Moonlit Fur Chronicles: Rising Moon
Chapter 19 Vengeance and Pain

We had less than two hours before sundown when we arrived at the gargoyle cave. The intruders had buried the witches and filled in the hole. “Who is the leader of this pack,” I called loudly into the cave. We heard the echo and the clomp clomp of heavy and numerous feet from the bowels of the cave. The two werewolves I recognized were in human form and emerged from the mouth of the cave. The entire pack filled the empty space behind them, several werewolves stood in the cave’s mouth, shrouded in darkness. “Well look what the mutt dragged in,” the man spat, “Dakota, ya remember the bitch that killed our pappy?” “I sure do, Tate,” the woman replied.

Quinn’s eyes burned with rage, I held up a hand to stop her, “Do you two know you and your pack are on private property?” Tate laughed so hard he doubled over and slapped his knee. Dakota flashed a vicious smile, “Yes, we are on private property. It’s our territory now, so you can get the hell out.” I frowned, “Now, I’m only going to say this once although most of my pack didn’t want me to waste my breath. This is our lad, we bought it, we built on it, we control it. You have twenty four hours to leave.” I turned my back to them and walked toward the woods, Quinn and the rest of my pack backed away slowly. Tate scooped up a large rock and heaved it with all his might at the back of my head. I heard it whistle through the air. I spun around at the last second and plucked it out of the air with ease.

I studied the rock for a second and gazed at Quinn, she smiled mischievously and nodded. I yanked the rock back and launched it with incredible speed and deadly accuracy. The rock struck Tate in his forehead and he crumpled to the ground. “Like father, like son,” Quinn jeered. “Come, it’s time to go,” I called to my wolves. Dakota raged and called me every foul name imaginable. I accelerated my pace to a jog and led my pack about half way home before I slid to a stop. “Quin, take them home, I will stay back and make sure we aren’t being followed.” She shook her head aggressively, “I’m staying with you!” I nodded briskly, “Casey, make sure they get home safe and begin preparing for war. This will be bloody and, hopefully, short.”

Quinn and I slipped out of our clothes and gave them to River to take home. We transformed and disappeared into the woods in the direction of the gargoyle cave while Casey and River led the pack back home. We sniffed the air and listened intently for sounds of the enemy wolves. We heard and smelled nothing out of the ordinary. We watched and waited for over an hour. Quinn looked at me as if to ask if it was safe, I nodded. We raced through the trees and arrived at our house. My entire pack and the gargoyles were outside. They waited for me to arrive and begin the assault. Quinn and I phased back to our human shapes. We stepped into our clothes.

I paced back and forth for a few minutes, gathered my thoughts and my courage. I seriously did not want to begin another war but I realized this feud had been alive for years, ever since I killed chad. I looked into the faces of each of my wolves. Most of their faces were angry or tense, some faces showed fear or apprehension. “I didn’t want this. I don’t like fighting for our lives so often. It’s not fair and not right, but here we are, at the precipice of war again.” I made eye contact with Peyton, “I will not ask you to fight, you are not officially part of the pack.” I turned and addressed my pack, “As for the rest of you, our home and lives are at stake. Once again, I must call on you to join me to protect ourselves from those who would hurt us and kill us.”

I pulled my sundress over my head and phased into my wolf body, my pack followed suit. We ran off into the woods while the gargoyles launched themselves into the air and took wing. The forest was full of growls, howls, and the roar of wings. I felt something in the back of my mind, something felt wrong. We were almost to the gargoyle cafe when the sensation that something was wrong became too strong to ignore. I sent Kai and Ellis back to the house to keep watch. I hoped it was just my anxiety, we would need all the fighters we had, even the gargoyles.

My heart sank when we charged into the clearing and saw Dakota as she sat on a large rock and seemingly waited for us. She wore a cruel and triumphant grin on her face. “Well well well,” she smirked, “What do we have here? A whole pack of worthless murderous dogs. Hmm, how interesting.” I growled at her. She actually laughed at me, her mirthless cackle resembled a cat’s death screech. “I’m honestly glad you are here, Bitch. It’s been so long since I got the chance to entertain anyone. I’m sorry I don’t have enough drinks or food for you. Feeding an army is expensive. I know that Tate will be pissed that he missed you. He is taking care of an important errand right now.”

I snarled and forced myself through the painful transition back to human. “What the hell is going on? Enough talk! Let’s fight!” A gruesome laugh escaped Dakota’s lips, “Really, you think you can fight me? You truly think you can take me on? You miserable cunt. I’m going to kill you nice and slow. I’m going to make your whole pack watch. I’m going to make you suffer for what you did to my pappy! You and me, Bitch, let’s go!” Dakota leapt off the stone and high into the air. I launched myself and phased in mid air as did Dakota. We collided in the air and landed in a heap. She was small and quick but I was ginormous and quick.

My mind flashed back to my fight with Jules and how easily I won that encounter, but I didn’t try to hurt him. Now, against Dakota, I had no such reservations. We rose to our feet and Dakota charged me. Her jaws were open wide, but they were much too small to latch on to my throat properly. I lifted my chin and slammed it down onto the top of her head. She crumpled to the ground. I closed my fangs around the scruff of her neck and tossed her viciously against a tree. The tree trunk cracked as her spine banged in it. She stood up and shook her head clear. She lunged at me again, I dodged with ease. Dakota rammed her head into a boulder, she toppled to the ground dazed.

My jaws closed around her tail and I heaved her into the air. Dakota’s body collided with the damaged tree. The entire top half of the tree along with Dakota fell behind the stump. She whimpered loudly and reappeared in her human shape. She was covered in lacerations, bright red splotches, and blood. She stumbled in front of the stump and slid down it to the ground. She laughed hysterically, I crept forward and bared my fangs. “You may have beaten me, Cunt, but you missed all the fun.” Dakota grimaced.

Blood bubbled out of her mouth, “You don’t get it do you? Tate has a special surprise for you. Did you notice how there is no one here but me? We have been planning this revenge for years! You fell for it, we barely had to do anything. You’re a pathetic excuse for a werewolf.” I looked at her quizzically. “You are too late, way too late. I bet Tate has completely destroyed your house now and killed everyone inside,” her maniac laughter turned to a cough and she lay still, “Go on, go ‘save’ your pack, Bitch.”