The Rogue Slut

Twenty Two- the last fight

I crouch in the shadows.

I can feel the electricity of adrenaline, fear and anger surge through my tense muscles. I never thought it would come to this.

How did the daughter of a gamma--a wolf who was raised to protect her pack and sacrifice for its members--become a criminal? I guess the answer lies in the words of my mate for better or for worse: its either kill or be killed.

That's what I have to keep telling myself as I slink through the undergrowth of bushes and fallen trees through territory that used to be my home. What was once familiar and welcoming is now the faded memories of a past I can't escape. I can't escape it unless I end it.

Damon has to die.

I watch quietly from afar as a large black wolf moves through the trees unsuspecting. He doesn't bother to soften his steps or avoid patches of leaves and twigs because he isn't hunting. He is headed towards the place where this all began: the Moon Pool.

Keeping a fair distance upwind, Damon only glances over his shoulder a few times as he runs through the forest towards the opening to the tunnels. No doubt he found out about the tunnels after the first rogue attack and from there it didn't take long to piece together what pot of gold was waiting for him right under his nose.

Damon, taking his goddamn sweet time, finally reaches the entrance to the tunnels covered by rocks and branches that he shoulders out of the way.

I wait back at the edge of the small clearing until I see the tip of his tail disappear into the hole. A sense of nostalgia washes over me as I survey the clearing one last time before I dart towards the opening.

The last time I was here...I almost killed my mate. Funny how time flies when you're on the run.

At least the tunnels are how I remembered them. Tight damp walls of cold earth that brush against my shoulders as I squeeze through the gaps to catch up to Damon.

How on earth did he get his fat ass through here, I have no idea.

I try to follow Damon's scent but it is difficult to find among the overpowering smell of earth and cold. Eventually, I come to the cavelike room with multiple openings to choose from. The last time I was here I followed the wind to get out of the underground maze. This time I was looking for something different.

I turn slowly in a circle to access each of the branching tunnels.

Which one would Damon choose? The one that leads to the Moon Pool. But which tunnel would that be?

I put my nose to the ground in search of any sign. There, I find paw prints where the majority of them lead to and from one tunnel in particular. I settle on taking the risk to follow the steps of whoever walked this path before.

I keep my ears trained ahead of me listening for any sounds and I halt my step when I hear the sound of water.

At first, it is just a faint trickling; but as I continue moving forwards through the almost pitch black tunnels I can make out louder noises of splashing. As I near the end of the tunnel I slow to a cautious walk and peer around the last turn.

It is there I see Damon sitting on his hind legs before a pool of water with a stream dripping into it from above his head. The water itself is a source of light.

The cyan blue glow of the water reflects off of Damon's fur to make him look like a midnight navy sky. I don't know what gave me away but suddenly his ears twitch in my direction and he whips around to face me with his teeth bared.

Lenora, Damon growls through our mindlink and crouches into a fighting stance.

Taken aback by how quickly he identified me, I stumbled a few steps before recovering into my own defensive stance, low to the ground.