The Black Wolf

Chapter Eight

Alice POV

He was gone again. He promised this time he would be back though. Didn't father promise he would be back though? And he promised I would be safe. I looked to Alibear and nuzzled into him to take a big whiff of the scent that was embedded into it. It manages to calm my nerves, I wanted to believe him, but my trust was fragile. I headed out of my den and decided I would go to hunt; I hadn't hunted in a couple of days and my tummy had started to growl. The fawn was only enough to fill me for a couple of days.

I padded down to the creek; the water bubbled as I lapped up the water. My mind kept wandering to Alistair and I worried that hunting would be hard if I couldn't focus. More leaves had fallen, and they had dried out which meant they now crunched under my paws, this would make things even more difficult for me. I hated autumn. Winter was even worse with having black fur. I found it hard to blend against the white snow, one winter a few years ago I was skin a bones because we couldn't find anything to eat, i will never forget that winter.

I followed the creek up through the woods trying to be quiet as possible hoping I would come across a rabbit or even a mouse. Everything seemed a bit too quiet in the woods though, this made me nervous.

Something is wrong.

What did she mean? I sniffed the air, but I couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary. Come to think of it I couldn't even smell any prey. I looked around scanning the area we had walked into a clearing; it was the same clearing that I had seen Alistair for the first time. Something was wrong why had I come here. Something had drawn me here.

I'm so sorry. I can't help it.

What did she mean, why was she sorry? That's when I felt it, I could feel the darkness from deep within me, pain erupted through my body as I felt her mind push through my own. She hadn't done this since the day she took over when I first shifted, I felt  my bones begin to crack as I grew taller, bigger, stronger, my fur grew longer and thicker. My claws grew longer out of my paws and my canines protruded further down from gums which made Thea cry out in pain, it eventually stopped and deep growls erupted from my throat. I had no control, but I could see everything. I could see clouds of darkness swarming around my body, the darkness had never left me, I was terrified. Thea scanned around the area and I could see four wolves circling around me, where had they come from? Why had I not sensed them before? One of them I had seen before, he was grey with white paws. It was Mason. The other three were all brown. Two of them had white speckles that went up their legs, and the other was just a pure brown wolf. What were they doing here? Had Alistair betrayed us? Anger burned through me. Thea roared with anger, the darkness was getting stronger. The edges of my fur began to glow as the clouds of darkness covered the floor.

I must protect us at all costs. 

Thea didn't sound herself. What was wrong with her? I could feel our body begin to quiver as the wolves got closer. They needed to run, they weren't safe. Was this why everyone feared the black wolves? Thea dug the claws into the ground, she was ready to attack but I knew she would only attack to defend us. She kept saying the word protect. Does this mean she just defends? She protected us when the vampires attacked. She had only appeared when I was threatened. 

The pure brown wolf that circled around me stepping towards us. I was terrified, I didn't want to hurt him, he was part of Alistair's pack. He bared his canines at me and deep growls erupted from his chest. That's when Thea felt the urge to protect me, she didn't hesitate to pounce. She dug my canines and claws straight into his neck, he didn't stand a chance, Thea was too quick for him. She shifted my body onto his back, and pushed him roughly onto the ground, I heard a snap and I saw a bone sticking out of his leg, blood pooled onto the floor and he howled out in pain, I mentally cried out for him, what have I done. Thea growled towards the other wolves trying to warn them off, that's when I notice the cage at the edge of the clearing, were they were here to capture me?