Chapter 66

Shots Fired

I felt sick. Taking in slow breath, I laid my head back against the pile and tried not to throw up. My skull was pounding, and I was starting to sweat. 

"You're not looking too good, kid," laughed the scarred man. 

I glared at him.

He laughed. "The sun will be setting soon." Smiling, he picked at the grass. A rifle laid across his lap. "It'll be interesting to see if they wait until nightfall. Probably not, though. They try to mimic us, but they'll never be as smart."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Looks like you have something to say." He leaned over and removed the gag.

I licked my lips. "When Titus crushes your throat, I'll remind you of that," I stated with a hoarse voice. 

"And I'll restate it, when I'm standing over his carcass." He shoved the gag back into place. "I think you've said enough." Standing, the man took an electronic device out of his pocket. A light was flashing on it. "They're coming," he said excited.

The device started to deep louder. "Motion sensors are going off." It beeped again. "Oh my, they are coming in fast," he said with amusement. "Full speed ahead." He pocketed the transmitter. "Hold on a bit longer, kid, and then I'll take you home." He winked at me, before walking off to the trees. 

The man disappeared. I struggled to get free. I managed to dislodge the gag and started working on the rope tied around my wrists. Gritting my teeth, I started to work my hand out. The rope was biting into my skin. 

An eerie stillness fell over the forest. The subtle sound of birds was gone. My heart pounded against my ribs as I scanned the area. 

"Shit," I breathed. 

I once again tried to loosen my bindings. I pried a hand nearly free when I heard leaves rustling. Something was coming, and it was coming quickly. 

A howl echoed through the mountain. 

"No," I breath, yanked my hand out. "No, Titus." I couldn't reach the knot holding me to the post. "My god," I whispered in a shaky voice as I twisted and turn, trying to gain some slack. "Please god."

The noise was coming from the trees right in front of me. 

"Titus!" I screamed. "No Titus. Stay back!"

The black wolf raced across the clearing, his teeth bared. In mid stride, he changed into a werewolf with his claws and teeth bared. 

"No! Go back, go back!"

He reached me and raked his claws along the pole, slicing through the ropes.

"Titus, no!"

He grabbed my arm, and a shot sounded. His body arched forward, and he dropped to his knees. Another bullet ripped through his chest. 

"No!" I screamed, throwing myself on top of him. 

There werewolf fell onto his back. I laid over his body and heard another shot was fired. The bullet hit the ground just beside us. A cloud of dust rising up from the spot. I was shaking, staring down at his hooded eyes. He was still breathing, but it forced. 

"Titus," I whispered.

He reached up and brushed the back of hand against my cheek. He was struck again and howled in pain. I gasped, looking back to see his leg bleeding. Blood had already pooled between us. I started to rise up.

"Aden." A deep voice cut through the chaos, and I froze.

"Aden," said Darius. "Don't move. Don't move at all. They're trying to get a clear shot."

Nodding, I placed arms on either side of Titus's head. 

"They're not going to hurt you, Aden," he said waiting in the trees. 

I heard another bang and flinched as the shot hit the ground around us.

"They're trying to get you to move, remember that." Darius was moving about around the treeline.

I glanced over and caught a small glimpse of the red wolf. 

"Well get you out of there, just stay still."

"'kay," I replied. My arms were shaking. 

Titus just peered up at me. "You did it again," he said softly.

I let out a laugh mixed with a cry. 

He grunted and laid his head back. "When are you going to learn you can't trust Chris."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I thought I could fix this. I just wanted it to end, I thought I could do it by myself." My head dropped forward to the sound of guns going off. I started to cry as the landed close around us. One hit the post, spraying wood over us.

"Shhh..." He cupped my cheek and wiped away the tear trails. "We're okay."

I nodded and tried to calm my breathing. "I love you."

He smiled softly as his eyes close.

"No," I grabbed his head and shook him. "Titus, Titus, open your eyes now. Open them!" I brushed back his fur and kissed his cheek. "Please. Please wake up."

Laying against him, I closed my eyes and focused on the rise and fall of his chest. He was still alive. We were still okay. 

A scream sounded through the forest. My head head popped up. Darius charged toward us with a brown werewolf right behind him. 

"Aden, move."

I rolled to the side and sat there and watched as they grabbed Titus's arms and drag him off to the safety of the trees. Covering my mouth, I tried to muffle my sobs. Blood covered my clothes. I tried to wipe if off on the ground, but it only made mud. 

My head started to spin, and I fell over and threw up on the ground. I wanted to go home. I needed to go home. Rising to my feet, I stumbled down the path back toward the truck. I felt numb, walking through a haze. Falling against the truck's side, I slid to the ground and laid there for awhile. 

"Titus," I whispered. I covered my face with my hands and started to cry. 

I did this. Everything bad thing that had happened to him was because of me. My attempts to help, only ever made things worse than before. Taking in a shaky breath, I stood and let my senses return. I wiped my face and looked around. The werewolves were gone, or hiding. Chris and the hunters were also missing. I walked along the path toward the clearing, before wandering off into the trees. 

"Titus," I called. "Darius, where are you?"

No reply. They probably rushed Titus back to the cave. Damn it. I should have followed them.

