It wasn't until after a few seconds of running that I was reminded of what happened to me before I passed out. What felt like knives stuck into my legs cried back at me at every step. Looking down, I expected to see great gaps in my muscle that still oozed blood and pus, but instead I saw what looked like tight vines wrapped around the entirety of both of my legs.

I glanced between the witch and the familiar who ran ahead of me, but kept my mouth closed. Even if I knew which one to thank I didn't think I could force the words out.

And maybe, just maybe, neither one of them were behind this.

...

There was a lot of shouting when we returned to Ninovan's shack. Unlike the barbaric cries and animalistic screeches rapidly rising up the mountain, these were full of demands and curses.

"You're all fucking mental!" Jack hollered at us as we approached. "Fight him? No fucking way!"

The witch stood on the opposite end of the small clearing. Gus, John, his shadow, and Em formed a disorganized little group in the center while Kat waited on the other side—closest to us.

"What's going on here?" Ninovan demanded, her voice taking on a note of aggression that made me wince. Tusk quickly moved towards the little pack, his fists clenched and ready to act out his mother's commands.

"He—He says his father is coming," Kat informed us, her voice noticeably breaking as she avoided looking Ninovan in the face. Instead, her green eye found me. "Everything okay?" she mouthed silently.

I was about to nod, but then held out a finger instead. The kids being gone was definitely an issue but, in a way, it was probably the best time for them to be out of reach. If this really was Wildwood coming after us they needed to be as far away as possible right now.

"You said your father worked for Wildwood, correct?" Ninovan asked Jack, she too stepping closer to the little group between them. "Is he the one behind this?"

"I don't got time to—!" Jack started, then stopped and looked pointedly at Gus.

"I-It's hard to say," he stuttered with a shaky shrug. "Soon, though."

"Then it ain't worth the risk. Gus, Swan, John, get your shit and let's go."

Gus looked back at us for only a second before scampering off to join Jack at the other end of the clearing. Em took one step forward and stopped. John didn't move at all.

"Swan, come on, babe, let's go. We can figure out a different way to make you better," Jack pressed with a forced smile. The smile was gone in an instant when he switched his focus to his brother. "The fuck you dragging your feet for? It's dad."

"They are where they need to be, Jack," Ninovan informed him. She continued to approach until she stood just behind John and Em, placing a wrinkled hand on each of their shoulders. "Or did you forget our arrangement?"

"Fuck your arrangement!" the young witch snapped back. "I didn't sign shit! Come on, you two, we need to leave now!"

"I'm not leaving—"

"Well fuck you then!" Jack snapped over his brother. He was sweating and pale and couldn't even force a smile any more when he looked back at Em. "Swan, baby, please. I need you to come with me. Please, you gotta come."

I couldn't see Em's face, but I did see her shoulders tremble under Ninovan's hand. I flinched when I felt someone else's hand grab mine, but it was only Kat. She quietly waved for me to follow her and we moved until we stood near where Tusk, John, and Em all stood. Around Ninovan. Beside our creator.

"Can't," Em said as she slowly shook her head side to side. I could see now that she was keeping her eyes shut tight as small trickles from her closed lids were cutting through the dirt and grime on her cheeks. "Momma needs me."

Her voice rattled something inside me. It was nothing like how she always sounded—like an animal or a monster. Her voice was still broken, but it was soft and fragile like a child. Something about the way she said 'Momma' choked me up. It sounded so natural coming out of her mouth. Like she had said it hundreds of times before.

I think Jack was feeling some of the things I was, because he did not say anything back to her. His eyes went wide and his mouth trembled open as he could only watch.

"I believe your friend there said it best," Ninovan continued, removing her hand from John's shoulder to point a frail finger at Gus, who took a step backwards in response. "How can you help her? You've done all you could possibly do to help by bringing her back to me. All you are doing now is hurting her."

"Sh—" Jack started, but cut himself off when a sob caught him halfway. He quickly wiped his face against his shoulder and hissed a "Fuck off" at Gus who had attempted to approach him. When he looked back at all of us, his dark eyes were clear and dry.

