Caged Wolf
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Hayley

Song of the Chapter: Demon by WE ARE FURY

I open my eyes slightly and pain aches it’s way through my head causing my stomach to turn with nausea. I roll and vomit on the ground as my vision swims, I think I have a concussion. When I’m emptied of my stomach contents I roll slightly onto one elbow trying to get my bearings, the last thing I remember is being in Penny’s office and then the butt of a gun against my head several times. Trying to focus snarls, gunt shots and angry snapping noises ring out around me. Beneath me is grass, wet with dew as the sun beats down coolly overhead, I must be in the underground area. Turning I blink and blink again before me is a body huddled in a ball her hands over her head as she pushes herself as far into the ground as she can go. Penny’s one eyes meets mine out her huddled arms and she looks absolutely terrified. Beside her is a bloody body, a bloody body I recognize. Colonel Chaplin lays dead a bullet hole right between his eyes. I should feel happy or satisfied but all I can feel at this moment is horror and pain. Suddenly a deep ache throbs in my shoulder causing me to cry out, yet it isn’t my pain. Taking in a deep breath I push myself onto the balls of my feet only teetering slightly as my vision tries to collect itself. When I sway I replace the closest tree and prop myself against it just as my vision swims into focus. Before me hundreds of bodies tussle with each other, an all-out battle is taking place. Suddenly a white furry figure comes flying at me crashing into me as it takes us deeper into the forest. We tumble over and over before I end up beneath the body. The Wolf on me lets out a whistle of pain as it climbs off me getting to its feet, blood marks a line down the Wolf’s shoulder and speckles its hind legs where bites are visible through its fur. I look up at it meeting green eyes and finally recognize it as Crane. Crane looks at me concerned, he takes a step towards me but doesn’t get close as an almost black Wolf barrels into his side sending him flying again. A scream leaves my lips as Crane’s body flies out of my view into the bushes, Noah stands before me teeth bared and eyes glazed over. I don’t move quick enough before teeth sink into my arm dragging at me, Noah shakes me as I scream again. That’s when Crane comes barreling back out of the forest eyes ablaze with anger and he crashes into Noah sinking his teeth into Noah’s back and digging his claws into Noah’s side. Noah lets me go and I fall to the ground clutching at my arm.

‘Run Hayley!’ - Crane’s voice comes screaming into my mind.

I don’t have to be told twice as I dig my feet into the ground and push off taking off back in the direction in which I came, my heart thunders in my chest as my pain becomes adrenaline. I flee from my mate and his attacker back towards the battlefield. Suddenly a memory clicks in my mind, I need to replace Draco. Draco is the key to all of this. Pushing myself I reach the edge of the forest, my bones aching, and spot Draco and Dusk going at each other hard. It’s not a pretty process as every once in a while a chipped Wolf breaks off from the others and chomps at her. It’s not a fair fight and everyone can tell but Dusk is fighting hard. Reaching them I throw myself at Draco not caring that I’m not going to be much help. Claws extended I land on his back digging into his skin causing him to cry out in fury. His own claws swipe over his shoulder ripping at my shoulder as his glowing eyes turn to mine.

“You little bitch.” Draco seethes before he gets a hold of me and rips me from his back.

I land with a hard thud a few feet away, my body rattles with pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Noah appear out of the forest heading for Dusk. I don’t even think, my body just reacts as I run for him hoping to cut him off. If Noah gets into this battle than we have no chance of killing Draco. When I collide with Noah he isn’t ready for me and I send him skidding back his claws digging hard into the dirt. My heart thuds hard against my breast bone as pain explodes through me, I curl in on myself knowing Noah is coming for me. I’m not ready to die but this pain is excruciating. Noah is fast approaching my jaws wide as he comes for me, neither he or I am are ready when my body bursts apart taking on a new form. I form I honestly thought I would never see again. Noah tries to stop but he can’t and he slides right into my open jaws letting me clamp down on his shoulder causing him to snarl in pain. Upon him snarling in pain Dusk’s let out an annoyed growl behind me and I know much like with Crane she can feel Noah’s pain along with her own. Noah’s glazed eyes meet mine and they contort into a look that I can only call fear, at that moment I know Noah is in there. All the chipped Wolves are in there, but they can’t stop this. They can’t fight this. Behind Noah Crane appears grabbing onto his tail and flinging him into the forest away from me.

’Why aren’t they using their powers against us?” - Crane asks me, he seems to think I’ll know the answer.

‘Draco doesn’t know how to get them to do so.’ - Dusk replies for me as she appears at Crane’s side bloodied.

Our eyes turn and train on Draco who looks slightly skeptical at being faced with the three of us. Crane snarls before launching himself at Draco latching onto Draco’s forearm, upon doing so he leaves his stomach open for a barrage of attacks from Draco’s claws. Draco gouges Crane deep but Crane doesn’t let go. This allows me to launch myself low as I chomp down on Draco’s hip my teeth scraping deep cutting into bone. Draco screams in pain, all glazed eyes are drawn to us and I know we have very little time left. Noah’s form moves through the forest and he is moving fast making good ground but he isn’t close enough. Dusk jumps up her jaws clamping tight on Draco’s undefended throat, he gurgles out a scream. He doesn’t go down easy as he digs his claws behind my ear slicing deep. Dusk chomps harder, and harder until finally, he begins to collapse under our mixture of weight. Just when I think we did it Noah arrives grabbing Dusk by her neck and chomping his teeth closed on her throat as he drags her off of Draco. Dusk’s neck begins to bleed heavily as she thrashes in Noah’s jaws. At this moment I have a choice, I can let Draco go and make a dive for Noah or I can finish Draco off and hope that Noah is in there enough to not kill Dusk. Crane and I each make split-second decisions. Crane lets Draco go making a move towards Noah and I know that I need to be the one to end this. I twist up digging my claws hard into Draco’s abdomen clawing deep enough that I feel his intestines twisting around my claws. His eyes meet mine and I can smell the stench of fear wafting off of him. He tries to fight me but he is too wounded and I snap my head up ripping his throat out with a solid jerk. He collapses before me his hands moving for his neck, horrified I see the flesh of his throat trying to fast repair itself. Damn the blood in his veins to hell right now. Twisting I launch around Draco’s back where I sink my teeth into his neck again, I dig deeper and deeper. Draco can’t afford to let his throat go as I tear into him, all he can do is take it. I chew and bite until my teeth snap clean together and Draco’s severed head drops to the ground in front of his body. I fall hard with the momentum of his body crushing his spine beneath me. Regaining myself I’m not taking any chances as I kick his head far away from his body with one of my paws. Turning my muzzle to the sky I let out a triumphant howl and I expect others to join me. When they don’t I turn my muzzle back down and am horrified when I still see Wolves with glazed eyes attacking other Wolves. Killing Draco didn’t stop it. Nothing can stop it. The horror of that settles into my bones and I begin to question if we are going to live through this. Can we truly kill our packmates, can I truly kill those that I have just fallen in love with? Can we kill them, can they kill us? How does this play out?