The Safe Haven

Crimson

America's pov
☆°•☆•°☆

"Fluffball," I pecked his cheek. The alpha only buried himself deeper in the blankets. "Do you want to join Ursa and me on a little hunting trip? It'll probably be more of an observational outing, but still," my voice was soft. My mate only growled unpleasantly into the furs.
"What was that, Russ?"
He turned to me. "I'll be a few minutes behind. I might sneak attack Ms. Ursa Major." He smiled at the thought of terrorizing his daughter.
"Don't be mean!" I hit his arm playfully.
Russia sat up, looking at me with a cocky grin painted on his face. "You have no idea what my father did to me when growing up. He wanted to get me tough fast."
"And how did he do that?" I crossed my arms.
"Oh you know, fighting Finland, throwing me into lakes to learn how to swim, making me catch my food ever since I was six."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Wow. I can't imagine how tough that was. It's not like I had to fend for myself for as long as I can remember. You are lucky I made it past five."
"I am very lucky." He looked at me with blown eyes before giving me an innocent kiss.

"Get going! I'm sure Ursa is at the door pacing like a wild animal," my fluffball laughed as we departed.

Ursa giggled as she bounded through the snow.
"Ursie!" I yelled in a hushed voice, "We are supposed to be hunting the rabbits. Not playing with them." She only continued to giggle and frolck through the white snow. Her wolf form was a lot like mine, but instead of the black species on a white pelt, they were more like thin black stripes on her back. I shook my head and smiled at my daughter. As much as I hope she wouldn't grow up, here she is. Quite the lovely child.

Ugh. Why am I so thirsty now? We aren't even an hour into our session. "Ursa, do you want to come with me to get water or stay here and observe the surroundings?" I gave her the options. She mauled it over for a second before deciding to stay.

"Okay. I'll be back in less than five minutes, and in that time I want you to observe and report back to me 30 different things that you can use to identify this place." She nodded and I trotted off into the woods.
Once I was at the little hot spring Russia took me to all of that time ago, I transformed into my normal "human" form. This is where we decided to pursue our romantic relationship and set boundaries. It seems like it was years ago and yesterday at the same time.
I smiled as I recalled the memories and took a drink from the warm water.

A cry for help screeched through the air and my body froze at the familiar voice.
"Ursa!" I yelled my daughter's name as I dropped everything and transformed into the speckled pelt wolf and bolted towards my daughter's pled for help.
I saw her small frame crouched and shaking in front of the large wolf.

I lunged in front of my daughter to protect her from the familiar red wolf.
"America, it's been a while, no?"
I growled at the sorry excuse of a living being.
His eyes were narrowed and his pupils were like pins. A tell-tale sign that they are up to no good.
"It doesn't have to end like this, China," I said cautiously.
He started to circle us, I always put myself between him and my kin. His maniac gaze focused on me.

The larger wolf only chuckled in response, "Oh but it does, my sweet. You see, not only did you reject me, you decided to rub it in my face when that idiot got you pregnant. And that thing is a product of your 'love'." China continued after letting out a frustrated growl directed at my young child, "Now I have to get rid of it so I can have you." He flicked his bushy tail.

I barred my teeth and growled at him, "Over my dead body."
China looked me dead in the eyes and said, "So be it."

He crouched down and lunged at me. Years of training sharpened my reflexes and I dodged his attack.
"Find your father!" I demanded my daughter. She stood still, frozen in fear.
"But-" I cut her off.
"Go!" I yelled, swiping at China's face. I looked back at my daughter to find her scrambling up the hill. This caught the larger wolf's attention too. He ran after her, I quickly caught up to China and tackled him into the white snow.

He quickly turned his attention back to me. He pushed me off with ease. I got up quickly and dodged his first attack, but then I felt sharp claws rake against my eye. I bit his front leg hard enough to hear a crunch. He bit at my cheek and I let go.
I growled at him and panted heavily while circling each other.
"If you'd just come with me, this would all end," China stated, smirking like a wolf. Blood ran down his shoulders from when I tackled him and he was trying his best not to limp on his ruined leg.
"Why can't we part ways like normal people," I sighed.
China chuckled, "We aren't normal people, omega."

I growled at China once again but my nose picked up a familiar scent that I could depend on.

"Russ-" I made the mistake of turning my back on the man trying to kill me as I attempted to call out to my mate.

Pain erupted in my shoulders as I was thrown onto my back. I couldn't yell out because China's pearly, sharp teeth sunk themselves into my neck. My eyes widened as the copper taste of my own blood filled my mouth.
China pulled away with my blood smeared all over his mouth. The red wolf licked the blood off his lips while staring into my eyes. My own blood dribbled from his chin.
"Goodbye, my sweet," he purred, then walked away like nothing ever happened.

Like he didn't rip open his friend's throat.

My body lost its energy to maintain its wolf form.

I drew my hand to my neck, then pulled it back to reveal crimson fingers.
My hand became shaky the longer I stared at it. My vision darkened around the edges too. I put my arm down and looked up at the sky.

So I guess this is it.

This is how my story ends.

My eyes drew heavy as the only thing that I could feel was the warm blood leaking from my neck. The shock numbed the pain.

I rolled to my side to cough up the blood.
Crimson-red blood splattered on the pure white snow.

I couldn't help but smile as my life flashed before my eyes.

The abandonment, the kidnapping, the pain, the years of torture.

There isn't a thing that I would change.

Everything that I did lead to the love of my life, Russia. My big fluffball.
It lead to my daughter. My sunshine in my dim life.
I will love them forever.

So here I lay in the blanket of gentle snow in the harsh cold.

All I feel is the cold as the winter winds surround me.

Aware of the few quivering breaths that I have left, I hope my baby will be okay, I hope my Russia won't blame himself for what's about to happen.

"Amerika!"

_________

... I did the thing

My bad