Running with Wolves Ch. 18

Once both Lark and Colt were subdued, Aunt Sol broke the circle. She trotted forward, appraising first Lark, then Colt. The younger wolf shuddered and tried to dart to his feet. The wolves holding him wouldn't budge.

'It would seem your allegiance to Lark was much deeper than first believed, Colt.' Aunt Sol's wolf head tilted to the side, her glowing eyes the only part of her face visible as the moon reached its highest point behind her head. 'I will give you the honor of dying with the male you saw better fit to lead you.' Augustine and the others stalked in as their Alpha made her decree known.

Both sentenced wolves were forced to their feet and surrounded with the cliffs on their lefts. Colt barked pathetically and attempted to beg forgiveness, even as the very wolves he was asking for forgiveness snarled and lunged to get him running. Lark was dragging his heels as well, but it was more out of last rebellion than fear for his life. He knew he was going to die no matter what he did. His last insubordinate act was to put his head high and walk a very slow pace in a kind of martyr-like protest. He even seemed agitated at Colt's pitiful behavior, snapping at him when Colt went slinking over to him for support. Lark would not be seen as weak during his last moments alive.

The last leg of their journey was considerably slower, but no less tense.

As they rounded the final bend, a sight to behold greeted them. Almost the entirety of the pack was standing in a quarter circle, ready to receive them at the final stage of the Run. The front line was mostly Betas standing in their bulky hybrid bodies, tall and thick with muscle. Behind them were the Thetas on four legs, and on the shore the Omegas and all of the other victims with their families. The Alphas and their full-time guards went to stand with them, allowing the pack to have full control over the fight and showing their support for those hurt under their care. As the wind shifted, Augustine looked up to see snipers perched on ledges on top of the cliff. No lead in their guns this time. They would use their perspective to get clean shots and prevent the charged from climbing up to escape. It was an inescapable death trap wrapped in moonlight as they stood in the shallow water, their glowing eyes the only competition for its brightness and beauty.

Lark's vibrato faltered. Literally. His knees locked on instinct to dig his feet into the small river rocks, which with his back leg still nonfunctioning caused him to tumble down. He snarled as he stood back up, his haunches dripping water as he was forced to continue limping forward. The hunting team ended up having to split up because Colt wouldn't move. In response to his fear his badly began shaking badly, his legs giving out beneath him to fall into the water. Whenever one of the wolves tried to touch him he would panic like a wounded bird and flounder in the water. His actions, while they bought him a precious few more seconds, were annoying as the pack wanted to get this started and done as soon as possible.

Colt cried out for real as Augustine and a few others bit into his flesh and began dragging him into the closing half circle of wolves. He bled steadily from his wounds, permeating the air with its thick metallic scent. It riled the wolves in everyone, calling to the most primal part of themselves. Augustine could feel what small portion of human mindset was still present, begin to slip as her blood-lust rose sharply with the taste of Colt's blood on her tongue.

'Keep it together, everyone.' Everest, the most disciplined of them, warned. 'This is not over until their bodies are ash. Until then they are a threat to us as well as the Den, and must be treated as such. We need to keep clear heads.'

Augustine's wolf growled at the higher ranked wolf. She wanted blood, not a carefully thought out plan. The two of them were no match for the pack if they all rushed in and tore the traitors apart. It would be over before they realized what was happening!

But her rational mind saw the risk of allowing their to be nothing but animalistic instinct and pushed forward, drawing back some of her more volatile nature. She rationalized that a clear head would guarantee no mistakes and a clean kill. Rushing in would only cause mayhem and perhaps an opportunity for mistakes to be made. This needed to go according to the plan.

As Colt was released, the pack closed in behind the hunting party to create an inescapable barrier of teeth and claws. Inside was the hunting party with the two targets separated by 50 yards of glittering black water. As they got in to positions, it sank in for the last time that they were about to kill one of their own. Throughout the pack, there was a brief hesitation.

