"OH MY GOD, RUN!" Kyle shouted in a whisper, as the two of them sprint over the over side of the hill, hiding behind as the torch in his grandfathers hand shone above the hill, the beams of light visible to both boys.
"What are we going to do?"
Zayne was thinking harshly about what to do, nods when it finally comes to him.
"I need to get you out of here, Go get your brother and I'll distract your Old bags"
"How?" Kyle asked concerned as Zayne begins to re-strip his clothes, starting with the shirt then the pants, quickly getting back to his naked form.
"No dont tell me-"
"Yup, Ill meet you up the road, don't stop and keep walking I promise I'll catch up to you"
"And if you dont?!"
"Then tell my mum what happened, she'll know what to do"
Before Kyle could get another word in, Zayne had already begun his transformation, the process looked painful when his bones rubbed together and reposition, his legs,arms and spine begin to elongate and his snout protrudes with speckles of black fur spreading all over his body and face. His grunts of pain soon changed into a wild growl that shook Kyle through the earth.
He was bigger than any wolf he had ever seen and he'd never seen one up close, he looks similar to the bear pictures in size and his eyes were just as amber as before. When he had fully turned he was a gorgeous black dire wolf standing before Kyle majestically in the night, the only thing visible was his bright eyes in the pitch black.
He didn't speak, but bowing his head and running off, Kyle guessed now was a better time than never.
He knew his grandfather had an illegal gun in the cellar and if he saw Zayne, there was a high potential for him to get shot, which Kyle dreaded more than anything.
After his grandfather left to investigate the noises Zayne was making, Kyle bolted into the house where his brother was stood at the top of the stairs, Grandma was out back with another torch looking for him. Kyle sprinted up the stairs and grabbed a hold of his brothers shoulders gently.
"Shaun pack your things we're leaving now!"
"What?!"
"Come on we're on limited time here bud, I need you to trust me"
"N-no, they'll find us...they always do!"
"This time will be different...please!"
With precious minutes wasting away, the timer speeds up as a gun shot could be heard from outside, making Kyle's heart pound loudly in his ears.
Shaun was shaken by the gunshot as well and rushed into his room, following his brothers orders and packing a small bag of clothes and essentials. Kyle did the same, bringing the books he loved along with him and meeting Shaun on the landing where the two rushed down the stairs.
But was blocked by the front door by Grandma, who scowled at the both of them as they attempt to leave.
"You dare try to leave us?...after all we've done for you!" she bellowed as another gunshot fired outside, Shaun was hiding behind Kyle as he pressed forward. A determined stare in his eyes.
"Move Now! we want to leave and you're going to let us!"
"Where will you even go?! you have no one! you NEED us!"
Another gunshot, that was enough to light a fire inside Kyle, determined to escape this hut no matter what he has to do to accomplish that. As she stood there like a brick wall, Kyle grabs the vase of the kitchen table.
"Kyle NO-"
He cut her short as he smashed the vase over her head, knocking her out as Shaun stares at him in shock, aghast he would do such a thing, but this rage had been bottled up the day he turned 9.
"Oh my god...is she dead?"
"If she is, it was a long time coming" Kyle said, feeling sick to his stomach, but moves on anyways.
After he leaves the house with his brother in hand, they begin a run towards the road leading to Fordwich. But before they could leave, a gunshot zipped through Kyle's ear from behind, making him fall to the floor clutching the right side of his head.
He wasn't deaf, but the sound was so deafening he couldn't even hear his screams in his right ear. Shaun kneels down beside his brother, yelling things he couldn't understand, the blinding pain was worse than anything he'd ever felt. But after a minute of deafening silence the rain outside had began to pour and it was just like the day he discovered Zaynes sanctuary, his grandfather was aiming his gun at the boys with an angry look on his face.
"I never wanted this...but you made me do this...it'll always be your fault"
He tentatively teases the trigger, but the charging Zayne in wolf form had attacked him from behind, grabbing a tight hold against his ankle and ragging it away from Shaun and Kyle. He was screaming against the wolf as Shaun tries to heave Kyle up off the ground so they could run together.
While there was now a great distance between them, and with a broken ankle he wasn't going to be running or driving anytime soon. Now was the time to leave.
"Get up Kyle! now is our chance!"
Clutching the remnants of his right ear, he gets up and begins to walk away, then starting into a hobble as Shaun put himself under Kyle's arm, and was brunting his weight as much as he can, he wanted to pass out, but not before he got his brother to safety.
They had been walking for 5 minutes and they were already a great distance from the hut before Zayne finally joins them, scaring Shaun half to death.
"What the FUCK?!" he exclaimed, jumping back from him. But Zayne was more concerned with the bullet wound he watched Kyle take. He sighs and sits on the ground on the opposite side of the wall, avoiding any sudden explanations about Zayne.
"Shaun...this is Zayne"
"You named it? it killed our chickens and just attacked Grandpa!"
"Shaun he deserved that! and it was a good thing he was on our side because it wouldn't have worked without him"
Meanwhile, while Kyle's pain was slowly dying down, Zayne approached and licked his wound.
"Stop...I'm fine" Kyle assured the wolf who looked good and ready to change back to a man.
"And dont turn...not in-front of Shaun" He says, making Zayne bow his head, feeling himself about to pass out from the pain. Black vision surrounds him and he was drifting off into a sleep he'd never experienced before. His memories was fuzzy but he remembered the sounds of Shaun heaving Kyle's body on top of Zaynes back.
