I can feel my daughter's heart beat as if it is within my own chest, she fights to keep control of her body. Gripping with claws as an attempt to deliver a damaging bite is made. I can feel the excited flutter of the little one, already it is driven to fight our age old enemies. I push harder, sending calm to still the little bit of fire and lull it to sleep. I can feel the strength of this body but there is no endurance, no inner reserves. I switch the position of my mouth, it is my mouth now, and bite down using my teeth to fiercely hold my grip. Claws no longer hold so I can bite, instead they shred, digging deeper to vital organs.
I feel the ground beneath me as I roll us, never still and never in the same place. They cannot grab a hold of me as I leave a river of my victims blood where we brush the soil. I release the almost motionless body and leap for those covering my son. I feel her love for this brother of hers she barely knows, we are united as we slash our way into the pile to give him a chance. His jaws are locked around the throat of a cat that is only half way through its change. Hairless skin beneath the claws of my son, I feel satisfaction that this monster will die this day, he stole my chance to be a mother to the only kitt I had left to me.
I feel the impact of a heavy body, a sensation almost like a cold breeze. I reach out as I realise I have lost the body of my daughter. I catch sight of her and time stills for an instant. I can smell the thick scent of the two weredingos who tracked me down that night swirling around her. Higher and higher onto her hindquarters she is pushed, a large muzzle going for a death grip on her throat. I roar my rage and feel my own claws slash through flesh as I throw myself on one of her attackers.
'Not my daughter! Not my grandkitt!'
We go down like a pile of kittens and pups playing but there is nothing friendly about the claws and fangs that slash and tear. I feel the teeth that sink deep into her shoulder, the snarl of pain that rips up through her chest. I lunge for the large canine head but a thick branch beats me to it. I feel her pain as teeth rip from her flesh, the moment of shock as she recognises the one who wields the branch one handed.
Mutto!
Exhaustion is thick around me as I turn my daughter to face the fight as her unexpected saviour lays into the two large cross breed mutts. His face is pale as if ashes have been rubbed into the darkness of his skin, one arm hangs uselessly from a swollen discoloured shoulder that oozes from a small hole. Large powerful jaws manage to twist the branch from his hand and I envy the quick flowing change as a muscular canine takes his place.
I feel the prickle that slides down our spine and I gaze out through eyes blurred with pain and exhaustion. A tall lanky dingo stands just inside the tree line, head lowered and eyes fixed firmly on us. Images flit through our mind, him always there watching, sneaking closer, the power of his threatening presence oozing forth like a toxic slime. Fear for the small vulnerable life within tastes like bile in the back of our mouth. Sly yellow eyes glitter with menace sending a protective surge of fear through us. I can feel the exhaustion, the trembling of limbs as paws are planted firmly.
With kitts back at the buildings there will be no running from this. I feel the resignation, the knowledge flow through our body. Nothing left but to fight for kitts she aches to hold one last time. The cat yearns for something more and I regret all I took from her even if her life was bearable until she returned to here, so close to our land. A flick of our tail, gently it sweeps under our body caressing the unborn. I force our head high as claws are flexed into the ground beneath us. In my mind my human forms stands with feet either side of our body and hands lifted above my shoulders as I reach out towards the bushland. I call for strength from this land we belong to, ask for what once was rightfully mine. My hands become hot as the force of nature answers my plea.
Micah:
We stand outside looking up at the sky, clouds swirl and churn in a most unusual manner while the promise of lightning makes the hair on the back of my neck and arms stand on end. The wind is roaring with an almost animalistic growl as the light fades leaving the evening unnaturally dark. Lightning flashes and hits somewhere in the trees, thunder rolls like a roar of rage as the light from the flash lingers. An instant of darkness, then the unmistakable sound of Sam roaring with rage as the lightning flashes almost continuously light up the trees eerily. I see a form racing from the trees, arms and legs churning to keep balance as a glance is taken back over a shoulder. My cat charges forward taking control while I am still in human form as I recognise Sasha, I run out to meet her and her face is colourless as she gasps for breath looking back the way she came.
"Ray ... dingos ... Wades p.... place," Sasha gasps breathlessly.
My heart stands still for a moment before starting again at a racing pace. I can feel adrenaline surging through my body, my muscles and bones already trying to reshape themselves as I swing my head to look at the warriors who are right behind me.
"Timny and Justine to the house take Sasha with you. Donovan get the boys and Lilly to the house and stay there. Everyone else! Change!"
I feel my own change hit me swiftly throwing me to my hands and knees, the adrenaline speeds my change but I wait for the first of the others to complete their changes before leading the way into the tree line at a full run. As I reach the first of the trees I slow slightly as I follow the winding trail, ahead flashes of lightening continue to light the underbrush in a strange almost constant light. Rain pours from the sky but very little seems to strike me in the face and no trace of Sasha's recent passing is visible. I round a stand of trees and see dark heaving masses in the distance, I snarl savagely and push to top speed. My cat focuses on where a lone black form stands facing a huge dingo, I see her back feet move slightly on the spot. Time seems to slip into slow motion as a dark blur seems to pull Rosy forward in a leap at the canine. Her movements are blurred as front paws lash out with claw unsheathed. I hear howls of pain come from the dingo even as it flinches away from the attack.
I barely see the other fights I by pass, everything is focused on saving my mate. I don't roar to announce my presence instead I save my breath for the battle ahead. I see the moment Rosy catches sight of me, the way her eyes light up as she still to look at me. A lanky pale dingo hits her from the side and I watch in horror as they roll to the side. The huge dingo is joined by another smaller were and they too go after my mate. I am relieved to see Rosy leap away as she heads for a tree but I am surprised when she uses it as a spring board to launch herself at the largest enemy as she turns around. They go down in a tangle of legs and tails as I descend on the dingo that had attacked her, he snaps and snarls but the force of my charge and my superior weight crushes him to the ground. I manage to get a hold on his injured shoulder and he yelps like a pup as I shake him viciously. He is still screaming with pain as I drop him and a swift bite crushes his back paralysing his from just behind the front shoulders.