From the back, Wisteria, a 15-year-old pup who had been one of Lark's personal playthings, whimpered.

Two shots rang out. Both Colt and Lark buckled with a pained cry as the silver bullets shot from above pierced their sides. The hunting party moved in, pulling the weaker of the two, Colt, farther away from the wall so they could surround him easier. They ignored his screams as they ripped him apart, using each other as leverage to tear chunks of fur and flesh from bone. Downstream, the light reflected red instead of silver.

To silence his cries, a wolf lunged and latched his massive jaws onto Colt's windpipe. The young wolf was rendered silent as his legs were wretched from his body and his intestines spilt into the creak.

As Colt lay struggling for his final breath, Everest was going head to head with Lark. Unlike Colt, Lark was bigger and better trained, so even wounded as he was it was going to take some work to put him down. Everest's dark grey body moved with practiced ease around a stationary Lark, but even held in one place Lark was fast to spin and deflect any attacks Everest sent at him. They continued on like that for some time, until the silver began to kick in.

Augustine stood close by watching. She had been involved in putting Colt down, so his blood was thick on her muzzle and in her nose. Her wolf was almost in complete control, her animal riding high from her kill. Feeling practically invincible, she saw Lark laboriously turn his back to her to continue fighting Everest and sensed her opportunity. This male thought he had the right to dominate her? Like hell would she ever be the weaker wolf to the likes of him! Augustine darted forward, snarling as she leapt through the air at Lark's unprotected back.

Just as Augustine was about to make contact, Lark spun with a speed she believed he no longer possessed and struck out with his superior strength. She flew at a ninety-degree angle like a fly after being swatted in the air, landing with a heavy splash on to the stone creak bed before flopping over and sliding a few inches. Pain racked her body, rendering her unable to move.

'AUGUSTINE!' Multiple pack and direct family member's voices rang out in Augustine's head, accompanying the ringing in her ears and blurry swirling of her vision. With one eye submerged, she watched as Lark made a move for her prone form, but was hindered by multiple wolves charging in to surround her. They snarled and reared up until Everest was able to get him back once again to focus on him.

As their battle continued, Aries came darting over to help her daughter. She licked at Augustine's muzzle, bopping her with her nose to try and get her to respond. When she continued to just lay in the cold water, Aries lowered herself onto her stomach between the fighting and her child.

Augustine watched Everest take on Lark from around her mother's chest. He was amazing, flying in to take a bite out of the other wolf and getting back out of the way before Lark even had the chance to try and retaliate. It was grace and it was violence, a dance to the death amongst flying droplets of silver diamonds. She could only watch in awe from the sidelines as another wolf fought the battle she should have been fighting.

As the two males bit and slashed at one another, the silver began to do its job. Lark's movements began to show strain, the poison damaging the tissue around his wounds and preventing them from healing. The smell of rotting flesh grew thick in the air, a symptom of silver poisoning. It was the sign Everest had been waiting for.

One by one, he called forth members of the hunting party. They melded seamlessly into his attacks, tag teaming Lark and causing even more damage to his failing body. More wolves joined as others backed off, giving everyone an opportunity to get in a good hit.

'Augustine, get up.' Everest ordered. She ignored him, curling in on herself in both body and mind. She couldn't hinder them anymore than she had already. 'You won't be a hindrance, sweetheart. You are an important part of our attack. Come on, get up!'

Augustine's wolf responded. She rolled to her feet, being greeted by kisses from her mother and encouragement from the other hunters. 'Very good. Now, as we planned.' Augustine nodded to Everest and ran forward, starting in a circle around Lark and the others. As expected, Lark's wolf immediately focused on her. He tried lunging at her, but the pack stopped him by attacking his unprotected flank. He snarled and spun to defend himself, but they were already backed off too far for him to reach. He turned again to find Augustine, but his body was so damaged he lost his balance and fell to his knees. Again, the hunting party took advantage, leaping onto his back and tearing at his shoulders and back with their canines.

