In a Heartbeat (MxM)

Chapter 59

I could feel my wolf pacing, raring to be released to attack them, but it was two versus three. We had to play this smart. One of the wolves lunged forward, but Simon snarled louder. I stalked forward letting out a growl as well.

I told you to keep running, he chided.

You can't fight them all on your own.

He snapped his head toward me for a second, before eyeing the rogues again. I've dealt with rogues before. I'm more capable than you think.

We held our ground, until finally one of the rogues lunged forward, and flashed their canines as they rushed towards Simon. Maybe it had been instincts, the bond, or my wolf, but I was quick to respond, I jumped in front to grab the assailant's neck, yanked them away from Simon's reach. The other wolves surged forward, one rushed towards Simon, while the other tackled me from behind. Still keeping a firm grip on the first wolf, I tried bucking the other wolf off my back as their teeth reached for the back of my neck. As I squeezed the first rogue's neck tighter until I could feel blood pooling in my mouth, their thrashing slowly subsiding. I flung the wolf to the side as I tried to get a visual on Simon.

Still, with the other wolf attached to my neck, I spotted Simon, surprisingly holding his own. The wolf that had lunged him was injured, a nasty wound on their side, their right ear bloody. They were dancing around each other, growling at each other as Simon remained practically unscathed. I kept bucking the other wolf off me until finally I preened my head to the side and managed to grip their shoulder. Clenching down, their hold on my neck loosened as a loud yelp escaped them. After I adjusted my stance and put less pressure on my injured leg I released my hold and gripped their neck, and incapacitated the wolf just like I had the first.

By the time I got the horrid iron taste out of my mouth and turned to check on Simon, he had already incapacitated the one that had rushed him.

He seemed to be in a trance as he stared at the rogues, his ears still held back. You alright? W-was that your first time... 

Killing a rogue, I nearly said.

It was like a switch gone off as he turned towards me. We need to go. There will be more.

I blinked, unsure if he really was okay. He stalked towards me, nudging my side again. He continued, there's a river nearby. If we follow it, there's a cave that should provide us enough shelter until we can get the betas organized.

I hummed in agreement as we picked up a pace again. We ran towards a more sloped part of the forest, where the ground was a bit more uneven, but with fewer bushes. With the river in sight, we slowed down our pace. The foliage was sparse here, which meant we had to be careful about being spotted.

That wasn't my first time, he finally answered as we broke past the tree line, staring straight ahead as if still in a trance. Hurting a wolf like that.

I came to a stop to look at him, as he weaved through the trees down the slope. His life as a rogue was still but a mystery to me; it hadn't dawned on me that that was even a possibility. For rogues, things like this were normal: fighting for survival, no land to call your own, the potential for death at every turn. What else had he done to just survive?

As we approached the river banks, I struggled to remain standing. My legs were burning from all the running, but it seemed we had lost most of the wolves. Simon glanced around, seemingly fine from all the running, as he checked the tree lines before looking up at me.

You think we lost them? I asked.

It's only a matter of time before they find us, the snow isn't strong enough to hide our scents.