Adeline chasing me down and I would've been dead in seconds.

Instead, I went inside the emergency back entrance and waited for her to search the place that I had been in. I saw Adeline launch herself at my mother again and she managed to pin her to the ground. Adeline managed to get a damaging bite on my mother's shoulder but my mother wasn't going to give up so easily. She pushed Adeline off and suddenly, rage filled her eyes - I could see it from the back entrance. She went crazy on Adeline, giving her several deep wounds to the chest, ears and face. Holly was suddenly, coming back the way she had come - she must've noticed the hole in the wall. I scurried through the back entrance until I came to the open space, then I began running.

"I've got you now, Demi!" howled Holly, giving chase after me once she had come out the tunnel. I ran as fast as my paws could take me; not once daring to look back or stop.

I could hear her heavy breathing and I could feel the hunger for my blood in the air - if I stopped I doubt that I would've survived a second round. However; something forced me to stop. At the end of the trail, a sheer rock face blocked my way forward and I was forced to skid to a stop. I turned to run back the way I had come but I could see a Holly's distant black figure coming at me; I couldn't run left, there were thick brambles and I couldn't run right because of a huge log blocking the way. But I didn't want to run towards Holly - so I ran the way where the log was and I tried to jump it. But, ultimately, I failed to jump even half the height of the log.

I couldn't do anything now; I had got myself cornered. Or so I thought; Holly was right in front of me and as she crouched down to pounce and land a killing blow; I leaped over the top of her and ran for the brambles. But she managed to catch up with me and managed to run ahead of me and forced me to run towards the impossibly huge rock face.

Here, she began stalking towards me; preparing herself to leap at me. I was trapped; it didn't matter if I could've got away - I was exhausted from the run and there was nowhere to run to.

I prepared myself for my fate..