Kyle could feel his fur underneath his fingertips, it was like stroking a million puppies at once. And Zayne didn't mind carrying him as a man, but it would've looked strange for a naked guy to carry another dude who was bleeding from the head. And after about an hour of walking, and the insistent chattering from Shaun's nerves, they'd made it to the green gate.
After discovering the key to the lock pad underneath a small cluster of well placed rocks, unlocking the gate and strolling into the sanctuary Shaun was amazed at what he was walking into. The entrance to the brush was larger as if someone had shaved off the straggled twigs around it.
Shaun was still wary of Zayne, but he hadn't noticed how Zayne was bending his head back to sniff at Kyle's unconscious body on his back, focus on getting him home.
"Where are we going..." Shaun whispered to himself, squinting ahead to see the sign post but when they reached it Zayne didn't stop, he'd sped up in to a gentle trot on the way forward, heading immediately for his home which laid just along the field in front of him. With his family inside he lifts his head and howls deeply into the night sky, scaring Shaun.
It didn't take long for his mother to burst from the door, sprinting very quickly to where they were walking. Then she noticed Zayne carrying Kyle as Shaun shook terrified next to him, but she had nothing but a gentle look in her eyes.
"Bring him in...we should really clean that ear" she looks to Shaun. "and dont worry, your brother is in safe hands" Zayne walks back to the house as his mother comforted Shaun with a hug he wasn't quite expecting, leaning into it the longer she squeezes him.
When he was safely out of view in the kitchen, Zayne crossed Alyssa who was texting on her phone before she notices the smell of fresh blood. Looking up at Zayne who was whining at her for help.
It didn't take her long before she rushes over and grabs Kyle from him and placing his safely on the now cleared table thanks to their mother coming in with Shaun, With Zayne going upstairs to turn in private Shaun was left looking at his unconscious brother.
"Alyssa, go get the moonshine from the shed, I need pliers and bandages"
"Yes ma'am"
She hurried off without another word, while Zayne's mother began to clean the blood dripping down Kyle's face, Shaun was beside himself. He had no idea what was going on, who these people were and why they knew Kyle. His thoughts were interrupted as Zayne had finally turn back into a man and had put on some clothes, rushing down to help in any way he can.
"Is it bad?" Zayne asks.
"Well, there's some shrapnel from the bullet lodged just under his ear where it hit...I can remove it but its going to be painful and we dont have anesthetic"
"What about his ear, can it recover?" Shaun asked blatantly.
"No, The ear will definitely not grow back...its cartilage"
"So he wont be able to hear in his right ear?"
"Not necessarily, its too early to tell, the connection from the bullet would've impacted his hearing in many ways but with proper recovery he'll likely hear again"
Zayne and Shaun both sighed with relief at this and when Alyssa returned with the large tankard of moonshine and a roll of bandage for the ear.
"Whats moonshine?"
"A very strong spirit, he'll appreciate it trust me" she said, Kyle was waning in and out of consciousness, the pain in his head was spreading into a blazing throb, the white hot flush was at the base of his now mangled ear.
"Kyle, sweetheart, imma need you to drink this, take a few good gulps"
Kyle didn't really hear her, but he felt the tip of a bottle touch his lips and he leans his head up slightly to drink it, but the burn of the moonshine had scorched his mouth and continued as it followed down his throat. He jerks away coughing and shuddering.
"I know I know its terrible, but that burn settles after a few minutes" Zayne was watching over him with a worried glance while his sister leaned against the kitchen side, a focused gaze flitting over Kyle's body.
"Zayne, hold his head up slightly, he may not like it now but this never failed me yet" she asked as Zayne immediately comes to aid, sliding his fingers gently onto the back of his head, lifting it slightly as Kyle lets out another cough from the burn.
"God...this fucking sucks..." Kyle slurs.
"Dont worry the pain will slowly numb once it kicks in" Zayne reassures him.
"Not the pain...the moonshine..."
Zayne chuckles as he lets Kyle have another small sip of it, it didn't burn as badly the second time and swallowed it with a look of disgust.
After another few minutes, Kyle was feeling the effects of the moonshine and was dozing off in a deep sleep in Zaynes hands, slowly placing him back down and turning him around so his ear was to the ceiling, in the spotlight of the lampshade above the table.
"Alright, Alyssa take the boy upstairs so he can get a shower, poor thing has blood all over him"
"Why me?!"
"Because I remember how good a big sister you can be, and he needs it now more than ever"
Alyssa was hesitant about this, then took one look at Shaun and felt a rip of guilt cut through her, envisioning her little brother at the same age.
"Alright...c'mon kid, lets get you cleaned up"
The two go upstairs and leave Zayne and his mother alone with Kyle.
"What should I do?"
"You my boy, are going to prepare yourself"
"For what?"
"Your father is returning tonight, and he expects you to join him in the welcome hunt"
"But Kyle...I can't-"
Zaynes mother lightly reaches over the table, pulling his attention to her cyan eyes that shone brightly in the light.
"I know Zayne...Its going to be hard...but you need to control your emotions, you know how important next week is"
"I know it is but...I just never thought-"
"I always believed in you...and I still do, go"
Reluctantly, he leaves through the front door and heads off into the night.
"Well, that just leaves you and me Kyle..."
She pulls on marigold gloves and grabs the pliers from the table, scathing over his ear gently, picking out a tiny piece of bullet. Luckily, Kyle was out cold. Dreaming fuzzy memories of the day he first came to Fordwich.
"If we're going to be here awhile, I might as well tell you about myself" she chirped cheerfully, removing another small piece of bullet.
"I know where to start, my name is Cara...and my Zayne has told me all about you~"