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The human knife cut through the air, just missing Blackout’s ear. It left her hand and cut into a nearby tree, tip embedding into the wood, hilt quivering slightly.
She spun around to face Blackout again, pulling yet another knife from her vest pocket.
Blackout could barely keep up with her erratic movements. He was sure she had already thrown about twenty knives at him, where was she getting them all?
He was breathing hard, panting as he struggled to stay away from the woman’s deadly knives.
“Would you just sit still?” She snapped, slicing at him again.
This time Blackout was too slow.
The knife slashed across his muzzle, opening a gash from his left eye to his nose. Blackout cried out, gasping as he tasted the salty blood drip into his mouth. He staggered back, tail between his legs, eyes staring in horror at the terrifying human looming above him.
“Thank you,” She snarled, advancing closer to him, one knife in each hand. She twirled them, almost mindlessly, before a malicious smile crossed her face. Scared lips forming a twisted sneer. “Sorry darling,” She whispered mockingly.
Then she lunged, left hand driving at his left shoulder, knife point ready to puncture it. He scrambled to the side, trying to avoid the terrifying steel. It missed him by a fraction of an inch. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he watched it plunge into the tree.
Then, a stabbing pain flared in his shoulder. Blackout cried out, trying to spin around but his shoulder screamed at him, the pain immediately intensified.
His eyes widened as he saw the crimson liquid drip from his wound. Then it was tugged out, bringing with it a burning, stabbing agony.
Blackout screamed, his right shoulder gave out and he fell to the ground. Blood pooled around him, soaking into the grassy ground.
His mind felt like it was full of fuzz, his limbs seemed to be moving through molasses, and his breaths came in rasping gasps.
“That’s it darling, time for you to meet your maker,” The woman dropped to her knees beside him, drawing her hands across Blackout’s fur.
She brushed his wound, he whimpered and tried to stifle his cry, tears leaping to his eyes. He made a strangled sound as he tried to choke them back, he could not give her that satisfaction.
She smiled cruelly, pressing on his wound harder until he was forced to let out a pained cry. Blackout tried to curl away, the bloodied grass slipping beneath his paws.
“Come on now, don’t try to escape, you’ll be gone soon enough. Just let me finish something,” Her smile grew wider as she watched the young wolf start to become more conscious of the pain in his shoulder. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” She asked, a sadistic glint in her eye.
Blackout whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain that was becoming blinding.
The woman sighed, “Well, I guess that will have to be enough. Since it seems you are unwilling to participate,” She gathered her knife again and rested the tip just on his chest. “How easy do you think I’d be to stab this through your heart right now?” She asked, grinning.
“Rather hard, I’d suspect,” A harsh voice echoed behind her. Maverick emerged from the forest, eyes flickering over their unwelcome guest.
She spun around, still crouching, knives in hand. “And who might you be?” She asked it calmly but her eyes betrayed her mounting fear.
“The beta of the clan who’s alpha you’re about to kill. Think again next time,” Maverick snarled, locking eyes with her and starting to circle like a vulture over dead prey.
She faltered for a second, the smile on her face wavering. “Your what?” She asked, her voice quivering slightly.
Maverick would have been fine with threatening her until she ran for the hills, or horribly maiming her and watching the light fade from her eyes. But he heard Blackout’s stifled whimpers of pain from behind her.
“Leave now and I’ll spare you,” He snarled, eyes flickering to Blackout.
She hesitated, weighing her options. She wanted to kill the wolf, it would be so much fun. Then again. Dying would likely not be such fun.
She slowly rose to her feet, eyeing Maverick, bracing herself for an attack. All she got was an angry shout, “Go! Get out of the forest!” Before he lunged at her, white teeth glinting in the moonlight.
She turned on her heel and ran. She wasn’t one to run, but you look a dog scarier than death in the eyes and tell me you wouldn’t do the same thing.
Maverick rushed over the alpha, whimpers turning into strangled cries.
“Maverick,” He choked out, sobs escaping his mouth.
His entire body was shivering and, lying in the pool of blood, he looked like an animal a human had failed to butcher properly. Which, he guessed he was.
“What in the spirits did you do?” He demanded, staying just far enough away to not step in the expanding crimson puddle.
“I didn’t mean to,” He wailed, tears streaming from his eyes. He gasped, body shaking with painful sobs.
Maverick’s eyes softened, he walked over to him, uncaringly stepping into the red pool.
He leaned down, sniffing carefully at his wound. It didn’t smell infected, thank the spirits.
“Blackout, can you see clearly?” He asked the alpha, forcing calmness into his voice.
He whimpered, shaking his head, “It’s all blurry,” He muttered, inhaling sharply, eyes squeezing shut again. Tears leaked from behind closed eyelids.
“Blackout, open your eyes,” Maverick demanded, shoving his muzzle into his face.
When he didn’t concede Maverick snarled and drew his paw back, ready to strike him and force him to listen. He wavered, watching the wolf cry out, eyes squeezing shut even tighter.
He was so young. Much too young to be the alpha, Maverick forgot that sometimes.
He lowered his paw, this was the humans fault, not his.
Blackout let out another pathetic whimper, trying to curl into a ball but only succeeding in jostling his shoulder painfully.
“Turbo, it’s alright,” Maverick said gently, hesitating before curling up around the shivering wolf.
The name felt odd on his tongue, he was always so insistent that his clanmates use the proper names when addressing each other, whether formally or not.
But it seemed to relax Blackout slightly, he curled into Maverick, pressing his head into the older wolf’s chest.
Maverick tensed, moving instinctively away from the sudden touch. When Blackout whimpered, however, he forced himself to fall back into the other wolf, reluctantly offering his comfort.
He felt Blackout’s blood soaking into his fur and felt his tears dripping onto his chest and neck. His uncomfortable weight pressed in on him, but Maverick didn’t move.
“Turbo,” He said again, nudging the other wolf with his nose, “I need to go back to the clan and get Rex,” Once more using the wolf’s real name.
“N-no, please don’t leave me,” He cried, pushing himself farther into Maverick’s presence.
He inhaled sharply, greatly against the invasion of his space.
But he stayed, also against leaving the younger one to suffer alone. Rex would come looking for them eventually.
“Maverick?” Blackout’s weak voice came from below him.
“What is it?” He asked softly, looking down at him, curled up against the beta.
“I-I feel sick,” He whimpered, swallowing thickly.
“Yeah, that’s from blood loss,” Maverick retorted, trying to keep his voice level. Failing as it came out much harsher than he wanted.
Blackout whimpered and curled slightly away from him.
Maverick sighed, “I’m sorry,” He said softly, moving closer to the alpha, every neuron in his brain shouting out against it.
He wrapped himself around him, hesitantly licking the top of his head.