A large form hits me from the side, teeth ripping at my neck as we go down in a heap. I struggle and surge upwards, bending his neck backwards as I try to break his
hold. I don't have time to look around for the other dingo as I struggle to break the grip of his jaws. As I face the huge beast I can see the telltale signs of some mastiff breed in the heavy head and body. It lunges for me and I leap to the side slashing with claws as he dashes past. Again and again he lunges for me but I manage to dodge him even as I worry about Rosy. I can't see her, can't take my attention from the massive beast before me. Finally I get the chance I have been waiting for, I latch onto his shoulders as he goes by, my jaws clamping on his neck just before where it meets with his shoulders. My teeth sink deep and I feel them hit bone, I swipe one claw tipped paws across his face pulling his head around towards me as I release the grip with my teeth. This time I feel my canines slide between the vertebrae of his neck and I bite down hard as I feel the resistance. His body tenses and he struggles to escape my hold, a crunch and then my teeth meet and the dead body goes limp beneath me.
I lift my head and glance around, my clan mates are finishing off other dingoes and the only one remaining standing is the one stalking Rosy. I descend on it with a swipe of unsheathed claws sending it rolling to the side, I am on it before it can stand as I go for the same killing bite as I used on the previous one. Suddenly Rosy blurs in under those dangerous jaws, a strange shadowy form shimmers around her. I hear her growling and a strangled yelp comes from the dog in my jaws. It's struggles become frantic and I feel Rosy tugging at it. The strong rank smell of dingo blood engulfs us and Rosy moves back a step, face and chest covered with the wet shine of blood. I hold the beast until its last struggles still before dropping it and glancing around cautiously.
Rosy is standing with her head held high as she looks around, a shadow of some thing crosses her face and she walks over to the pale dingo where it lays helpless on the ground. She snarls at Steven as he tries to approach, he lays his ears back but backs off. I try to approach the downed dingo to send it with its pack mates but Rosy snarls at me driving me back. I watch as she approaches the dingo and sniffs at the corner of its mouth, slowly, gently she nudges its ear with her nose. It turns its head and gives her chin a brief lick before lowering its head to the ground. Gently her mouth closes around the back of its neck, there is an audible crunch and the breath leaves the body with a soft sigh.
"Micah," Dwayne calls me, "You'd better change back."
I look past him to the still forms on the ground, I realise Sam and Clint aren't among the forms slowly changing back to human. A tortured sound comes from Rosy and she dashes past me to rush to those forms still on the ground. A cry comes from her as she noses the hand of one form, as I move closer I see it is Clint. He is barely conscious, mauled so badly I know there is no chance for him. Dingo's are savage killers going for the stomach and disembowelling living prey. Blood bubbles from his lips with each panting breath. Rosy moves past him, looking, search, a long low moan of pain comes from her as she collapses beside a still black form. She quickly changes back to human form and I stare in shock as I see a second shadowy form blurring her outline.
Rosy pulls Sams head and front shoulders onto her knees as she bends over him sobbing. I can't understand the words coming from her as her voice rises in a keening cry. I look away from them, not far from them Ray's remains are scattered, clearly a werecat kill.
"Micah ..." I look up at Edwin's voice and am shocked to see his face streaked with tears as he looks back over his shoulder at me. " Wade wants to speak to you ..."
I walk over to Edwin not sure what to expect, the sight of Wade's savaged form makes the bile rise in my throat. Arms and legs are slashed to ribbons, his right
arm ends in a bloody stump, the severed hand grasping his walking stick some distance away.
"Nine ..." The word comes from Wade in a grunt. He struggles for breath, his face colourless. " ...dog gz ... ni ...nnn ... Rayyy ... noth eerr ...afta ..." His voice trails off, his eyes glassy. I creep closer as sorrow fills me, I nudge against his ribs, the smell of his blood thick around us.
A faint gasp comes from Wade and I raise my head, his clouded eyes swim as if trying to find mine and I give a low murmur to let him know I am close.
"Rose ... ee ... besss ... haffn ..clan .."
I hear Edwin murmuring to our father as he brushes the hair back off his blood splattered face but I know by the emptiness of his eyes, the stillness of his body he can't hear.
We hold my son as we cry, I can't believe Ray has stolen another child from me. Large hard sobs rise up in my chest, instead of a full werecat I see the small tow haired toddler that used to follow me around as I done the housework. The small patch of white hairs between his front legs is still there but it is tinged red with his blood. I remember how he used to love to have it scratched as a cub, how he would roll over and present his belly for tickles. I reach down, one last scratch, one last loving touch from his mother.
The blood is still warm but begins to wash away with the rain as I run my fingers through the white patch in a caress. My hand stills as sobs shake my shoulders and I lower our face to him. The scent of his blood doesn't quite cover his personal scent. It has changed from that of a cub, now I can smell a mature male. His scent is strong and clear, it speaks of strength and dominance. A small warm puff of air brushes against my cheek almost like a caress and I freeze as I place the palm of my hand high between his front leg and chest. It takes a moment for me to find it but it's there, a faint heartbeat.
'I refuse to let him give my girls another reason to cry,' His voice rumbles like thunder across us. I feel her flinch and pull away from me, I want to be with her a bit longer but she pushes fighting for her freedom. Reluctantly I ease away. I place a hand over my grandchild and feel her hand cover mine as if holding it there for a moment.
"Micah! Micah help!"