Wolves of the Wild (Book 2: Metch)

Chapter 9

Wind Season

Metch almost leaped out of his fur as he heard a yowl. Metch leaped to his paws, casting a look at Laki before dashing out. On the edge of the Moon Field, was a line of snarling lynxes. He raised his hackles and slunk to the front of the wolves that had begun to grow, baring his teeth as he grew closer. One of the lynxes in front crouched down and stretched a paw forward, scratching the air as if it saw a wolf there. Metch could hear his pack mates swarming around him, all of them growling. Nanuk slipped past Metch, Laema close behind. Foloo then followed him, standing in the middle of the battle-ready wolves. She pinned her ears back, then barked,

"Sky Pack is with us. Attack at will, Nanuk."

Nanuk slunk a little closer to the white wolf, then snapped,

"Amber Trees Pack, attack!"

Metch launched himself toward the lynxes, barreling down on one. It hissed at him as he landed on its back, breaking it instantly. The tan cat fell limp and some blood trickled out of its mouth, anger still burning in its dull eyes. Metch suddenly felt Razor take over, lashing out at a lynx and sending it sprawling. Razor then leaped toward a flash of white, who Metch then frighteningly realized was Foloo. Foloo thankfully stepped out of the way, glaring at him with calm, unseeing eyes. Moonech then landed on top of Metch, knocking the air out of him.

"Fight the lynxes, not your pack mates you traitor!"

She growled before leaping off of him. Metch stood up, catching his breath while looking at Moonech. He felt Razor trying to take over again, but Metch resisted him, if just for a moment. It felt like standing in front of a boulder trying to roll down a hill, you know the boulder is going to win, but you try anyway. Metch finally stepped out of the way of the boulder and let Razor leap into battle, flinging and killing lynxes with a leap and a swipe of paws. Finally, Metch saw a lynx running into the forest, carrying a dead kit and two others running beside it. He felt Razor begin to charge after them, catching up quickly and tackling the lynx. She let out a yowl of surprise, and the two kits ran up to him, swatting at his paws with small claws. Razor picked up one kit, clamping down on its small body and it let out a squeak before snapping in half in his jaws and causing a gush of blood in his mouth. The mother lynx let out a yowl of anger, and thrashed wildly under Razor, her eyes blazing as she lost two of her three kits. Metch felt himself smile as he spat out the two halves of the dead kit, then turned to the other, swatting it into a tree before it fell limp. Razor licked his lips, tasting the kit blood. Razor then got off the mother lynx, and stepped back, watching her reaction. She rolled over onto her paws but didn't even try to attack Metch. She just yowled in grief, making small meowing noises as she nudged her dead kits. Razor then whispered,

"That was fun."

Before flashing out of control, leaving Metch to pad back to the Moon Field.

As Metch padded back he saw Moonech scowling.

"That was unneeded."

She growled. Metch flicked an ear back, thinking to himself,

I know it was.

But his attention was soon yanked away as he saw Laema getting torn apart by a lynx. Moonech looked back as well, but the lynx that had just killed Laema was running away, along with its clan mates. Raths was still battling a lynx, but Metch could tell he was losing. Long, deep gashes ran across his belly, and he was howling in pain. Moonech ran over and yanked the lynx off, forcing it to run away.

Raths and Laema were dead. Tamka and Anai were trotting around, dressing wounds. Metch let them sniff him, and he could tell they were slightly alarmed by the amount of blood on his fur, but he also knew it wasn't his. They soon said he was fine, he hadn't gotten even a scratch. Metch then searched for Laki, eventually finding her getting some oak leaves stuck onto her sides by Amai.

"Are you okay?"

He asked trotting toward her. Laki looked up with a smile and responded,

"I'm fine. Just a few scratches, nothing serious."

Metch still felt slightly nervous, but licked her between the ears and curled around her.

He didn't want to lose her.