Moon Blood (COMPLETE)

Chapter Ten: An Unforeseen Attack

"You're full of shit, Ruby."

She gave him a pointed look. "You expected me to lie to you? Really? You really are just a paranoid child. Well, fine. Do what you like at the new moon."

Before he could respond she had already left, trudging down the stairs and hopefully, out of his life. He didn't feel bad about saying those words to her, and instead locked his door, sitting at his desk and steaming in his own irritation. He heard the door and the telling thud of his mother's step up the stairs. "Don't worry, mum, everything's fine."

"But darling, she left all in a hurry and I just wondered if she was okay."

"Everything is fine!"

He was even snapping at his mum now, and regretted it when he heard her reply rather mousily: "Okay, dear. Dinner won't be long."

He shook away his worries and brought up the map of the moors on his phone, looking for optimum routes and gullies to explore, caves to enter and animals to chase. It was inordinately hard to change his body at will, but with his new moon transformation, he wouldn't need anything this time.

The days came and went. Grey and uninteresting as the days that preceded them. Ruby was absent from school, and he may have paid it more attention had he not been so irritated at her. Come to think of it, just about everything was driving Neil up the wall: twice he'd shouted at his mum, and once at his dad. Thankfully, they'd just put it down to teenage hormones. They were half right, at least.

Tonight, he could be free. It was a clear day, and not a cloud blotted the azure sky above. It was an utter scorcher of a day, and the Indian summer had come with a vengeance, without a hint of autumn in the air. A clear, hot day meant a cool, clear night, when scents would be at their easiest to catch. His mouth practically salivated at the idea.

As evening fell, he left under the pretense that he would catch the bus over to David's house to spend the night; in reality, he went to hide a bag of spare clothes in a dell near his house, and sat behind a tree until dusk. The sky was barely purple before the chill began to set in, creeping over the ground and turning the trunk of the tree cold on his back. It was already very late as the days were so long in the summer: It made Neil wonder if he would change in late afternoon during the winter when the days were extremely short. He'd barely have time to get home from school.

He looked up at the sky, its colour that of a fresh bruise. He couldn't feel anything just yet, but his body was itching with anticipation. A restlessness he couldn't quite describe, but as soon as the darkness smothered the rolling moors and crept his way like a blanket, Neil couldn't stop himself from standing up and pacing back and forth as the heat tickled at his toes and crept up his legs. It made him shudder as it built and grew within him. He stripped off, embracing the brief moment the coolness of the night kissed his bare torso that now sported the startings of a six pack; he'd never been this fit before.

With the heat came the first wave of pain, and he grunted, dropping to his knees and grinding his teeth. Even though he was naked, he was burning up and sweating. But he loved it.

The pain was beyond addictive, almost orgasmic. Perhaps because he knew what was to come, what he would become in just a few short minutes. Another wave of heat and pain, and he shuddered in pleasure.

First he heard the cricket chirping, followed swiftly by the smell of the night air filled with opportunity and exploration. He licked his muzzle as his haunches trembled, itching to go.

He went, sprinting off over the rolling moors. At full speed, the wind whipped past his ears and his tongue lolled out. He was free. He galloped on and on into the moonless night.

When he caught her scent, he almost tumbled over his front paws.

Not anyone he recognised, but certainly a female. A pungent scent followed her as she ran alongside him. A huge black she-wolf pounded the earth, easily matching his speed, watching him with hungry eyes. She said nothing.

Another joined the chase. And another. Soon four surrounded him. He could smell them, and hear them panting. He darted down a hillock and towards the gully. They followed without missing a beat.

Neil bounded and scrambled over the dirt and rocks, but as fit as he was now, he couldn't outrun four of them. Four hungry wolves desperate for him. For his flesh? His body? Perhaps both. He leapt over the stream and up the scree, but he was tiring. He panted hard and his lungs burned, but the wolves were relentless.

He finally hit a wall: the edge of a cliff. He dug his front paws in the dirt but the momentum took him over and he skidded on the dry grass. He scrambled to his feet to see what had stopped him in his tracks: a great gorge lie before them, the mist creeping over it and rolling down into its depths. Neil yelped, and turned to face his pursuers.

Bright, brown eyes looked back. 4 pairs of them. There were two dark furred ones, a grey wolf and a tan one. He growled at them, but it was nothing more than a reflex.

"We know who you are."

He barked a warning, backing up as far as he could. They seemed undeterred, and the biggest took another step.

"Such a pleasant scent. One I've never experienced before. I want it."

"Not alone. He is all of ours to share."

If Neil backed up any further, he would plummet off the edge. But still his fur bristled and his teeth were bared. He tried to speak to them, but it was hopeless. Instead he barked another warning, and growled.

They were undeterred; the one who appeared to be the leader took a step forward, even. Neil barked again, but the she-wolf only licked her muzzle in response.

"Very cute. And delicious. You'll come with us now."

Before he could move another muscle the tan wolf leapt, putting her heavy paws on his shoulders and pinning him to the floor. He scrabbled and clawed at the earth but the grey one had secured his hind legs. They were burying their noses in his fur. He yelped, but it was largely dismissed. He scrunched his eyes shut.

There was lots of barking, and snuffling, and hot breath and growls at his neck. He couldn't even flinch as he guessed what they were after.

A yelp. The smell of blood. And another smell that sent his instincts flying.

Ruby had her maw around the biggest one's throat, squeezing and clawing at her to the point of cleaving a wound in her shoulder. Ruby's wings had sprouted and opened to what Neil assumed was their fullest, and it truly was an impressive sight as he sneaked a peek from under his cowering paws. Black and writhing, they stretched out above her, taking two of the wolves in each one and immobilising them.

But she was only one against four, and it didn't take long for the great black wolf to lunge and take her down, stamping on her wings and biting her ear. They snarled at each other, both their jaws slick with blood and neither backing down.

The smaller dark wolf had retreated far, far back, behind some weeds and her tail between her legs. Neil smelt fear from her most of all. Or maybe the fear was coming from him: he was utterly terrified.

But the scent of Ruby's blood eclipsed it all, her warm, dark, sweet blood and flesh flooded his olfactory and set it alight, powering him with perhaps foolish bravado. The mere thought of her being here, the scent of her adrenaline powered him and he snapped at the two others partially wrapped in Ruby's wing. One of them had grown great tan spines down her back whilst the other was sporting two grey tendrils from its neck. He grabbed the tan wolf in his jaw and bit down. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he knew he had to help Ruby. A heavy guilt was weighing in his chest but he pressed on, raking at her chest.

"Enough! Don't let him get his blood up!"

At one command, all four bounced off, loping into the gloom. Neil's eyes went to Ruby, her crumpled form shivering on the grass. Her wolf form fell away from her and she curled up, a nasty gash on her naked back. He lay down with her and licked her face softly.

"Told you you were being a fool," she mumbled.