The Wolves of Cain

Hopeless Ones Who Fight On

Mason digs his claws into Adrian's side with a warrior cry, attempting to save himself and Lucas.

Adrian turns and sinks his teeth into Mason's vulnerable side. A horrible ripping sound occurs and blood the color of Adrian's eyes floods onto the ground.

"NO!!!" Lucas yells, distraught as he watches his brother collapse to the ground in a pool of his own blood, right in front of him.

Lucas attacks Adrian blindly, relying absolutely on his instincts that he doesn't know much about yet.

Lucas slashes his claws across Adrian's wolf face and relishes in the blood dripping from his claws.

Lucas roars and swipes at Adrian again, but he dodges it this time.

Lucas is once again hit with the shifting feeling deep inside his stomach. Lucas stumbles into a tree, gripping it tightly to keep from falling over. "No." Lucas groans out.

"Oh, yes. I told you that you can't fight. Not tonight. Which is why tonight I'll be killing you." Lucas can hear the gleeful smirk in Adrian's thoughts in his head.

Lucas pretends to be too weak to move, shutting his eyes tightly as if awaiting death. But no, Lucas won't lay down for a quick death. No way, not with Mason laying on the ground, looking quite dead, a few feet away.

Lucas listens closely while Adrian advances, taking his time because he thinks he's going to win.

Lucas turns and lashes his foot out viciously, connecting with Adrian's snout. There's a crack and blood drips down to the ground.

Lucas quickly moves away from the tree to have more fighting room, even though he's feeling dizzy and sick.

Lucas makes sure to go away from where Mason is laying, not dead. Totally alive. At least, that's what Lucas tells himself.

Lucas wants badly to help Mason, but if Lucas does, they'll both certainly die.

Adrian snarls furiously at Lucas. Now he's really mad. Lucas feels a trickle of fear try to settle in his heart, but Lucas pushes that away.

Lucas doesn't have time for fear when he's in the middle of shifting into a werewolf and trying to fight off Adrian, another werewolf.

Lucas snarls back, just as furious, if not more. Adrian hurt Mason. Now Lucas must hurt Adrian. In Lucas' head, this is the only way.

But before Lucas can attack, he doubles over in pain. A low groan leaves Lucas' mouth. This can't be happening. Fight! Fight!

When Lucas attempts to straighten up, Adrian attacks. He bites down deep on Lucas' leg, then leaps as far away as he can to avoid being hurt again.

Lucas curses and barely stays upright. Pain is radiating through his whole leg now, starting at the bite mark under his knee. Lucas scrunches up his face in pain to keep from screaming.

Then Lucas suddenly can't feel his hurt leg anymore, or his other leg. Lucas' arms feel as if they're stretching, then Lucas is on the ground on his back.

"No! You have to get up!" Lucas tells himself. He flips over onto his stomach and attempts to stand.

Lucas' legs shake but hold him up. But his right hind leg is still killing him. Wait... What? Hind leg?

Adrian attacks then, coming at Lucas at eye level. Lucas rushes forward to meet Adrian in the middle.

The wind rustles Lucas' fur for a second before he crashes into Adrian. Lucas gets it then, while he's snapping at Adrian, trying to bite into his neck. Lucas turned completely into a wolf.

Lucas feels stronger than before. He seems to have more energy as a wolf. And more fighting skills, fortunately.

Lucas claws at Adrian with his paws to keep Adrian out of reach of his neck, while also trying to get in reach of Adrian's neck. It's much harder than it sounds.

After a minute of this push and pull situation, Adrian bites down on Lucas' neck, sending shooting pains throughout his whole body.

Lucas immediately goes limp, unable to move more than a twitch of his paw.

Adrian lets go and steps back instead of killing Lucas. What is he doing? Lucas can't ask him because he doesn't believe wolves can talk.

"But you can ask. You just did, in my head." Adrian says in amusement.

Lucas manages a growl of hatred, but that's it. The bite wound on his neck feels like it's sucking the life out of him.

Lucas now remembers what Adrian said about wolves being able to talk in wolves' minds, but Lucas doesn't want to talk to him.

"Now I get to kill you." Adrian says happily.

Lucas realizes that he's not paralyzed. His limbs just feel very very heavy. But will that help? Adrian is about to kill him and Lucas still can't move.

Lucas prays it's a fast ending, not one full of pain. And he hopes Mason passed over okay. He believes that Mason deserves to go to heaven. Lucas wouldn't mind joining Mason there.

Lucas thinks about his parents. Who will tell them that their sons died? How long until someone even finds out that they're dead?

Lucas thinks of Jerica and how rude she has always been to him. He hopes she doesn't feel too bad about this. She should live a normal life after all of this.

Mason's face pops up next in Lucas' head, but with Mason laying next to him bleeding on the ground, Lucas can't bear to think of him.

Lucas then thinks of Lena and her bright smile that's always sincere. Lucas pictures her turning to wave goodbye to him. Her orange hair a shining halo with the afternoon sun glowing softly behind her. Those adorable freckles under her beautiful blue eyes.

Lucas has to shut that image off when it turns to Lena crying over his death. "No, she'll be fine." Lucas tells himself quickly.

Lucas once again tries to force his new paws to work, but they won't. They refuse as Lucas' neck throbs painfully.

"Goodnight wolfy." Adrian the wolf says condescendingly.

Lucas somehow manages to get out one last growl of defiance before he feels the pain in his neck rise until it engulfs him.