"We can't stay here," Jack said, focusing his attention on our creator. "My dad—That Wildwood asshole can bring out the worst shit in people. Anger, self-loathing, stress, aggression, whatever. The closer you are to him the more he can pull out and the more he can pull out the more control he has on how you 'exorcise' it."

As Jack spilled his words out to us in rapid fashion, the screams of hatred and violence only grew louder and clearer. An almost deafening roar of cries and pounding footsteps. It sounded more like a rampaging stampede of wild beasts, not people if Jack were to be believed.

"I can't stay here!" Jack shouted over the growing sound. "He's already fucked with me once, I won't let him do it again!" He took a few steps back, then stopped and looked desperately back at Em.

"I won't let him torture us anymore!" a new voice—John's voice cried out. His brother, Gus, Em, all of us looked at the small boy whose hands were out of their pockets and clutching the metal bat he once tried to use on me. John only had eyes for Jack. "This time, I will kill him."

Jack looked to answer his brother's intent, but instead turned back to Em. "I'll come back for you, baby, when this is all over."

"Wait," Ninovan said, stepping out from our throng and towards Jack and Gus. The two fell back a good distance as her body suddenly expanded and grew thick patches of white hair, but she stopped halfway and fell down to her knees. "My children have been gifted with the ability to resist witch influence, but I will only be a danger to them if I remain. If you may reconsider our prior arrangement, I can more safely and swiftly put distance between us and your father. And, when our foes lay defeated, I will give our Swan the peace of mind she deserves."

At this point, Ninovan was almost entirely a different creature. Three times her size with long limbs covered in white fur and claws as sharp as kitchen knives. She held up said claws almost as a sign of mercy to the two witches who practically trembled head to foot before her.

Jack gave a quick, sharp look to his friend. Gus returned with a slow, pale nod. The two then silently walked until they stood just before her.

"I am sorry I have to do this, my children."

The witch, our creator, looked back at us and I was rooted to the spot. Bright yellow eyes pierced into me—into all of us—as neither Tusk, Em, John, nor Kat moved an inch. All we could do was watch as Ninovan slowly stood to her full height, her back still to us.

"I wish you all the best in the fight to come. If any of you have need of me, I will risk whatever I must to aide you. Foxy."

She turned. She looked just at me with those bright yellow eyes. And I was back again.

Back in that little log cabin, no bigger than my creator's shack. Back staring at the wolf as it lay broken and beaten in its cage.

Back in the glow of the dying sun, blood filling my mouth as I ended the wolf's life.

"It will be you who your brothers and sisters shall look for guidance in my stead. Lead them to this witch's swift end."

Her words were enough to break me from my stupor. Me? In charge? I expected to at least hear Tusk fly into a cuss fueled rage or Em's snarling and shouting, but neither said a word. Just like Kat, John, and his shadow, they all watched me with silent acceptance.

"Yes, mother," I found myself saying to her.

I felt my whole body awash itself with chills as her many pointed teeth were revealed in a wide smile.

"That's my boy."

An instant later, she, Jack, and Gus were gone as she spun around, scooped them up, and leapt into the tall trees in one smooth motion. Leaving her children alone in the ruins of her shack. Alone to face the father of rage, malice, and chaos.

...

I knew there wasn't a lot of time before we'd be fighting for our lives. Not enough time to take in my new leadership position. Not enough time to tell Kat what I really wanted to say to her if something was to happen to either of us. The way she was looking at me told me she was feeling close to what I was. But, instead of standing there with a gaping mouth and cold feet, she opened her mouth to speak to me.

"Are you sure this is a wise decision?"

It had been a long time since I had heard the shadow talk. Its voice was almost lost amidst the battle cries of our soon-to-be attackers, but the way it swirled around the air and into my skull was not lost on me. In fact, it chilled me to the bone.

"I'm not running," John answered. His shadow was right beside him, it's blank face less than a few inches from his. Despite this, the boy's face was nothing but empty. "There's no point."

"You are sick," his shadow pressed. "And I..."

It paused and raised a dark hand. I watched it clench its fingers a few times, and almost swore I saw the hand become a little less dark.

