Playing With Chance

Playing With Chance - Chapter 28

"It's okay," he whispered rocking me back and forth, "You're going to be okay now.  I won't let any of them hurt you anymore.  You're okay."

I nodded my head, knowing that he was saying this more for his own sake than to comfort me.

He pulled back, and started to survey my injuries.  Stopping every couple seconds to glare at a cut, or bruise.

"Are you in pain?" he asked with anger in his eyes.

I shook my head slowly, "I'm numb to most of it unless I decide to move."

"Damn it!  I should have brought the healer with us!"

I let out a small laugh, "It's okay.  I think that speed was slightly more important than having a doctor with you."

Chance whipped his head around to look at something behind him with a look of anger on his face.  

Looking over his shoulder I saw Hero limping as he circled Samael with a knife stuck in his hind leg.

"I'll be right back," Chance said stroking my cheek once, and giving me a gentle kiss on the forehead.

I nodded my head, and watched him turn toward Samael.  He took a running leap into the air, and landed on all fours as a massive black wolf.

A strangled yelp came out of Samael's mouth as he looked at the person he had pissed off to the point of murder.

Not sure if it's actually murder if he was trying to kill someone a few seconds before.....  I'm going to say it's not murder, it's people-defense.

Let's say Chance was pissed to the point of killing.

It probably didn't help his adrenaline rush to know that he would be fighting a wolf with all the intelligence of a human.  Not only that, but he had to do so after having his whole view of the world challenged by the knowledge that there were werewolves in the world.  

I freaked out when I found out, and I didn't have one snarling at me with his claws aimed at my throat.

He must think he's going crazy, but at the same time, he knows he's not because he saw Chance change right in front of him.

For a second I felt a sliver of pity for the guy.  Then I remembered the long cut going down my arm, and the one that matched it going down my father's arm.

I watched as Chance started to pace back, and forth in front of the terrified man, looking for a way around the knife he pulled out of who-knows-where.

At least I tried to watch.  Hero walked over and sat in front of me.  Completely blocking my view of the fight with his big head.

Orpheas came over too, holding the knife that was in Hero's leg a second ago.

I took one look at him, and motioned for him to give me the knife.  

His face was drained of color, and his knuckles were white around the knife.  He was in no shape mentally to be holding any kind of sharp object while there wasn't anyone around that would attack him.  That's entirely understandable considering the kind of day he's had, but I still want him to give me the knife.  He handed it to me without a word.  Probably knowing that I would do my best to take it from him if he didn't.

"They're.. they're.. they're werewolves," Orpheas said in shock.

"Yeah, don't worry about it.  They won't bite..... us."

Something that sounded like a mixture of a snort, and laughter came from Hero.

"What?  Do you know something I don't know?"

He shook his head without looking at me, and went back to looking around to make sure someone didn't jump out of some corner with a machine gun.

"Was that because I called you all monsters when I first found out?"

He rocked his head back and forth in a, kind of, gesture.

"I'm sorry about that, but seriously?  What were you thinking when you found out that you could turn into a big blond wolf?"

Hero turned around, and licked my hand before going back on alert.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

He nodded his head once, and started to watch Chance pace in front of Samael.

"Did you know that you have a big head?  I thought it was pretty big when you were human, but now it's gigantic."

I'm fairly sure he got the meaning of what I was trying to say because he laid down, and put his head on his paws so I could see.

"Thank you."

Brandy, and Alexander joined us a few seconds later, covered in blood, and laid down next to Hero.  Hero glanced at Brandy briefly, to make sure she was okay before turning his attention back to Chance.  I gave them a weak smile in thanks for them coming to help me.  Brandy thumped her tail on the floor twice, and gave me the wolfie equivalent of a smile.

Looking back at Chance I heard him let out a growl that I swear had an undertone of annoyance, and lunged at Samael with his claws outstretched.  He veered to the side at the last second, and raked his claws across Samael's leg.  Samael spun around, slashing randomly at the air, as he did so.  All Chance really had to do to avoid it was take a step back.  As soon as Samael saw Chance he stopped his random strikes into the air, and made a focused effort to stab him.

Again, Chance stepped to the side, but instead of taking out his other leg, Chance bit Samael's wrist so hard I could hear the bones snapping.

The knife clattered to the ground, and Samael sunk to his knees cradling his broken, and bloody hand.

"Samael," I said knowing that he wouldn't be listening to me, "your days of playing with chance have come to an end.  You can only walk on the lines of people's lives so long, before you end up falling off.  You are done, and all the suffering you have caused will be forgotten with you.  Because I will survive this, and you won't."

He raised his head slowly to look at me with hatred in his eyes, before his gaze dropped to Dunstan who was unrecognizable as human at this point.  His eyes lifted to mine again, and he jumped to his feet with the knife in his left hand, drawn back, and ready to throw at me.

Without thinking I lifted the knife I had taken away from Orpheas, and threw it at him like my dad had taught me to.  It landed perfectly in his sternum with a dull thunk.

He looked down at it, and dropped the knife he was about to throw at me.

Chance saw it hit the ground, and let out a furious growl before jumping at him.

Satisfied that I was no longer in danger, my body slowly drifted into a state of unconsciousness to try and start the healing process.