Ice Wolf and Ink Panther

underground

Silver

Up ahead I can smell smoke. It burns my nostrils as I run. I can hardly smell anything else except the bitter smoke that drifts through the forest. As I run I glance up even if I wasn’t in my wolf form I’d be able to see the black plumes that rise over the trees. The closer I get to the clearing the more destruction I can see. Blood is splattered over the ground and the leaf litter has been scattered where recent fights have broken out.

I crouch behind a clump of brushes keeping on the edged of the clearing. The wind is blowing in my direction meaning my scent is pushed behind me. I look at the burnt cabins and destroyed campground.

No wonder no one has picked that I’m around. Every person I can see looks exhausted they walk with their feet barely leaving the ground and apart from one or two who are running to bring medical supplies to those who are badly injured no one is doing much.

Inside one of the cabins that have been untouched by the destruction I can hear feral snarling. Keeping out of sight I look for any sign of Ivy. I can smell her scent but it isn’t fresh, In fact I’d say it’s a day old, maybe more.

A bitter smell assaults my nose and my eyes widen, silver. I shake my head the destruction makes sense now. Hunters have been here and they’ve left behind wounded and dead Werecats. Glints of silver bullets that are lodged into the infrastructure have a knot of worry building in my stomach. I need to find Ivy. She was defiantly here but she the idea that Hunters could have taken her or killed has me shivering. 

I take a breath; if she were dead I would know about it. If she died I would feel it in my chest as if my very soul had been broken apart.

Pushing down the fear that she’s hurt I concentrate on what’s going on in front of me. I need to try and find something that will give me a lead on where she’s gone. I’m not sure yet is she escaped before the hunters hit this place or if they took her.

Another snarls sounds from the cabin and yells follow it. The cabin door splinters as a huge tiger leaps out. I stop myself from snarling, of course Ivy found her way to the Night Walkers Pride. I immediately recognise Inferno who is snarling as he paces outside the cabin he just burst from.

Erik walks out barely noticing the eyes of the pride as they watch. I perk my ears up as he says “Cobalt! Inferno! There is no point in you rushing off. You have no idea where she is and is you storm off without a plan you’ll never find her. I need you calm.”

I find it ironic that it seems that at the same time I found my mate Cobalt has found his as well. I shake my head in empathy. Their pride and My own pack aren’t friends but after having a difficult mate of my own I can relate to how Cobalt feels.

I watch as Inferno releases control and Cobalt shifts back. I’ve often seen Inferno lash out. He’s never been easy to control and silently thank Titanium for having a cooler head than Inferno.

Titanium’s words float through my head “ Cobalt is much more laid back, Inferno needs to be fierce otherwise he would not be able to be an alpha. Cobalt draws on Inferno’s anger and attitude when he needs to take control of a situation. We’re around the other way; you’re the hot headed one while I’m the calm one. You draw on my ability to be calm when you need to make hard decisions.”