"We cannot fight like this."

"Foxy," Kat hissed in my ear, pulling at the back of what remained of my jacket.

I looked to her, then looked to where her eye was indicating. I felt my heart drop way down into my stomach when I saw the plumes of black smoke rising in the distance. If their pattern was any indication, they were getting closer.

"Is Lilly with them?" Kat continued to whisper. Her voice was controlled and even, like it usually was, but I did not miss the slight tremble at the end of her question.

Like the rest of us, I believed she was barely keeping herself from losing it.

"Let me go after them!" Tusk shouted over the cries that had become near all-encompassing. "We can't let them get close to this. Whatever happens to us, I will not let those fucks get hold of them again!"

He locked his dark eyes with mine. Almost daring me to tell him no.

Part of me wanted to, and not just to spite him. We didn't know what we were up against. We couldn't know for sure that smoke meant the kids were coming our way. Also, I didn't want to admit it, but Tusk was easily the strongest out of all of us here. Barring that, he definitely had the most experience. Sending him after the kids would severely weaken us.

But who else was there? I couldn't trust Em or John with them. I couldn't move nearly as fast with my legs banged up.

And I knew it was selfish, but I couldn't send Kat. Even if it was the best choice. I couldn't be apart from her if this really was going to be the end.

So, I gave Tusk a single nod and he left us. In just a few short bounds he departed from the clearing and smashed into the wilderness towards the black smoke.

Not even a second later, the screams reached a crescendo. I had to struggle to keep my feet as the ground shook beneath us. During all this, I had just enough time to turn from where Tusk had disappeared to the other side of the clearing where several dozen people emerged from the dense foliage.

I say people, but besides running on two legs and reaching for us with hands and screaming at us through small mouths, not many of them resembled humans any longer. Most were ravaged beyond recognition through deep, gashing wounds and horrible burns that scored across their faces and body. They ran and hobbled towards us with pure agony and hatred burned into their gazes.

Em moved first, letting loose a feral screech before racing towards the group on her hands and feet.

John and his shadow moved next, almost in unison as the boy raised his baseball bat and charged after Em. His screams were almost loud enough to match the horde that descended on us.

I watched the two forces collide, swinging claws and weapons indiscriminately before a hand gripped the back of my elbow.

"It's them or us," Kat whispered to me before pulling us into the fray.

I tried to be merciful, when I could. I aimed mainly for throats with my jagged nails, rending and tearing until I knew enough blood flowed before moving on to the next one. That was my plan, at least, but the ravaged people did not give me a lot of room or time to aim my attacks.

At first, the four of us cut through them easily. A tear across the face, a blow to the temple, a slit to the throat. Despite appearances, they went down like most humans would. Despite their primal cries and rage fueled attacks, they were still vulnerable. They were weak. Even the wolves I had fought just a few months ago had proved more of a challenge than now.

Problem was, we were severely outnumbered. Even though the first few dozen went down easily, more and more kept emerging from the woods. Like an endless swarm they plowed into us, gripping and swinging and clawing for even the smallest opportunity.

I had been able to keep an eye on the others while I fought off my own attackers up until that point. It was clear to me that we couldn't stay where we were for long. Soon enough we would be completely surrounded with no ground to fall back to as more and more bodies choked the ground beneath us.

I tried to shout at them to fall back, but my voice was swallowed out by the swarm of pained cries and vicious screams. I noticed then with a new pit in my stomach that I could no longer see Em, John, or his shadow. The throng of people had grown too thick—or they had all fallen.

I turned around to make sure Kat was still there, and found the last thing I wanted to see.

Maple. Clothes and skin dark with ash. Smile as white and eyes as black as the void.

She stood at the edge of the clearing and, when her eyes met mine, she brought a finger to her lips as her other hand rose towards me.

I stumbled back, tripping over a body and screaming as loud as I could inside my head. "GET DOWN!"

The raging of our human attackers vanished almost entirely against the sudden crackling and roaring of fire as great walls of flame stretched out from Maple, scoring across the ground and effectively cutting me off from everything on either side.

