A Luna's Flame

Chapter Twelve

Enyo followed the scent a few miles away until it disappeared, mixing with another smell. This one was of honeysuckle and lavender with a hint of an antiseptic burn.

"This is her," I urged.

We looked around and followed the broken branches that reeked of both scents, blood dotting the ground. Enyo chased the trail for several miles before each scent broke off in different directions. We pivoted and chased in search of the girl until it stopped at a big oak tree. We searched the ground for any clues, looking through every bush. Enyo circled back to the tree and looked up at its branches. We stood still as we tried to hear her breathing or pulse. A soft whimper came from a tree limb covered in leaves, giving her cover. I shifted back.

"Diona?" I called out softly.

A girl, several years younger than me, with a heart-shaped face framed in untamed curls, looked down at me through the foliage with her mother's eyes. The smell of fear permeated through the air.

"We have to go. Come down," I urged, reaching up for her as I observed our surroundings.

She adamantly shook her head no as she clutched onto the branch for dear life, her nails digging into the wood.

"Your mother is looking for you. She asked me to bring you back," I explained as I moved closer.

She studied my face as I reached out to her again.

"We must go before it finds us. I give you my word that I will bring you back home," I promised.

She hesitated for a moment before she haphazardly climbed down. She looked disheveled, with long claw marks going down her right leg, blood flowing into her shoe. I shifted as she limped towards me, tears rolling down her anguished face. She gasped as she took in Enyo's large onyx form, stopping in her tracks. Enyo grunted before walking up to her, brushing her side with our fur and nudging her. Enyo lowered before her, and the girl carefully climbed onto our back, grabbing fistfuls of our hair. As soon as she was situated, we took off into the forest using our sense of smell and her mumbled directions to guide us back. Just as we broke through a thicket of trees, a wolf tried to cut us off. The wolf was mangy with large patches of grey fur missing, exposing its skinny body. Its piss-yellow eyes followed us as we dashed by, narrowly missing its attack.

"We have to hide her somewhere," I urged Enyo.

She looked around as we nimbly ran through trees, that mutt slowly catching up behind us. Enyo's ears twitched as she heard Diona cry harder as she held onto us tightly. We caught the scent of the red-headed woman we had passed earlier in the distance. Enyo let out a menacing roar as she ducked another one of his failed attacks. We hid under the cover of an overturned tree, nudging Diona off. She fought to stay on our backs, eventually losing once Enyo began to growl in annoyance. We heard a nearby twig snap as the Rogue stalked toward us. Enyo backed the girl under the cover of the tree before facing the crazed wolf. She growled in warning as she showed her canines as she guarded a shaking Diona.

The Rogue charged at us, pouncing once close, aiming for our back. Enyo sidestepped its attack and clawed at its side, blood coating the tips of her nails. The crazed wolf left no time between its attacks, snapping its teeth and clawing at what it could. Enyo answered every attempt with one with more lethal force. If he clawed our hind leg, she bit into its shoulder, severing blood vessels and muscle tissue. If it bit into our hip, Enyo snapped its leg between her teeth until she heard a snap. The fight was brutal, leaving blood all over the ground. In one last ditch attempt, the wolf charged at us with a shattered hind leg but pivoted at the last moment, aiming for where Diona hid. Enyo sprinted and knocked it on its side, fighting her way to the wolf's neck. The crazed wolf clawed down our belly as Enyo snapped her jaws around its neck, the life quickly draining from its yellow eyes. Enyo dropped the wolf with disgust before she shook out her fur, growling. She walked over to the overturned tree and nudged Diona from her hiding spot. Whenever Diona tried to look at the Rogue where it lay across the floor motionless, Enyo stepped in to protect her from the bloody sight. Diona carefully climbed onto Enyo's back, and we raced off into the forest, heading toward where the redhead lay. As we got closer, we heard thundering footsteps coming from our right. Enyo looked over her shoulder to find the Alpha's massive black wolf running behind us, its red irises trained on the small human clutching onto us. Enyo didn't slow her pace. We raced out of the bushes that hid the redhead's blood, her body removed, and continued toward the path I followed from the hospital. After a few minutes, we dashed out of the tree line that hid the hospital and raced across the clearing. Rhea was pacing outside the hospital in a casual outfit with a knitted cardigan, biting her nails as the same two guards protected her.

"Mom!" Diona squeaked over our shoulder.

Rhea turned around and ran toward us, throwing all care to the wind. Enyo slowed down to a trot, letting Diona off once we were close enough. Diona limped over to Rhea, Enyo sticking close by to catch her if she fell. Rhea picked her up in a tight hug as tears rolled down her face. She pulled back, wiped Diona's face, and hugged her again. Enyo sat on her hunches as she started to lick the minor wounds we had sustained from the fight, a few scratches and a bite or two. The Alpha walked over to Enyo and stared at her form, but Enyo still ignored his presence. Just as Enyo started licking the tuff of fur that covered our neck, small arms wrapped around us in a tight hug. Enyo looked down, genuinely startled, and saw Diona's curls sticking out of our midnight fur.

"I thought I was going to die. Thank you," she mumbled into our coat.

Enyo leaned down and sniffed her hair, remembering her scent before she gave the girl a soft nudge. Rhea walked over with a teary smile.

"I didn't think I would have to test your words so soon. Thank you," she weakly joked as she patted Enyo, to which Enyo nudged her hand away before sniffing her.

She chuckled as Enyo blew her hair around her face before pulling back. Then, slowly, Enyo released control, and we shifted back. The doctor threw her cardigan at my nude body as I stood tall and unaffected.

"We have got to get you house-trained," she playfully jabbed as I donned her cardigan.

I rolled my eyes as Rhea draped Diona's arm around her neck and helped her inside the hospital. I pulled the cardigan closed as the guards took sneaky glances at my body, a faint growl coming from behind me. As I walked away, I winked at the guards, the Alpha following close behind me. I entered the hospital and closed the door in the wolf's face, relishing the grumble that followed.