"Don't move."

I froze at the sound of the scarred man's voice. Turning slowly, I faced him. His rifle was directed at my chest. 

"They took out my partner. He was a good hunter too," the man chuckled. "Tricky animals. This pack is smarter than expected."

An engine started, and we both turned to see specks of Chris's truck pass through the trees as it sped down the road.

"You have an even smarter friend," he said, cracking his neck. "The boy won't last long though. He attacked a pack. He practically dead already."

"Like you," I hissed. 

He nodded. "Like me." The man flicked his gun to the side. "I'll be taking a few more werewolves with me, though before I go."

I walked through the trees with the long haired man right behind me. Licking my lips, I peered back at him from the corner of my eye. "You didn't kill him."

"What makes you think that?" He butted the gun against my back.

"Werewolves heal fast. He was still breathing when they took him away."

"It'll make it easier for me to track down your lover and put in a bullet in his head, like I instructed Chris to do."

I gritted my teeth, before my lips pulled back in a smile. "You hate werewolves that much?" I asked, walking faster to put some space between us.

"They're disgusting, every last one of them."

"Because they kill humans, right?" I stopped and turned around. 

His mouth fell open, but before he could say a word, I ran. I could hear him right behind me, but he'd have to knock me out if he expected me to go anywhere with him.

"You little shit."

He fired his rifle. I covered my head as a tree splintered from the impact. I didn't stop. He shot at me twice more, but it was already clear, he won't shoot me. Killing a human would make him no better than a werewolf. 

I arrived at a creek. Spotting a pathway of rocks, I jumped on the first one and leaped to the next. My foot slipped on impact, and I was slammed into the freezing water. My head dipped under, and I rose to the surface gasping for air. 

Breathing heavily, the man arrived at the creek's edge. 

"No where to go now, kid." He started to load bullets in his rifle.

"You're not aiming for me," I replied. I tried to stand, but felt my ankle blare with pain. Fighting through it, I stood and limped to the other side of the creek. My leg gave out near the back, and I fell to the ground.

"You have spirit kid. Alot more than Chris let on, but I think you're beat."

I swallowed hard. "You're in the middle of the forest with a pack of werewolves trying to kill you," I retorted.

"My trucks, just up the hill, and they're busy tended to your lover." He aimed the gun at me. "Get up, or I'll shoot you in the leg."

I didn't move."

He fired, and I screamed and covered my head as the water sprayed up right next to me.

"Make me tell you again," he popped out the empty casing. "And I won't miss."

Nodding, I lifted self off the ground. My eyes grew wide, and I stared at the horrifying creature standing behind the man. He lowered his rifle and slowly looked over his shoulder.

"Oh shit."

Darius snatched the gun and crushed the barrel in his hand. His fangs bared, he backed the man away from me. 

I pulled my legs out of the water.

"You're a big boy," he chuckled. "Biggest yet. Broke the record for the one that gave me this." He motioned to his face.

A low growl emulated from Darius.

"You're still a disgusting animal," hissed the man, pulling out an army knife. "I'll cut you up just like I did all the others."

Darius snapped his jaws at him. 

"I gut you, dog!"

The red werewolf lunged at the man. I saw the blade pierce Darius's chest and turned away at the deadening crunch of the man's throat being crushed. The body landed with a thud, but I didn't look. I had seen too much blood.

Darius crossed the creek. Glancing at him, I watch him rip out the blade and toss it in the water.

Sucking in my lips, I bowed my head. 

His expression was blank. "When I said move, I thought it was implied that you follow."

"I'm sorry." Tears of relief rushed forward. I covered my face so Darius wouldn't see. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. They're not the first hunters who've targeted Northern Ridge. Nor the last." Grabbing my arm, he helped me to my feet. "Can you walk?"

I nodded. He kept a hold of me as we cross the creek. I was glad night had fallen and the man laid hidden in the tall grass. Darius led me back up the path through the clearing where the post stood to a grove. 

Titus was laying there. The alpha was tending to his wounds. I knelt beside him. Inhaling deeply when I drew near, his eyes flickered open. 

"You're okay?" he said softly.

Leaning down, I kissed his nose. "And you're a bigger idiot than me."

He laughed. "Sorry. I lost it. There's nothing we can do about it now." He cupped my cheek. 

I pressed my hand against his. 

Darius sighed. "Two idiots. You're perfect for each other."

We both laughed, though Titus's was pained. 

"You're hurt." He tried to sit up.

"No." I pushed him back down with the alpha help. "Don't move," I instructed.

He relaxed and rested his hand on the back of my neck. "Come here then."

I leaned down and felt Titus's tongue brush over the cuts on my face, and the one on my shoulder. He grabbed my hands and cleaned the rope burns. I smiled at him when he finished. 

"Thank you." I laid down and rest on his shoulder. He started to play with my hair, flinching every once in awhile as his father and the pack doctor saw to his wounds.

"So..." Titus breathed.

I shifted my position and met his gaze.

"Do you still think your dad will still let me marry you?"

Darius scoffed. "No way in hell is Aden getting out of it." His eyes met mine, and he gave me a smirk. "Not even your mother can save you. You're part of the pack. So deal with it."