Higher Than The Alpha (#Wattys2014) »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

THIRTY-THREE

I saw the wolf blink before he shook his head. I saw his blue eyes question why he wanted to obey me. He was Omega, Omega's didn't bow to anyone. Yet he was caving. I could see it in the way his ears flickered, the way his tail lowered. He was trying not to lower it too far and give in, but it was a loosing battle.

But now that he was concentrating on fighting my command, I had my chance. Leaping forward, I wrapped my jaw around the wolf's throat. I felt his blood pour over my face. I shook myself, throwing the wolf around, making the wolf yelp and the wolves around us growl.

Attack them while theyre distracted! I told the others.

Not even a second later, the cats around me were attacking as I'd commanded.

Blood was everywhere. On the ground, on our furs, in our mouths. All it made me feel was sad. So much life lost because they wanted to rule all.

Just as the life slipped from the wolf I held in my jaws, I felt a body ram into my side. Taking my breath. Slamming to the ground, I rolled and growled at my attacker.

This wolf was like the wolf I'd just killed. And she was an Omega. And a pissed off mother wolf.

She's old. your power will do nothing to her, but it might protect you from hers, Lusan's mind whispered to mine, you're quite strong for a new were.

Snarling at the wolf in front of me, I suddenly became aware of a clouded leopard dragging a dead wolf body – a dead Omega wolf body – into the clearing. Again the fighting stopped. But this time, it was more so, so that the wolves could get away from the clouded leopard that was dragging the wolf body that was twice the cats size. The wolf appeared to have been grey. But now it was coated in blood.

As the clouded leopard looked at me, I knew two things, this one was female, and held a calculating insane mind. I saw the snow leopard that had been with us since the beginning freeze at the sight of the clouded leopard, before turning and running. What was that about? But then the clouded leopard came over to me and the Omega wolf.

On reaching us, the Omega wolf backed away, snarling. The clouded leopard, however, rubbed against me while purring a mile a minute.

Who is she? I asked those linked to me, butting her head with mine.

It was Layke who replied. She's supposed to be dead.

What do you mean she's supposed to be dead? my human side asked.

I put a bullet in her head and cut out her heart, Layke replied. She'd supposed to be dead.

You killed her?!

She was – is insane! Layke whined. I was told to kill her because her master died.

Master?

She needs to be told what to do. Whenever she's in cat form, she eats anything human. Her human mind is more simple. You tell her to do something and she will. She's not right in the head, I only killed her to save others.

I growled at the clouded leopard as she nipped me. She blinked at me innocently. Then she did something to me that my human had done to Ink. She dropped to the ground in front of me and wrapped herself around one of my legs and nipped me again like a kitten. She wanted to play.

But if you killed her, my human mind asked. How is she alive?

No idea.

I felt my human side feel sorry and worry for Layke as he was usually the joyful one no matter what. This must really upset him, my human mind told me.

That doesn't matter right now, I repliedto my human. We have an Omega wolf and an insane clouded leopard that should be dead to deal with.

At the thought of Omega wolf, I looked around to see that most of the clearing had emptied of wolves, but the Omega shewolf was still here.

Stepping out of the clouded leopard's playful paws, I advanced onto the shewolf. With my thoughts to kill the shewolf, my human side went under once again.

I heard paws follow me and just knew that it was the clouded leopard as I felt her paws bat against my tail as I walked. I ignored her, she'd stop playing when it came to fighting.

Watching the Omega wolf, I saw her eyes flicker from me to the clouded leopard. Then the made up her mind as her eyes fell onto what must be her son. Leaping forward, I pounced to the side, planning on jumping on her from behind.

But as I turned to eye my prey, I saw that the clouded leopard already had her mouth wrapped around the wolf's muzzled. It would have looked amusing if the wolf hadn't then whimpered. As the wolf did, I saw that the clouded leopards mouth was holding the wolf's entire muzzle and the clouded leopards teeth were sunk in deep.

My human side awoke for just a moment and blinked. For such a cute little cat, she sure isn't. Then my human mind went under.

I swatted the clouded leopard with my paw gently, growling lowly. The clouded leopard blinked at me before giving out a huff and letting the Omega wolf go.

The wolves that remained growled at the clouded leopard who just blinked at them in return. As she did, the Omega wolf lunged, but not at the leopard, but at me.

Hitting the ground, I growled at the wolf above me as her mouth came down. Aiming for my neck. But then two things happened. The wolf's mouth clamped around my throat, and the clouded leopard clamped around hers.

All around us froze. There was one simple and repeated question that hit my mind. Would either I or the wolf survive? As black dots danced in my vision, and my paws made no impact on trying to get her off. I wasn't so sure I would.

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