The rightful Luna

Chapter 19. The hunters who cried wolf

"Two!" Counted loudly Celia, her voice never faltering. She did not want to give the least bit sign of weakness, but her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Please help me be strong!" She reached out to the only ones who could offer support right now, her wolves.

"I am here Celia!" Immediately acknowledged Crescent.

It seemed that Waning was still not able to answer, but she felt that at least her aura increased and she was certain that the power that coursed through her far surpassed Crescent's, so it was surely the white wolf lending her strength. Still she should really hold a proper conversation with her, she thought. Waning had always been quiet, but she had never been this quiet like she was these last few months. Well the conversation would be later, that is if she made it out alive.

With the corner of her eyes she checked on the other werewolves. They appeared to be still immobile, and as the hunters had said they were to be taken, most likely they would not be killed until the goal of the hunters, whatever that was, would be accomplished. It meant that even if she dared act on her own, the other werewolves would still be safe, they would still be kept alive as they were not an immediate threat.

"Three!" She continued louder and more determined, raising another clawed finger in the air. The situation was tensed.

The hunters were confused on what to do, they could never lower their weapons, they already felt how fast she was. She would surely take down one or two of them until they could put her down, and no one wanted to be in those one or two people. But still how could they abandon the chief, he was the brain of the operation and without him other groups of hunters would overtake them. Not to mention he was the one controlling the witches.

Seeing they appeared unwilling to listen to her words, she sank her claws tighter around the chief's neck, making him gasp even more, as he lacked the ability to breathe in the slightest. Perhaps she reckoned that like this she would be more convincing, or maybe it had only been a move caused by nervousness. Either way, unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.

A single loud sound was heard as a bullet was released from one of the riffles. The young hunter that was by the deer had lost his composure and, while trembling due to a terrifying fright, had accidently pulled the trigger, putting an unwitting end to the stalemate situation.

Feeling the wound in her left side of the abdomen and the wolfsbane that quickly entered her body, sending ripples of pains like she never felt before, Celia tightened her clawed hand, involuntarily cracking the neck of the hunter.

It was the first time she killed someone, even if she did not mean to. Normally her own actions should have trapped her in confusion and stilled her into place because of the traumatic act, but the situation and the adrenaline pumping in her body made her continue thinking about the next step instead of breaking down. She could not waste time thinking about the life she took.

Realizing that as he was dead the chief had lost his value as a hostage, she quickly tossed the lifeless body towards the hunters, hoping she could at least distract them for a moment and perhaps lessen their numbers.

Two hunters were hit by the older man's big built corpse that she had thrown with force towards them, causing them to crash in a nearby tree, before losing their consciousness.

She was not sure how much time she had left until her body shut down because of the wolfsbane, as it reacted differently for each wolf. Perhaps she had a bit more time than what she had learned in the courses because of her two wolves, but she did not want to take any chances. The most important thing now was time, so she retreated quickly under the cover of the heavily snowed trees and night.