47. The Taste of Survival


    SKYLA.


    My heart hammers as I stare at the blood pouring through the cracks before I quickly get out of the car.


    “Stay hidden.” I whisper to Malevolent before I shut the door. The rain instantly drenches me as I stare


    at the body on the back of my car.


    Fuck.


    I rush over, my brain going into emergency mode.


    I need to stem the bleeding! First, I slowly turn the body of the girl over before I gently lift her off the car,


    my heart sinking as I recognise her. She’s a witch student from the academy, one I’ve seen around


    campus here and there. She’s a few years younger than me but I don’t know anything else.


    Her breathing is uneven, and she’s losing blood fast. I can see she’s missing a leg and a good chunk of


    her hip and one arm.


    Fuck…


    “I’m going to call for help.” I say, reaching for my phone in my pocket, only to realise it’s in the car.


    I pull off the hoodie I''m wearing and wrap it around her waist. I need to call for help asap!


    “No… help… them…” She chokes out, her eyes flitting to the forest before her eyes roll and my own


    heart stops when I realise she’s gone.


    I close my eyes.


    I may not know her, but someone just died… I move back, staring at her mutted body.


    That fucker…


    I stand up, and that’s when I hear it, the chilling hiss of none other than the Death Noodle, followed by


    screams that are partially drowned out by the thunder.


    Fuck!


    Grabbing a piece of ss, I break into a run.


    Note to self: keep a damn weapon in the car at all times!


    I leave the road; the pouring rain is making it harder to pick up a scent.


    “Hello!” I shout, brushing back my wet hair from my face.


    Another scream and I follow the sound rushing deeper into the woods, the rocky uneven terrain


    beneath my feet doing little to slow me down.


    I stop in my tracks when I see the broken-down trees,


    It’s here…


    And it’s angry…


    “Hey, can anyone hear me!” I shout. If not, the others out here she was referring to may be in trouble.


    Maybe the Death Noodle might get distracted.


    I’m about to shout again when I see two young girls. One is a werewolf, the other a witch, both huddled


    against a tree trunk.


    Both are injured, as they cower in fear and my heart squeezes when I see the shadow of the monster


    behind them. It’s flickering in and out of view, but it’s unmoving…


    The witch is muttering something, but the weak shield she’s summoned isn’t going to be enough…


    My eyes ze as the instinct to protect them overtakes me.


    I can risk my own life, fuck I don’t care what happens to me, but when someone or something picks on


    those weaker than them… then Sk Rossi has got to step up her game.


    “Over here, you fucking Dumb Noodle!” I growl, grabbing a broken piece of wood that looks sharp


    enough in my free hand. I rush at it.


    Jumping up, I spin in the air, raising both weapons as heunches himself at me, opening his mouth in


    mid-air.


    Fuck, he could chomp me in two. I twist my body, mming the piece of wood into his mouth.


    At the same time, I try to use the ss to cut him, but it simply cuts me and I end up dropping it.


    It hisses, snapping the wood that is in his mouth as if it was simply a piece of straw, and I shift, shoving


    my wed hand straight into its eye.


    If I can’t defeat it, then I will blind it.


    Got to even the ying field, right?


    My ws go straight into its left eye, and I hold on tight, digging my ws in, before I rip its eyes out.


    A terrifying shriek like hiss leaves it, one that even makes my blood run cold.


    The blood and rage that follows are fucking intense. I’m coated in it as it ils his head and I’m thrown


    back, mming into a tree, the agony that rushes through me, forces me to shift back.


    “Call the academy!” I shout to the girls, but both are simply staring at me in horror.


    Fuck, man! Focus!


    “We need help!” I scream.


    We aren’t going to win this, and I can’t let them get hurt!


    They simply stare at me in terror.


    Fuck! You dumb shrimps!


    The huge-ass snake is still iling blindly. This is our chance to get away.


    “Get up and run!” I growl, staggering to my feet.


    “What the fuck…” I hear the witch mutter, but she’s staring at me. I know she can’t see the Death


    Noodle, but surely, she knows there’s something here? Right now they’re staring at me in horror, but I


    couldn''t care less if they know I’m a Lycan.


    “Come on, we need to get out of here.” I say, rushing over to them.


    The snake freezes, its gaze snapping down to me. This time it seems to be staring at me, almost


    intelligently…


    Unease fills me as the chilling darkness seems to grow. Something in the air shifts and I find myself


    staring into the one eye it has left…


    It looks too intelligent… Something about its observance makes my heart pound.


    I don’t move. My only thought is these kids need to get out of here.


    “Guys… go.” I hiss.


    For a moment I’m not sure they will listen but then they mber up, the witch dragging the injured she-


    wolf up.


    “Call someone please.” I say quietly.


    I’m not sure they hear me as the snake suddenly lunges at me and I jump. Its head barrels into the


    ground, sending dirt flying everywhere, and I shift.


    Jumping on its back, I try to reach for the other eye. If I can just blind itpletely…


    It hisses, as it thrashes around, breaking down trees in the process. It’s not attacking blindly, he’s in a


    rage. One that I have ignited.


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    I groan as I feel something break in my back, but I’m not about to let go of him. I struggle to climb


    higher, aiming to get closer to its face.


    I can taste blood in my mouth and the pain in my body as he ms me this way and that.


    What do I do?


    Wait! I can mind link Alphas. I didn’t want to resort to this, but there’s a kid out there dead and two more


    injured.


    ‘If anyone can hear me, I need help in the southern side of the woods bordering the Luminaria Pack.


    There should be a car parked on the road. You can’t miss it!’ I feel the dull headache that I get every


    time I use that ability. Come on with full force.


    The snake''s moving and my heart is in my mouth when I spot the two girls fucking huddled against a


    tree, crying.


    I get that one is injured but keep moving!


    Don’t they get it? In life, sometimes we have to help ourselves… I’m trying to stall it!


    My eyes widen when I see the witch get up and leave the injured she-wolf behind, who has begun


    convulsing.


    The fuck?


    The witch nces back at me before she runs off, and for a moment I feel shocked that she just


    abandoned herrade. We don’t do that… My momentary distraction costs me and I lose my grip


    and the snake manages to throw me to the ground.


    Pain sears through my head and arm as I feel something break, and I’m forced back into human form


    again.


    I groan as I reach up and push my dislocated shoulder back into ce.


    I roll over and stagger to my feet.


    My instincts are telling me to run, to pick my battles wisely, but I can’t leave the girl here…


    I can’t let someone else die.