(3) Painstaker

Twenty-Five: I Need You

My vision was becoming blurry. With no idea how, I managed to take down two more of the wolves. My dodging was becoming sloppier, which meant my wounds were growing in number. I trained for this. I did. Why can't I beat them?

They're stronger than you.

One of them rammed me in my side, causing me to tumble onto the ground drenched in blood. I let out a puff of air; my lungs felt tight. There were chunks of my flesh ripped out. These things, these rabid werewolves, they could have killed me already. It was as if they were toying with me, not caring if I killed one or two of them in the process.

It left me with a sick feeling in my gut.

One of them was slowly walking in my direction, teeth drawn in a wolfish sneer. This one, with bloodlust sparkling its red eyes, was going for the kill. My legs felt numb and shaky; I couldn't move. My consciousness was hanging on a very thin string.

Get up! Get up, dammit!

The ground vibrated underneath me. The wolf who was just about to swipe at me, snapped its head up at something behind me. Immediately, the rest of the Dead Wolves pushed their ears back, and they bowed forward ever so slightly. Another rumble shook everything around us. Each of them took off into run, opposite to whatever they were looking at. In a flash, they had disappeared with the dark forest to hide them.

Though my energy was nearly depleted, I managed to wiggle until I was facing the other direction. My wolf spirit's strength had vanished, forcing my body to shift back into human form. There was so much blood covering my skin, I could hardly see it. Without the fur, I was cold, and that wasn't a good sign. Werewolves were always warm, whether in wolf or human form.

My tired eyes tried hard to focus on the approaching figure, but my vision was crossing. It was a person, nearing closer and closer to me. They knelt down in front of me. For a second, I could see perfectly, causing a gasp to escape my trembling lips.

"D-Donovan?"

"Crystal," his lips moved to form my name. I couldn't hear his voice. Dammit, I wanted to hear his voice. "Crystal, what have you done?" That was all I could read from his lips; everything else I couldn't decipher.

I wasn't sure if it was my half conscious brain playing tricks on me or if it was real, but Donovan's eyes looked completely black. Unable to move, all I could do was stare as my brother spoke to me, unable to hear him, but grateful that I could see his face again. He was alive. Donovan was alive.

A single tear rolled down my cheeks. "I missed you," I slurred. "I love you, brother."

He was still Donovan. That fact became obvious when he pressed his index and middle finger to his lips, then placed those two fingers on a cut on my face. "All better," his lips formed the words.

I smiled. My eyes rolled shut, and everything around me turned into the same darkness that I saw in my brother's eyes.

I'm sorry, Zeke. I'm so, so sorry.

*

"Hi."

The kid with dark brown hair and equally dark eyes ignored me. In fact, he may have even swatted at the air in hopes of pushing away a pesky bug.

That didn't sit well with me. "Hello?" I sang. Even when I twirled around to his front, he just kept his eyes ahead of him. He was twice my size! At least, it felt like it. Boys suck. "Why ignore me? It's annoying. Nobody ignores me. I'm Crystal Westwood. Daddy is the Beta of this pack!" He remained silent. "Don't believe me? I can prove it! Let me get him!"