Fight for Me

He sees the rogue running towards him, but more bloodied and bruised than before.

He must have gotten in contact with some of the others, and got attacked.

Just as the rogue spots him, it lunges towards him. But Nicholas’ wolf is quick to grip its fore-limb in a bite and shove it to the side. The rogue slides on the floor and hits a pillar hard, making it crack.

The fires are growing bigger and closer from all floor levels. They’re practically surrounded in heat and smoke. Nicholas can already see the rogue acting out, clearly bothered by the fire.

The two wolves attack each other again. Snapping their jaws and throwing their claws at each other. With a split-second opening, the black wolf goes for the jugular, and locks his jaws on it. The rogue is yelping and scratching whatever it can. The black wolf shoves the rogue off him, and snaps a large chunk of meat from its neck.

The rogue is bleeding incessantly, but is still not weakening. It gets up again, lunging at the black wolf again.

It’s not stopping. It’s like it wants to die.

As the rogue attacks, the black wolf runs full speed, shoving the rogue with its entire body weight backwards, - backwards and off the ledge of the balcony. The rogue falls, still snapping at anything it can, until it hits the bottom floor with a loud thud, cracking the floor with its force.

The black wolf stares down at the still form of the wolf. A few seconds later he sees the rogue’s body slowly starting to morph.

A sudden breeze flows through the building, getting his attention. Looking back, the black wolf sees his brothers walk through the dimming flames, followed by the witch chanting. The once blazing flames dwindle and fade out. All his members are slowly being revealed through the smoke as they make their way to their Alpha.

Looking back down at the morphed body, the wolf growls from anger. He immediately shifts back into his human form.

“What is it? Is it dead?” Tristan asks walking towards him.

Nicholas grunts, still looking down.

But the slight gasps and mumbling from the other pack members, has Tristan and Anthony worried.

“What is it Nicholas?” Anthony asks.

“That is not a rogue. He’s a shifter that helps out as a teacher in town. And his name was Jerry.” Nicholas says as he clenches his hands into fists.

“What?” Tristan says knowing that Nicholas knew this sifter.

Too many thoughts are going through Nicholas’ mind right now.

This berserk wolf reminds him of the wild rogues that attacked his pack last time.

There’s probably a connection.

That means that someone is messing around here, - with his pack, his town, with shifters. He knows that if it comes to light that people are messing around with shifter transformations, there might just be another war headed their way. And then there is the whole weird situation with Layla.

He sighs and turns around. “Tyler? Let’s check on everyone and get going.”

“Yes Alpha.” Tyler nods.

Nicholas heads in one of the shops and puts on a pair of shorts.

As more people make themselves known, Layla starts running through the crowds of people, excitedly looking for a familiar face.

“Layla? What are you doing here?” Anthony asks, curious.

“It’s a long story. Excuse me.” She rushes past him, towards Tyler. “Tyler?”

He turns around.

“Can you find out where Cody is? I can’t see him here.”

Tyler looks around and then his eyes glaze over. But the troubled look on his face is worrying Layla.

“What’s wrong?”

Tyler rushes down one of the hallways with Layla following. “They were attacked before they could lure the wolf here.”

Layla doesn’t know what to say. She just runs after Tyler. It doesn’t take long when they spot two people ahead, - one dragging the other along with an arm over the shoulder.

Running closer, she can see that the one limping is Cody.

She gasps. “Cody.” She rushes to him and places her hand on his abdomen trying to stop all the bleeding, not really sure where the wounds exactly are.

The man carrying Cody, lowers him to sit against a wall and on the floor. Layla quickly leans down and takes apart the empty first aid kit. She knows she doesn’t have anything, but she’s hoping she’s wrong.

Tears start falling down her face as she continues to rummage through the bag for a third time. But Cody lazily puts his bloody hand on hers to stop her. She looks up at him, with her lip quivering. She pulls her hand away, unbuttons her shirt and scrunches it into a ball, and presses it on his bleeding stomach, leaving her in a torn and bloodied vest.

She whimpers trying to stop the bleeding, but she can see the blood making a puddle on the floor. He puts his weak hand on hers, but she refuses to look at him. She sees her tears start to drip on their bloody and combined hands.

She doesn’t even notice Nicholas rushing towards their small crowd.

“What happened?” Nicholas growls out.

“We came across the wolf as we were setting the fire.” He sighs. “The wolf was going to attack me, but Cody jumped in its way.” He shakes his. “I don’t know why he would do that, when he was already badly injured then.”

Nicholas looks at Cody, and he knows it doesn’t look good. He looks at Tyler, but he just slightly shakes his head.

Layla too knows what’s coming. He’s bleeding out faster than he can heal. And with the amount of blood he already lost, it’s already too late.

She feels his already weak grip on her hand weaken and it gets her to finally look up at him. She can’t stop the sniffle that escapes. She instantly lets go of the shirt and grabs his hand in hers.

“Please don’t hate me.” Cody shakily says.

“Never.” She whimpers.

She can see the puddle of blood slowly growing. And she grips tighter onto his hand. They stare at each other in silence for a few more seconds, when Cody slowly looks away and to his side. Following his gaze, Layla sees it, - the shadow.

It is slowly approaching them, approaching Cody. She can hear his breathing slowing down.

“No. No. Not yet.” Layla says as she turns his face back towards her, but she’s still looking at the shadow. “Stay away.” She whimpers. “Please. Just a little longer.” More tears roll down her face.

None of them can understand who she is talking to, except for Cody.

“You can see it.” Cody softly says, gaining her attention. “I always knew there was something special about you.”

She sees the shadow hovering over them from the corner of her eye. Layla suddenly grabs him into a tight hug as she sniffles into his neck.

He places a weak hand on her back to reciprocate it.

He whispers to her. “It’s going to be alright,…right?”

She sniffles, not knowing what to say. He’s asking her if it will be fine. But she doesn’t know. From her experience, death is always painful. And he doesn’t deserve pain, but rather peace.

But before she can say something, she feels his hand slip off her back and his body go limp in her grasp.

She chokes on her breath as she realizes, it’s too late. He’s already gone. She starts to weep in his neck, not wanting to let go.

Time seems to stand still, as its concept becomes irrelevant to her. The pain feels timeless. She doesn’t know how long she’s been holding onto him, when she feels a warm hand on her shoulder. She looks up through teary eyes and sees Nicholas.

“It’s time. Let Micah take his body back.” He looks at the man Cody came with. “We’ll have a proper burial for him.”

She sees the man, Micah, lean down next to them, ready to take Cody’s body.

She looks back at Nicholas with such lost eyes. She doesn’t know what to do or where to go. But seeing Nicholas open his arms, she’s eager to go to the one place she feels safe. She curls up against him and readily becomes weightless as he picks her up, letting her become lost in his hold.