The Heat #WATTYS2019

Chapter 18

All hell broke loose.

The pale girl collapsed to the ground like a beautiful daisy with a snapped stem, her rich hair pooling around her. As one, the other females stiffened, their backs straight and tall. And the male, all fear forgotten, replaced by lust for power, shifted as he pounced.

I had no time to react before my wild reacted on instinct. She dropped to the ground in a crouch, letting the tawny wolf fly above our heads. His claws made the sound of nail on chalkboard as he screeched to a halt behind us. We turned around quickly as he came bounding up. His hackles were raised, making him seem bigger than he actually way, and his light green eyes had taken on a crazy hint. If he had been bordering on insanity before this, he was a Feral now. Fear coursed through my veins before it was overrun by power, as my wild stood up, lowering her head and snarling low and menacing.

     And then she leapt. Her sleek, yet imposing soul-shape, ripped through the air, landing on the male. We were enraged, tearing through the skin and fur of the one who had dared tried to harm us. The fur around her muzzle was stained red, and I was sure we must've looked possessed. In no time, the male was reduced to a bloody mess, no match to the power of a soul.

     The females looked at us, fear in their eyes, and I licked my chops, a menacing look still present on my face. And then my wild retreated, and I was left at my original wolf size, with my sandy black coat. Slowly, painfully, I coaxed my body back to its human form. My wounds stretched and shrunk, and the scar that was starting to form over my missing eye tore open at an excruciating speed. Finally, after what seemed like hours, I was left lying there on the cold stone ground, breathing heavily and bloody.

"I think I'm going crazy," were the first words to escape my mouth.

The females gaped at me.

"This hurts like hell. I'm gonna kill Fenris."

A large she-wolf with a grayish coat of thick fur shifted back into her human form. She had long locks of chocolate brown hair and eyes that seemed to know the deepest darkest secrets of their victims.

"Thank you, O Amarok, for saving us," she uttered.

"I am not Amarok," I replied, frowning at her, "And if you want to get out of this retched place, we better get a move on."

I slumped back down after this, exhaustion claiming my body.

"But first, I need to sleep and heal."

•••

My golden eye fluttered open as my mind crawled to awareness. I stretched, noticing I must have shifted back to wolf during my sleep, a survival mechanism all Wolves possessed. The sound of chains scraping against the ground rang harshly in my ears, like nails screeching against a slate. I rolled on to feet, staggering upwards. My head swiveled around, as my single eye took in my surroundings. The females had all taken to their wolf-shape, and were all standing up, even the Wolfseer.

We are ready to respect your decisions, O Amarok, the grayish Wolf from yesterday stated.

I growled slightly at the back of my throat, I am not Amarok. I am Cassandra, Alpha of the East Clan.

She bended her elbows until the whole front of her body touched the ground, and lowered her tail and ears as she bowed before me, Yes, Alpha.

To this, I stood taller.

What is your name?

Dawn. My twin, Dusk, is a male. He tried to protect me against the Ferals, but they were too much. He is not dead.

Good for you. Were you awake when they dragged you down here?

I wasn't, but Maybell was, she linked, nodding at a smallish red Wolf who was standing next to her.

     She had a smart glint in her amber eyes and her ears were pricked forward, a special kind of alertness seeming to rule her body. She made me think of a fox, even if her shape was that of a wolf. My single eye glided to her as I looked her over.

Is that true?

Yes, Alpha. I faked being asleep when the Feral brought me here. When I get out of the collar, I can show you how to get out.

     I gave a curt nod before attentively observing the large holding cell. I strained my ears as I padded along the walls, searching for any suspicious sound or sight. Finally, my paws had stalked the whole perimeter, and had brought me back to the mutilated, unrecognizable body of the Feral.

    On hesitant toes, I crept up to him. He was a bloody blob of murky crimson, his clothes torn next to him. They were my first pick as I nosed my way through them. The metallic, rusty scent of the blood was overwhelming my sense of smell, but it did nothing to my sense of touch and vision. The tip of my muzzle suddenly touched a hard, cold object and I picked it up gently between my jaws. Though they could crush bones, they were also designed to carry pups by the scruff.

    I dropped the object on the blood- and creamy substance-covered stone ground and nearly jumped up in relief at the sight my one eye had captured. A set of crimson-covered, albeit still shiny keys were staring up at me.

     I let my human shape slip over me as I stood up, keys in hand.

"I have them."

     Simple words, really, but immediately all the females' heads rose up from the grimy ground.

     I approached the closest female, a tawny wolf with pale orange eyes and slid the key in the slot of her collar, turning it. It unclamped with a little 'click' that seemed like music to the female's ears. She bowed before me.

Alpha.

The second one was a large, silvery black with a pair of bright amber eyes. As I turned the key in the slot, she let out a breath of relief and bowed before me, repeating the same words as the previous.

It went on, first a small Southern Wolf, like me, then a gray East Wolf—she bowed with more respect, if possible, telling me how horrible the old Clan Alpha was—, followed by a tawny wolf, before I finally got to Dawn.

Thank you, Alpha. I will never be able to express my gratitude towards you.

     And, when I'd freed everyone, Maybell stepped up.

A/N) There! Chapter 18! Hope y'all're happy!
For the dare: Sir Big Muscles was absent for the bigger part of the week, and last week when we could've accomplished the dare, my friend forgot to wash her hair... She didn't want to accost a hot guy without looking decent... So, normally, it's for tomorrow!
I'm pretty sure my crush nothingzoned me, because I found out he speaks a lot to my ex-friend, so...
Anyways! Hope your week was great!
Have fun with this chapter (it doesn't end in a cliffhanger, ain't that surprising??)
- Lexie