From the Dust

From the Dust - Part 8

We didn't get very far down the street before we rounded a corner and came face to face with a wolf - a large, brown wolf with teeth barred and ears flat against his head. Leo skidded to a stop and I fell over onto my back with a shriek, both in terror and pain. The wolf lowered his head, sniffing my neck and the blood on my chest. My breathing grew fast and shallow as I stared wide-eyed at him. I tried to think back to my lessons, but my mind was too frantic and I couldn't remember.

"Calm down, it's just Joel," Leo said.

It was Joel, but he was acting as if he didn't know who I was. He was in his feral form, and I knew he might not even be in control. His eyes - the longer I stared into them, the more I recognized him. But his eyes were wild and furious.

"Hey, Joel," Leo said, trying to steady his voice. He was afraid, too. "This is Braken. Don't hurt him."

The wolf sniffed again, brushing his nose against my neck, and I yelped in pain as he touched the bite. At the sound of my voice, a low growl rumbled in the back of his throat and the fur on his neck rose up. I wondered why he wasn't attacking me, as werewolves almost always attacked without waiting. Maybe it was because I wasn't human. They craved human flesh, not ... whatever I was. He opened his mouth, his human eyes burning with hatred, and I quickly covered my head as he lunged forward.

But he wasn't going for me.

Joel lept over my head with a wild snarl and slammed into someone behind me. I looked up, hardly able to believe it. He'd attacked my father - who could very well kill him.

"Joel!" Leo screamed, and the wolf glanced at him before snapping at Father. Father pushed him back with the side of his spear, and Joel lowered himself to the ground, ready to fight again. Every time Father tried to lunge at us, he was there, sinking his teeth into his shoulder, or biting his leg, or attempting to wrestle the spear away from him.

He was protecting us.

"We have to get out of here," I whispered.

"We can't leave him," Leo said, helping me stand.

"It's pack mentality. He's protecting us. If we don't get away, it'll all be for nothing."

Leo's face showed almost exactly what he was feeling. He was scared, for me, for him, for Joel, and he wanted to argue with me, but he knew I was right. Joel was doing the right thing. He was helping us escape.

His mental battle lasted only a second, and then he wrapped his hand under my arms. "Then let's get out of here."

We took only four or five staggering steps, before Joel let out a chilling howl that melted into a very human scream. Leo and I both turned as fast as we could and I gasped in disbelief. Father had sliced his spear across the wolf's chest, and as he'd done so, it had forced Joel to change back to his human form. I didn't know that was even possible. He staggered back and pressed his hand against his chest, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"How ...?" he gasped out.

Father grinned darkly. "It's easier to kill a human than to kill a wolf, isn't it?"

Joel stumbled back, tripping over his own feet as he scrambled back. Leo grabbed his hand and pulled him into a run, and I tried to pull myself up to follow them. Father laughed as Joel stood in front of me and told me to get on his back. I was hurting all over, so I just nodded mindlessly and jumped up. He immediately took off running, and I yelped at the sudden speed. He was fast.

"You can't run forever," Father called after us, chucking. "I'll always find you."

We all knew he was right.