noun ~ the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands
TW: blood, gore
My pack bombarded the clearing, tearing into any enemy they could. Snarls and snapping of teeth filled the once silent air.
I turned to face Raven who was still curled up on the ground, her hair cascading down her face. I crouched down and slowly placed my hand on her shoulder. She jerked and darted her eyes up to me so I gave her a gentle smile.
"We need to get you out of here Raven," I shouted through the chaos.
She swallowed, her eyes darting around before she nodded. I held out my good hand, despite it being covered in blood and she took it with no hesitance. A small whimper escaped her lips as she stood and I noticed she was refraining from putting weight on one leg.
I staggered a little when she let go, my hand going back to clutch at the blood soaking my bare skin. She pushed her hair from her face and glanced around at the fighting wolves before his gaze landed back on me. Her eyes widened at the sight of my blood and she staggered forwards.
"It's okay, I'm fine." I winced.
"He hurt you." She shook her head. "Let me help you."
I swallowed and glanced around nervously as my eyes found the dark fur of my mate. "We need to move from the middle of the battlefield. He will hurt both of us no matter what."
She frowned but nodded and turned to scout the area the same way I did. "Back to the cages, they're large enough to protect us for the meanwhile."
I eyed them suspiciously when I noticed Steven had disappeared from atop of one. Together we made our way over to them, narrowing avoiding teeth and claws. I ended up having to kick out a few snouts and tears as they charged at us. Thankfully a pack member distracted the enemy away from me and we gradually made our way to safety.
Raven sat on top of one of the cages, taking the weight from her leg. I frowned in envy, knowing how deadly the silver is for my touch. I looked around remembering my bag and found it lay a few cages away.
I gently walked my way over and sighed in relief when I grabbed it. I pulled out a dress and slipped it over my body with a small cry of pain. Damn Lycan blood, let me heal!
Cel whimpered in my head. 'I'm sorry Nova.'
Oh no, Celimene! I didn't mean you-I-just-
I was startled when hands grasped at my shoulders, a louder cry falling from my mouth when my injury was jostled. I span around in the grip as best I can to land an elbow on their gut.
The familiar sound of Steven sounded in my ears as he grunted and I wasted no time in bringing my foot up to his knee when I managed to spin around. He cursed at me and just as I faced him, his large hand darted out to dig into my shoulder.
"No!" I gasped in pain.
He smirked at me, shaking my body so that I shrieked a cry. My bloodied hand pried at his hand but his other came to grab at my own and with a quick jolt he snapped two of my fingers. I screamed as the searing hot pain ran through my hand, and he took his opportunity to yank me closer, his claws extending on my throat to force my submission.
"Come face me!" He snapped, dragging me back towards the centre of the battlefield. "I have the Lycan, come and get her!"
He still thought I was a prize, not a person. How stupid could he be?
A large snarl cut through the air, one demanding revenge and submission. A lot of the surrounding wolves stopped their fight to watch, the otherwise bloodied wrath paused momentarily.
Phoenix's large black wolf began to stalk through the mass of wolves, his fur slick with blood and canines glinting in the moonlight. His black eyes were focused on the man threatening my life, unwavering with authority.
"You don't scare me," Steven growled.
Phoenix snapped his jaws and clawed at the Earth, his hackles raising on his back as he came through the tree line. His beast terrified me in ways, despite being my mate. He was dark and large, a true shadow of the night. If it wasn't for the full moon's light I would not have seen him lurking in the night. He blended in effortlessly.
The trees and the wolves seemed to bow before him, his whole presence was oozing with power. He seemed so much more powerful than an Alpha, and it had many of us cowering away.
"You threaten my pack." Steven continued to growl. "You steal my pack members for your own gain! And you dare stand up to me! You are the reason we want to end hierarchy!"
Phoenix growled and bared his teeth again. His growl tumbled through the air, shaking the ground. Ares rose his head to look down on us, his dark eyes never leaving Steven. His nose twitched and if suddenly being smacked, he shifted. After a moment of fluid bone-breaking movements, Phoenix stood bare before us. His eyes darted to me once he grounded himself, dark with malice. They ran along with my form before narrowing on the spot where the blood was seeping through my dress.
His face turned deadly as they moved to my throat and Steven merely increased the grip of his hand there, trapping my bad arm in his elbow. The hand capturing my other arm forced it behind my back as he pressed his front against me, my injured hand burning in pain. His leg came to wrap around me as if preparing me to fall to the floor. His claws sank into my skin and I let out a startled yelp when they broke the surface. I could feel the gentle warming trickles of blood down my jaw and neck, slowly dripping to my chest.
"Such powerful blood. It'll be a shame to waste it all." Steven hummed.
Phoenix held his composure, his face staying its angered mask. "Let her go."
"Stand down and leave my territory."
"Never." Phoenix snapped. "Let her go."
"Hmm, now I may just think about it...if you fuck off my land!"
"This is not your land." Phoenix spat. "This is no man's land under a spell, you have no rights here."
"Well then neither do you," Steven grunted. "So take your wolves and leave, you can take all the girls, they're of no use to me anyway."
"I am not leaving without Nova, and you die." Phoenix glared, his arms tense and ready to attack.
Steven jostled me in his grip, my wounds screaming to be let go. "She was mine first, she came to my pack."
"You raised her like a sheep for slaughter." Phoenix snapped.
'I'm right behind you Nova.' Sean's voice ran through the mind link.