On pure adrenalin and survival instinct, Lark stood to his feet and flung his attackers off of his body. One wolf slammed into another, while a third landed heavily in the water. They all backed off as Lark seemed to go berserk, crazily lunging, snarling, and swiping at nothing but air.

'Let him burn himself out.' Everest stood watching the display, only moving when need be. They others did the same while Augustine continued to move behind them. If she stopped Lark would most definitely target her, and she was no longer confident she could take him, no matter how injured.

As Lark's fit lost steam, he stood panting in the circle of hunters. His body was a mess of bleeding wounds and missing flesh with the energy only to glance around at them. As he spotted Augustine as she trotted past, he did something no one expected him to do.

His brown fur receded, the glow of his eyes dimmed, and his body shrank to accommodate his human shape. Augustine stopped moving, watching as Lark struggled to get up from his hands and knees. His wounds were worse in this form, the skin around each wound showing dark grey veins of infection. Even the more minor wounds were now refusing to heal, seeping contaminated blood down his naked body to dilute in the creek. He was still panting painfully, drawing in oxygen as quickly and deeply as he could into his damaged lungs.

"You all... are NOTHING!" Lark tried to run at the pack, but tripped and fell back onto one knee. "I... I was-" Lark was interrupted by a coughing fit, blood dripping from his mouth down his chin. "I was the future of this worthless pack. The only one who was going to bring greatness back to Five Rivers and keep those two worthless bastards from running us into the ground! You are going to regret this." As Lark tried to get back onto his feet, one of the fathers of his victims stepped forward.

"It is you who are nothing, Lark. Our Alpha, and our Madam Alpha, they are the ones who have given us a future. One where we don't need to worry about another pack coming to attack us, one where we don't have to watch our children and friends go off to battle and feel their light die in our hearts. To think that you, one who rapes your own pack's females and kills your friends, believes you could ever bring greatness to anything, makes me sick."

Lark snarled. "You follow a male so weak he has to leave the running of the pack to a worthless hussy. How will they respond when this so called peace ends, huh? With soft words and signatures? HA! If you honestly think they will be the ones to keep you safe, then this pack is farther gone than even my father realized." Lark finally was able to stand back to his full height, shaking as his body began to give out. "When the other packs come, take our women and steal our land, you will think of me and know you made a mistake." His hate filled eyes landed on Augustine. "But then again, maybe these bitches will finally be put in their places."

As one, the hunting party snarled and lunged forward. Lark was knocked down quickly, his inferior human body no match for their wolf forms. He screamed as Everest grabbed his arm and shook, shattering the bones and dislocating the joints. Another, smaller wolf dove in and began digging at his stomach, tearing open his torso to pull out long lines of intestine. Even more wolves joined in, latching on to whatever they could and pulling it from Lark's body. A sister of a victim made quick work of Lark's manhood, ripping it from his body with her teeth. They stopped the attack then, leaving Lark torn apart and barely alive.

As Lark began to lose consciousness, the victims of his cruelty were brought forward. They each stared him directly in the one eye he had left. He was in too much pain to say anything as they opened their mouth and bit into his body, severing his Carotid and other important arteries that had been left untouched. Augustine watched from her place next to the hunting party, unmoving as the Omegas finished off their tormentor.

The light in Lark's eyes slowly dimmed, and the pack howled into the cold October night.

~~~~~

Thank you everyone who has read Running with Wolves up to this point. Since my story has grown so much and come so far in these 18 chapters, I have decided to go on a short hiatus and edit the first few chapters of RwW. It won't take me long, and I think new and old readers deserve to not have to wade through the mess that the first chapters were. Scene shifting, POV changes, different spellings of the same words or names; I know, it wasn't pretty. That's why I want to go back and fix it. (Though I'm not 100% on how to do it, so if any writers know for sure I would love some intel.)

A big thanks to MarieFlower and markrane for doing such a great job and for agreeing to edit the old chapters. Please be sure to comment and vote on chapter 18!