Beast mode

Raven's POV

Across the clearing, Eli fights like the storm. his twin blades flashing silver under the slowly rising sun. He spins, ducks, stabs. He’s clearly not wasting time with hesitation. Not weak like me.

I grit my teeth. I can’t afford to admire him right now.

One of the beasts charges me, hulking and snarling. Immediately I duck his swing, drive the edge of my blade into his knee. He crumples, but reaches for me with angry claws as already his wound begins to heal.

“Fuck! This is a suicide mission.” I breathe now on the defense. From the side of my eye I notice one of us getting his neck snapped by a wolf. Then another lady falls.

“Are they even alive?” I snarl, slamming my sword across the side of another’s face. “Or just monsters in skin?”

They don’t answer. They don’t speak. Just growl and bite and claw. It almost feels like they are making mockery of us. Eventually we'll run tired. Then what?

It seems others on my team already came to a conclusion as I spot about five running out of the clearing, back the way we came.

Weaklings.

I slam the end of my blade into the throat of a wolf-faced man, satisfied that I hit the right spot when he drops with a wet choke. I give another swings but miss and have to duck, then elbow him in the ribs. I feel his bone crack.

With the pain currently swelling in my hand, I no longer sure whose bone broke. Heck.

That's when I hear a softer step. Without wasting time, I spin towards it but then I freeze.

He’s young.

Barely taller than my chest. Golden eyes wide with fear. He hesitates. He doesn’t even snarl and doesn't hit either.

Who brought a kid to battle?

My grip tightens around my sword, but of course I don’t raise it. He doesn't belong here. So on instinct I kick him in the chest, sending him flying backward into the dirt.

He grimaces and coughs against the dust. “Get the hell out of here ki…” My words stay stuck in my throat when suddenly, in a blur, a blade hits him square in the chest. My hands shake as his scared eyes lift to mine.

I look behind me to find Eli’s scolding gaze. The boy's body twitches once before he stills completely. Tears prick my eyes the exact moment Eli's voice reaches my ears.

“He would’ve gotten up again.” He seethes.

“He… was just a kid.” I stutter through the pounding of my heart.

“They don’t care,” he snaps. “They don’t age. You think that was innocence? They play human but we all know they are beasts.”

I swallow, wiping away my tears, hoping father didn't see. “You’re right,” I whisper. “You’re right.” I say again, if only to bring myself to believe my words.

Another howl splits the air.

“Positions!” father barks. “Now!”

But it's too late.

The werewolves instantly shift into beast mode. It seems they've grown tired of their own game. This time every single one of them takes a trained position, some even jumping up to trees.

They come from every direction, proving my theory of them being much more than what I'd initially seen. Clearly we had a wrong estimate of this pack, and for the first time, this creatures don't look like wild, scattered insane beasts, no. Right now they look like trained warriors, way more prepared than us.

The moment they move, we charge.

“Raven!” Eli’s desperate voice reaches my ears.

I swiftly turn around. “Eli's down.” I yell for my father, running towards him. He's bleeding from his side, one of his legs bent in a bad position under him. Three animals surround him but it doesn't deter me.

I run, ignoring the burning pain in my heels. Suddenly a body slams into me, sending me sprawling into the dirt. My sword flys out of my reach and quickly I scramble after it.

My fingers barely close around the hilt just as someone grabs my ankle and yanks me backward. I scream, twisting and driving my heel into their face with all the strength I have. But I don't break free.

I try to get up but a boot collides with my head, instantly blurring my vision.

“STOP!” I hear Eli scream. But even that ends with a painful groan.

My world tilts as I taste blood.

“Raven…?”

“Pa,” I cough out a response. My eyes see him now. He pulls his swords from a wolf's throat. He's a few feet away. He can get to us.

But his eyes fill with annoyance as he takes a step back.

No, he won't leave us.

“Pa!” I shout, tears finally pouring down my eyes because although in this split second I don't want to believe it, I already know what is happening.

Father looks at me. Then his gaze slides to Eli who's already unconscious.

In a heartbeat, he runs.

Heavy footsteps soon fill my hearing, suddenly the only thing I can hear. I wince in pain when the sparkling black boot presses down on my neck, but I hold in my cry.

“How many did you get?” a deep smooth voice asks, undisturbed by the chaotic atmosphere.

“Five, Alpha Saviour.”

There's a beat of silence before he speaks again. “Leave this two, kill the rest.” he says with his previous calm. Then his foot lifts off my neck. But just before I can get a glimpse, a large object slams into my head, knocking me out.