I could sense him not far behind me, his mind showing me a brief image of Steven's uncovered back. I tensed, afraid of being further injured in whatever plan they had made.
Phoenix. I whimpered.
His eyes didn't look away from his prey but they did narrow at the edges when I made the connection. I felt the rush of his breathing as his mind opened to me, the slow and steady beat of his heart. The blood was rushing through his body at a steady pace, almost overwhelming with adrenaline.
"We raised her well enough until she proved she could not shift... then we tried to beat it out of her. My pack were more than willing to comply." Steven snickered. "Lycan wolves have no use other than their blood. So you run along and I'll make great use of her."
Phoenix took a threatening step forward which sent Steven and I stumbling back two. I winced when his claws dragged deeper down my neck, the smell of my fresh blood tainting the air.
Steven inhaled deeply. "Don't you just smell that? Smell her power?"
Phoenix growled as did many other wolves. "Don't even go there."
"I don't know what you're talking about Alpha." Steven sneered.
I was jostled suddenly as he retracted his claws from my skin. I didn't have a moment to reflect as I was dragged into a chokehold instead. I managed to pull my injured arm free in the momentary release and it tingled as blood rushed to my fingertips.
'Remember the defensive moves, Nova. When the opportunity arises.' Sean's voice comforted my mind.
I remember. Every single lesson Sean taught me ran through my mind; I wasn't a damsel in distress. I can fight for myself. I just need a window.
I was vaguely aware of Steven's movements and winced when I heard him deeply inhale my hair. Phoenix growled lowly but Steven ignored him as he spun his wrist around to gaze at his fingers.
"Such power in such a weak body." He stated, before lifting his fingers to his lips.
Phoenix might have grown more intense as he snarled and prepared himself to launch.
My breath hitched in my throat as he shook where he stood; the hairs on his arms forcing him into a half shift. He stood before us, his beast glaring through hate-filled eyes. His arms and legs had lengthened and bent at awkward angles, his claws were razor-sharp and his arms hung from his sides. His once tanned skin was darker with the black fur and his jaw began to morph into a more prominent snouty sneer.
Steven wasn't expecting the shift; a completed half shift such as we are witnessing was difficult to maintain and come back from. As he faltered in his movements and his heart skipped a beat in his chest, I took my moment. Cel rose to the occasion, supporting my moves with fluidity.
It all went in slow motion as my adrenaline kicked in.
I swung my arm with all of my might and slammed my fist into his temple. In the flash of his daze, I yanked my leg out from between his and kicked back with all of my strength. He stumbled as his knee gave out, and so I used the momentum to yank and bite down on his elbow with my canines.
His skin tore beneath me and he let out a shout of pain but I had already escaped and fallen to the floor away from him. I landed on my bad arm and winded myself, a small grunt falling from my lips as I spat out the disgusting flesh in my teeth.
Phoenix and Sean had wasted no time from my movements and were already darting towards Steven. He caught his footing and glared at me as I pulled myself up to a sitting position. I noticed my blood on his cheek and was satisfied with the chunk of skin I tore from his arm.
Before he could charge towards me they were on him. Phoenix's half shifted form collided with Steven's throat, his claws sinking straight through his skin. Sean grabbed ahold of his shoulder and together they twisted and pulled. Steven's hands darted out in surprise as a yell of pain sounded through the air.
Sean successfully yanked his shoulder from its socket and I watched wide-eyed as he dismembered him. The arm flew to the ground, the bite mark I left almost staring up at me in horror. My eyes widened as a small whimper escaped my throat at the sight of Steven's flesh and blood spewing out of his shoulder.
I heard Raven cry out and looked to see her crumpled to the ground, just as Phoenix tore Steven's intestines from his body and then clawed his other hand under his rib cage. The wet popping sounds made me wretch despite my stronger attitude; I still wasn't good with blood.
I heard things hit the ground and I dared to look up when Steven's cries fell short. I swallowed back the bile when I saw the remains of him. His internal organs were in bloodied places around the two wolves who had savagely torn him apart. Steven's head comically rolled on the floor as Sean dropped it and I glanced up to see Phoenix crushing what appeared to be his heart between his hands.
The revenge was nearly over.
I shuddered, bending myself away from the fight and the two wolves covered in blood. Raven's cries fell through the quiet air as everyone took a breath. It wasn't long before more chaos ensued as Steven's pack and the rogues saw red.
They charged towards the enemy, their teeth ripping into each other's flesh as they feasted their revenge. I crawled my way hastily over to Raven and scooped her head into my side. Her dark hair got stuck in some of the blood but neither of us minded as we sought comfort in each other. Her small sobs broke my heart but I was glad she was free from the bastard mate she was somehow 'blessed' with.
The women around us were silent as they watched the aftermath. A lot of them were frozen in fear and some were crying. My eyes darted towards Rose and found her huddled in her cage, her eyes wide as she watched Phoenix and Sean fight off the enemy.
Growls and whines gently slipped into quiet and as the last wolf fell dead with a small yelp, everyone held their breath. I watched in a daze as Phoenix surveyed the area with warning eyes. As his body began to shift back into its human skin, the wolves began to rejoice.
Howls of triumph filled the air, rejoicing in the win. Some of the women's tears flowed faster, the salty smell joining the metallic blood bath surrounding us.
When Phoenix's dark eyes met mine, I knew we had finally won.
•••
Oooh, I had fun writing this one.
Once again, thank you for reading!
Question of the day:
What you doing this weekend? I'm going to the cinema later today!! Not been in years haha
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