Moon Bound - PART I & II - (Book 1 in the Original ROYAL HOWLERS Duology) ✔

T W O ~ The Twilight Hour

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Valor frowned, nodding before looking to Mathis who silently nodded that he'd follow.

All three men rushed out into the open, the rain drenching them with the first few steps. Halfway through running, their bodies began to shift from their tall forms and lowered them until they were stomping on all fours. Weaving through the darkness and around the large trees, the wolves' feet crunched against the earth, splashed into muddy puddles, and hopped over fallen tree trunks.

As they reached the clearing to Valor's hidden community, their heightened hearing sense picked up an agonizing cry. Valor's wolf snorted, his muscles pushing him forward and faster than the other two. With the rain pelting his face, it would have been rather difficult to see in front of him, but his golden eyes were able to see past the water droplets and focus on his surroundings.

A large brown house came into view, hills of dark grass surrounding it, and on the front porch was a figure pacing back and forth. Closing in on the house, the figure swiftly turned and stepped off the porch into the rain just as Valor and the other two behind him shifted back into their human form.

Valor quickly approached the man who looked similar to him, holding the other by the sides of his arms.

"Kosias, I've heard about Octavia. How is she doing?" he asked, though from the agonizing scream from earlier gave him a clue.

Shaking his head, worry fell on Kosias, frowning at his brother that his wife was having a much more difficult time than is expected with she-wolves. He further explained that the child refused to crown.

"It's almost as though the babe is waiting! Valor, brother, I fear for both my wife's and child's life! This has never happened before!"

Valor nodded, sternly looking over his shoulder at Mathis.

"Come with me! With your shaman bloodline, you'll be much assistance to the doctor."

He turned away, rushing inside with his brother while Mathis blinked widely. He was confused as to how he'd be any help whatsoever. He'd never done anything like this before! How was Valor expecting him to just be able to assist?

Following the men into the house and up the staircase where a woman's painful cries grew louder, Mathis entered a doorway to the left of the hall. He stopped at the entrance, his eyes wide at the dark haired woman leaned back against her pillows and shrieking at the top of her lungs. Kosias was already by her side, holding her hand and attempting to soothe her with inaudible words.

Valor was quickly conversing with the woman who helped around the community when she-wolves gave birth, side glancing with a wince at his sister-in-law every time she screamed. Once informed on what had been done so far, the Alpha turned to his friend at the doorway.

"Mathis! Snap out of it! I need you to focus!"

Mathis swallowed, hesitantly walking over and stammered that he'd never done anything medical before.

"My grandfather never taught my father how to do any of this, Valor! I am unqualified for this situation! I am useless!"

Valor growled, sticking his nose closer to his friend's. His hazel eyes now gone gold, he spoke between his clenched teeth that Mathis was the only one capable of assisting the mid-wife because of his bloodline.

"It's in your blood! You've got a shaman's ability that a mid-wife does not! Use it!"

Though it was true, that shamans had an innate gift to heal, it was to be long practiced. His grandfather had his whole lifetime to practice the shaman ways, and told very little to Mathis. But Valor was right, it was in his blood and it would take a lot of the shaman Alpha to help this child and its mother.