"I'm done playing around with Wildwood and with you, Foxy," the monster inside Maple decreed, taking slow steps towards me as more fire burst out beneath every foot fall. "From now on, I am taking what I want."

I could see beyond the walls that trapped me were more great pillars of flame, but I could not tell if Kat or the others were in any worse shape than I was. There was no time to talk or try to fight the void. I had to run and find a better vantage point. Mother had put me in charge. Their safety was the most important thing to me.

So I turned, looking for an escape route. What I found instead was—I first thought—just another of the ravaged people.

Except, this burned and scarred person was not being consumed by Maple's flames or cowering from them like all the others. This person stood straight with squared shoulders and loosening a destroyed tie like he was winding down from a hard day's work.

"This will be your only warning," the ravaged man said, his voice eerily controlled despite how badly the injuries should have been affecting him. "Surrender yourselves to Wildwood."

"Better idea," a dark voice answered from behind me.

I didn't see what Maple did, but the walls of flame closed in on the ravaged man. He ducked, the fire only licking across his fraying hair, before charging down the narrow alleyway of hellfire—directly at me.

He was fast, but still only human. But even as I prepared myself for his attack, something in the far corners of my brain urged me to run. Again remembering my priorities, I tucked my legs in and leapt into the air, sailing high and far enough to clear the wall of fire and land on the other side. I felt the bottoms of my feet flare up from the mild burning I had received and the muscles in my far from healed legs cry out, but it was leagues better than the last time I had tried to escape Maple's flame prison.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, a gunshot broke through the burning crackles of flame and the dying screams of the ravaged people. Instantly, the fire dissipated and the cries of a young girl filled the air as Maple rolled on the ground, clutching an arm that bled out between her fingers.

The man in the tie stood amongst the smoldering and sobbing corpses of his fellows. He watched Maple writhe on the ground for only a moment before his half-burned, half-dead eyes honed back on me.

I wanted to look for my allies, but that little voice warned me not to look away from this man.

"Copper and another witch from Wildwood are here," I called out to the echoing nothingness. I took slow, calculated steps backwards as I kept my eyes locked with the ravaged man's. "Maple's down and I think I'm on my own. If...If you guys are still there, I think I could use some backup."

Without a word, the man slipped the loose remains of his tie off his head and then began to meticulously un-button the few buttons that were still managing to keep his charred dress shirt together. When that to fell off him, I was shown a body burned and nearly torn apart. And yet, beneath the damage, there still lied a body finely tuned from experience and training. As he held up his fists, I knew right away I was outmatched.

Priorities. Priorities.

I stopped backing away. I crouched low and displayed what claws I had, even giving him the best deep-throated growl I could summon up.

Of course, he didn't back down. Instead, he waited for me to make the first move.

"I hope you are able to put up a better fight than that little Mouse."

"What?"

I seriously thought I had imagined him saying it. His face didn't change. There was no smile, or sneer, or even pity. He hadn't moved an inch.

"She tried to escape. We decided we had given her enough chances. We now feel the same with you."

"You...?"

It still wasn't clicking. My breathing wasn't coming clear, but I didn't know why. I was trembling from head to foot, but for what reason?

"I killed her with my bare hands, Foxy. I watched the life drain from her eyes as I strangled her to death."

No pride. No smile. No emotion of any kind. Just cold, hard certainty.

"I'm going to kill you."

It rumbled out from my chest. I thought and felt nothing else as I charged towards the monster.

"She had said the same thing," he said, fists still raised as he crouched low. "Let us see if you have the strength to match your words."

...

*Author's Note*

Oh, jeez, Foxy, don't you know what when a man takes off his shirt it means serious business? Actually, it may be a good thing that you didn't know that until now...

Wow, thirty chapters already?! It feels like we're winding down for a climax, but I assure you all we have many more twists and turns to twist and turn through! You may think that means our faithful Foxy is safe, but if you've made it this far you know following other character's perspectives isn't new to this series.

Uh, I mean, of course Foxy will be fine. No need to fret!

Butifyouarefrettingpleasefeelfreetosharesharingiscaringafterall.