Feral | ✓

FERAL: chapter thirty-one

Snarls.

Growls.

Howls.

Whines.

Fighting.

That was all I saw when Everest and I arrived at the lab. Warriors were engaged in brawls all around us, ferals were everywhere. Blood littered the ground as wolf attacked wolf.

Scents were blended together, but I quickly located Gray through it all. He was close to the door that led into the lab but not quite inside yet. It appeared as if the amount of wolves inside was never ending. One after another came charging out and attacked on the first enemy in their sights.

Foster was in the center of the whole thing. Beside him was Moses as they tried to clear a path into the lab. Both of them seemed slightly injured, but nothing that wouldn't heal in record time due to enhanced werewolf healing.

Everest and I were still a little ways away from all the chaos, so we weren't immediately noticed. Everest stood guard as I tried to locate Gaius' scent. It was definitely stronger here but I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from due to all the wolves.

We're going to have to go inside.

One glance at Everest and he already knew what I was thinking. The two of us ran towards the lab and into the army of wolves. At first, we tried to dodge them and just make our way to the front, but that proved it wouldn't work when Everest was tackled by a feral.

The two fall to the ground and I stop in my tracks before turning around to help. Everest's growl has me stopping in place and our eyes connect. He has the wolf pinned below him and with a jerky nod of his head, he gestures me off in the direction of the lab.

Turning around, I quickly take the given opportunity and move closer to the front where Gray is. Wolf after wolf attempts to pounce on him but fails to make any significant damage. I can hear the sounds of wolves on the other side of the lab, but my attention is only focused on getting inside.

Gray's eyes briefly meet mines and they widen slightly before his attention is back to being focused on the enemies in front of us.

I'm sure I'll be lectured later.

I do my best to help Gray lower the numbers of rogues until they eventually stop. Gray and I enter the lab and I start to walk down the hallway, but Gray's growl has me pausing.

And that's when I smell it.

Gaius' scent grows stronger as it moves closer to us! My heart begins to rise and beat loudly in my chest, I try to move inside but Gray refuses to let me. I turn to him, confused. Why won't he let me go to my mate?

Gray lets out another growl but it doesn't seem to be directed at me. Turning around slowly, my eyes widen as I stare at Gaius.

Only he isn't my Gaius.

His eyes are a deep red, his teeth are bared, growls and snarls escape his mouth, and he's looking at me as if I'm the most evil person alive.

After our eyes connect, he lunges at me. My body freezes; I want to move out the way but I can't.

Move, Onyx.

Move!

MOVE!

Before Gaius can land on me, Gray roughly shoves me to the side and the two connect. I stand there, frozen, as they fight. I need to help Gray but the idea of hurting Gaius has my body hesitating.

As the two of them fight, more warriors begin to enter the lab. They momentarily stop when they see the scene in front of them before continuing to open rooms. They kill off any of the dangerous rogues that lingered and rescued the wolves that were stuck within the rooms.

Blinking, I finally get my body to move and race to the nearest room. Inside of it is a young girl crying in the corner. I move towards her and she whimpers at the sight of my wolf.
"P-please d-don't hurt m-me," she stutters out with tears streaming down her face.

I want to shift back and calm her but if I do so, I don't know if I'll manage to be able to shift again.

I don't want to, but in order to get her out, I grip the back of the shirt she's wearing and yank her onto my back. Running out of the room, I dart outside, to where most of the ferals now lay dead, and take her to closest van. Once she's secured, I turn around and move back inside. When I get there, I see Gray standing over Gaius' snarling wolf just before he knocks him out.

I race towards them and nudge Gaius with my nose. I can still feel his heartbeat, so I turn my attention to Gray who's now shifted.

"Check all the remaining rooms! There are still enemies around here and probably cap-"

He stops mid sentence and stares into a room at the end of the hall.

"Alpha...?" One of the warriors tries to get his attention.

Gray blinks twice. "Check the remaining rooms and watch out for any lingering ferals, Dexter, or Michael Cain."

The warriors begin to disperse into rooms, but Gray's attention is only focused on the room down the hall. He begins to move towards it and with hesitance, I follow behind.

Gray reaches the end of the hallway and his hand moves to the door. Pushing it open, his heartbeat rises as he stares inside. A boy, who looks to be around my age, lays passed out on the table. His dark brown hair is sprawled out, his eyes are closed, and he isn't moving.

I would've thought he was dead if I didn't hear his heart beating and his chest rising subtly.

Gray moves to the table and raises his hand to touch the boy but stops. I can hear Foster shouting for us, signaling it's time to go but Gray doesn't seem to care.

Against my better judgment, I shift from my wolf form and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Gray? We need to go!" I urge.

Gray frowns at the table and I hear him whisper quietly to himself.

"Cloud?"