Fight By My Side

I was off running. Anger boiled over into rage. Oh, how I wanted to shift into a wolf! Yet, I resisted. If he was going to die, he should be able to see what I could still do. Yes, I would Shift at the last moment.

I heard something move high overhead. I rolled to the side as a hawk swooped low overhead. It was Mike, of course. No normal animal would be so brash. The thunder boomed, a low and deep growl.

Mike screamed at me to stop. I could hear the plea in his call, but all rationality had left my brain. I was driven to one goal and I didn't want any distractions.

"Get out of my way, Mike." I barked out. The hawk made another swoop for my shoulders as I rolled on my bad shoulder. It hurt like nothing else had, but I kept on running. The youngest Fuentes brother abandoned the hunt and fleetly flew back to the Sanctuary-to warn Jack and Vic, no less.

I was almost there when I saw movement and changed my course. It was Austin, jogging towards the rock pile. Then he passed it. I turned around, sprinting ahead of him. I crossed over the hill, standing in his path.

Austin halted when he saw me. In his arms was a ginger cat, limp and not moving. The lightning flashed high overhead. The tears were briefly illuminated on his cheeks, and wide eyes reflected the lightning. The moon pendant around my neck throbbed.

I would enjoy the taste of his blood on my lips. No one crosses me and lives.

"Help me. Please." He begged. The smell on the air that mingled with Austin's fear was the scent of of one with the Gift. I couldn't help but think it was the cat, but I could be sadly mistaken.

I sat there in silence watching him beg and trying to decide what to do. Behind me, I heard the movements of people running through the grass. I whipped around, snapping at the sound of Jack, Vic, and Ronnie sprinting towards me, about thirty feet away on the ridge over looking parts of the field. Fire burned in my eyes, enough for them to halt. I could feel my fingers curl into fists, clawing the flesh of my palms. The form was starting to tug at my skin.

"Please! He's dying!" Austin sobbed. I looked into the puddles of mourning brown that were wide with fear.

And I turned around, walking down the hill and out of sight.

I heard the wailing sobs behind me. Although I couldn't see him, his pleas were plenty. The three boys looked relieved. Grinning at them, they thought I was coming back and ignoring the boy.

Oh, were they mistaken.

Half way down the hill, I Shifted into the black and silver wolf I was Gifted with. With leaping bounds that flooded my body with the intense fire of the wound I reopened, I went over the hill, ready to tear his face off.

I could almost taste the sweet, sweet blood. My body pounced off the last step as I crashed right into him. He fell backwards ungracefully and dropped the cat that rested in his hands. I snapped at him, bringing my muzzle mere inches from his face, ready to tear into the weak flesh.

The eyes stared at me, all-knowing.

Yet, I stopped right before I could let the blood flow. The cat landed right next to him, but sustained no further injuries than what it had before. I stood, claws raking Austin's chest, inches away from his face. He had his arms spread out when I pushed him over.

His eyes. They told me he knew. He knew what I was all along, ever since I met him.

I left with him with a deep snarl that came from in my throat as he watched his life flash before his eyes. With that, I took the cat carefully in my jaws, hopeful not to hurt him.

Then I bounded off, leaving him out from what I had done. The cat squealed in pain, so smoothed out the quick gate. Austin definitely wasn't the Shapeshifter. It was this cat. Jack and Vic looked shocked, and Ronnie had a bemused expression on his face. My shoulder cried out from the extreme pain. Little drops of scarlet hit the ground. I pushed past Jack and Vic, not slowing down until I reached the door of the Shadow's Sanctuary. Jack and Vic had shifted behind me, trying to catch up.

I entered the trap door in my human form, cradling the cat in my warm grasp. Pushing down through the doors, I sprinted back to the infirmary room. Only a minute later, three boys came down after me.

"Wynter, you shouldn't have gone without us!"

"What were you thinking?!"

"Why did you Shift when he could've easily come over and seen?!" They all screamed at me. I ignored them and set the cat down on the table, putting some blankets around it after the jostling trip. Moving through the cabinets, I grabbed some bandages and other material.

The ginger cat's leg was twisted, obviously broken. The thing was, until it shifted back, we couldn't help it to much. We could patch up the leg, but otherwise we couldn't tell if it had rib injuries or what else. My blood dripped down my arm, but I didn't care that it felt like I was consumed by fire. I just needed to help the little cat. Vic, Jack, and Mike all awaited their answers.

"I did go without you because I knew I could handle myself. What I was thinking was that I would tear his face to shreds. Why did I Shift? Well, because someone else was in the immediate danger and AUSTIN ALREADY KNEW DARN WELL WHAT I WAS!" I screeched at them. I refrained from cursing at them as they sat in their uncomfortable silence. I bandaged the cat's leg up, with the tawny eyes that looked at me gratefully.

It was true. Austin gave me the look, he knew he had run into the person he was looking for. He knew I was the wolf, and so what was the point? I had at least spared that cat and I could help him.

Jack came up behind me silently, taking off the old bandage. It was now stained with my fresh blood. His tender hands tossed the old wrap and put on a new one. I stopped working with the cat while he tended to my wounds. The air suddenly felt suffocating, as if it was collapsing on me. He took my face in his hands, making me stare him straight in the eye.

"You should know better than to just Shift when you've been injured that badly. I don't think having the stitches ripped out of your skin was a very pleasant experience." He told me softly. I gave him a half-hearted smile.

"I know. I was being irrational." I murmured. The corners of his lips twitched into a small smile.

"You were just being yourself. Now let me deal with the cat and you go get some rest." He rubbed my cheek lightly as I squeezed his hand and let him deal with the injured feline. Vic and Mike let me pass them as I went to one of the bean bags and curled up in the soft and squishy surface. It was one of my favorite places to fall asleep. I felt as if my mind and body was torn to shreds. Ignoring the feeling, I closed my eyes in contentment. I sensed a presence enter the room and suspected Vic. I rolled over and stared at the ceiling, trying to come to terms with what just happened.

"He's going to change back, and when he does, he might get taken by the Guardians." I told him. Vic came and sat down next to me in the large bean bag.

"You want to save the cat from the Guardians, and that's why you changed forms." He concluded. I sighed and put my face in my hands.

"Oh I was being so stupid!" I groaned. Vic shook his head.

"No, you were just being you. Wynter, you did what you thought was right." He explained, trying to console me. Now that my rationality was coming back to me, I saw how idiotic I was.

"Hey, at least the cat will get better." I tried to look at the silver lining to this dark, looming, ominous cloud.

"See! It wasn't all bad! Jack's fixing him up right now, and then it will be all better." Vic pulled me into a hug. I winced from the contact with my injuries, but didn't care.

A tap at the door shook both of us out of our temporary happiness.

Notes

Oh Wynter and her sometimes rash decisions! Attention all who reads this: I have to know!!

Question: Do you ship anyone so far? It hasn't been to far into the story, but I'm curious if any of you guys ship some of the characters. If so, who do you ship????

(HINT HINT!!!: Sometimes I put the ships (If I agree with them) in the story.)

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