Blind Rage

Khinn's POV

Did he—?

Calder's hand entered Desha's chest as if she was nothing, just meat, blood and bones, blasting a cavity in her chest as it burst crimson into the moonlit night.

The sound of Desha's scream, blended with my own, sounded as if we were underwater. Aside from the beat of my heart, no muscle would move. That pounding inside beat a rhythm to the instant of her execution, the cold action of Desha's judge and jury.

Her face, so beautiful in life was frozen, eyes open, mouth slack as she stood motionless. Desha's eyes held mine and in those fractions of seconds she was there and then gone, the warmth of the ages that had been her love simply vanished.

When Desha slumped forward, Calder kicked her lifeless body to the ground before dragging her to the ledge of Kelifer's Peak and tossed her away into the abyss.

Red.

Everything went red. My vision blurred as a flame seemed to curl in the pit of my stomach. My brain went into overdrive as it picked at everything that had just transpired.

The pain weighed down on me but instead of breaking even more, my heart turned ice cold and slunk into the shadows as my brain took complete control. The flames in my stomach rose to my chest and began crackling through my veins, taking over the rest of my body.

My fingers formed into fists, grabbing a hold of the arms that held me before in a movement, almost as fluid as water, grabbed the wrist that was holding the blade to my throat, snapped it backwards.

Alaric took a step back but no sound formed from the brute of a man as he held his wrist.

I grabbed a dagger from my belt as I faced Calder.

I don't have long but if I'm going to do this, now is the time.

"Oh ho ho, I ridded this world of of your partner and still you are standing? You even managed to catch Alaric by surprise. I'm impressed," Calder pupped excitedly.

I growled, partially shifting.

One step.

"First, you take MY PACK and you didn't even fight fair."

Step.

"Then, you constantly torment my daughters."

Another step.

"You pluck my youngest daughter's eye from her, forever wounding her and find sport in hunting my oldest like wild boar."

Another step.

"THEN you bring us here and kill my partner."

Another step.

"MY wife."

Another step.

"The MOTHER of my daughters."

Another step.

"MY MATE!!"

Distance closed.

I seized Calder by his throat. Leaning in, our noses touched and I yelled. All the anger, all the frustration, all the pain and anguish came out at that second and when it stopped, Calder laughed.

At that moment, I was jerked back and tossed aside.

Alaric.

He charged.

I didn't move. I wanted this.

In a single movement, I catapulted the dagger that was still in my hand and even though it hit its mark with a wet, bone crunching thump, Alaric crashed into me, sending us tumbling across the rocky, open terrain.

We both fought for dominance, taking handfuls of each other's flesh, limbs and clothing as we wrestled across the ground. Then Alaric released a hand-hold and used it to start jabbing my ribs; I kicked out, wheezing as I stood.

When he began to stand, both of my hands reached out and grabbed Alaric's head, bringing his face down sharply onto my knee.

Blood flowed from the Alaric's broken nose and he staggered backwards.

Using that small gap, I turned on Calder.

I didn't wait for Alaric to recover. Calder saw this too, both of us shifting with a simple snap of the fingers and charging one another.

Botolph and Dyryke collide, massive jaws snapping down on limbs and sharpened teeth biting into flesh before jumping back only to get knocked down by Alaric, who had now shifted, massive jaws snapping towards Botolph's neck.

Pushing off Rol with his hind legs, Botolph rolled to the side then stood.

"You won't get away alive."

Calder's voice crept into my head as Dyryke growled.

Blinded by flashes of memories of my children and the death of my mate, Botolph charged again, colliding with Dyryke only to howl of pain as Rol bit down on his leg.

Turning on Rol, Botolph barreled into the ashened wolf and together, rolled across the ground. Ripping at one another, both Rol and Botolph stopped at the ledge of the peak.

Without giving a further opening, Botolph kicked out his hind legs again, hitting Rol in the chest, sending him over the edge.

"Well. That's a shame. Doesn't prove anything though."

Botolph regained his balance, his left shoulder drooping. His vision was becoming blotched from blood loss but he shook his massive raven-shaded head and faced Calder.

One down. One to go.

"I'm not sure how much longer we can hold out in our condition. Two against one isn't honorable at all and we are extremely out of season," I grunted.

"When it comes to a fight, there's no honour, no code; all that matters is that we win or come out alive and we take nothing for granted," Botolph growled, his eyes never leaving Dyryke.

"If you want to see you daughters again, your will fight. Kelifer's Peak is Alistair's territory."

With that, Botolph and Dyryke clashed again, more aggressively, before both were at their max.

Botolph stood, blood dripping to the earth uncontrollably, a shoulder dislocated and many broken bones. Dyryke stood, his lower muzzle hanging on mostly by thin skin; his entire right ear was almost gone but that aside, was in a similar condition as Botolph.

When a howl erupted through the thicket, Dyryke's ear perked before turning and limping away.

When 5 wolves and a lycan entered the opening, Botolph collapsed and I took his place.

The lycan was the one to approach though, rolling me over with a massive clawed hand on my chest, ears flat against it's head.

"I... am.. Triaa and N-Noir's f-father."

When I said this, the lycan loosened it's grip with perked ears and a tilted it's head. Shifting, he pulled me to my feet and dropped my arm over his shoulder.

"Who did this," he questioned.

"Calder. He and—," was all I could get out before darkness consumed me.