Fight for Me

The next day - Wolf Council meeting

The evening air is cold as the sun sets, and the sky grows darker.

There are patrols scattered around the old cabin. -The cabin where the council members intend to have their discreet meeting.

Though, they’re so deep into the forest, it’s not expected for anyone to be here nor near it. In fact, the cabin’s appearance is actually quite deceitful. It looks rather elegant indoors, and quite spacious. It is also regularly furnished with a spell to prevent any sound from being heard on the outside. It is nonetheless where the council members usually have their secret meetings with outsiders. Or so, Nicholas had recently found out.

He and Alpha Kyle had been requested to remain in the shadows of the far corners of the cabin, should an intruder get past the patrols on the outside.

“The witch elder is here.” Ruhan abruptly stands from the large round table in the room as his eyes glaze over.

“Already?” Victor says almost nervously. “Be ready.” He barks his order, clearly directed at wherever Nick and Kyle are in the room.

The door is opened and the four men look at the entrance, with shock clearly visible on their faces as they see a young boy, barely reaching the door knob.

“Uhm-“ An unfamiliar and strange look of confusion crosses Brahams face.

“Hi!” The boy says with a chipper wave as he looks at the four men and enters the room with a slight skip in his step.

The room is filled with silence for barely a few seconds when a snort is heard from Morik.

Victor grimaces at Morik, though his attention quickly goes to Ruhan’s next comment.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Ruhan looks at his fellow council members as if looking for an answer.

“Huh?” The boy asks with an innocent face.

“It might as well be.” The stern voice of a woman says from behind the child.

They all turn their heads to look at the elderly woman, head completely grey, though in an extravagant braid falling over one shoulder. The strong scent of herbs and wet earth gives her identity as a witch away. Though, the quick purple glow in her eyes confirms it.

The woman gently pats the boy on his shoulder as she looks back up at the men with a distasteful grin.

“You wolves did always think being bigger and tougher is what made you stronger. You wouldn’t even realize it if a witch powerful enough to stop a heart with a snap of a finger was standing right in front of you.” She looks back down at the chipper boy who seems pleased with her comment before looking back up at the men.

Braham releases a soft growl. “Is that a threat?”

“Braham?” Victors whispers in a scolding tone.

But the woman just huffs out annoyed as she and the boy make their way to the empty seats at the table.

Just as she makes herself comfortable, she stares at the men and then at the empty seat next to her.

“Are we expecting another guest I wasn’t aware of?”

They all turn their heads to Ruhan, but he just gently shakes his head before responding.

“No.” He looks back at the other council members to confirm the vampire queen would indeed not be attending. “Let’s commence the meeting.”

The atmosphere of the room immediately grows dark and serious.

Nicholas struggles trying to focus on what is being discussed, especially as they all seem to disagree with one another and continuously repeating themselves.

He’s just surprised that they would even allow him inside and listen to their discussions. But as eager as they are for their safety, Nick is definitely not complaining for whatever free information he may be getting from his ‘close relationship’ with the wolf council.

It does annoy me though, when they keep bringing up what a trustworthy ally I should be as the son of the Alpha King.

It’s already been about two hours and Nick looks at the far corner of the room and catches a glimpse of Kyle nodding off as his head bobs up and down.

With the way things are going it doesn’t seem like anything will be happening tonight. That means Layla won’t be coming tonight?

Another ten minutes and his wolf starts getting antsy.

Calm down. We’ll go on a run later. He tries coxing his wolf.

But his wolf doesn’t calm down. And with the sudden tug in his chest, he can just guess why.

She’s here.

He straightens up as he suddenly scans the area. Though with the limited number of candles lighting up the room, there are countless shadows darkening every nook and cranny.

He tries smelling a scent, but nothing.

Of course her scent is hidden, again.

Though, the more he seems to focus the more his eyes seem to grow heavier.

He shakes his head, hoping to clear it of its sudden heavy weight. Even the meeting has grown dreary and irritable. As is his wolf.

He sniffs the air again, eager to get even the slightest change of scents in the room. But the minty smell of the cabin seems to overpower everything.

Nick scrunches his brow.

Mint? Why would it smell like mint?

A sudden thud is heard, and looking up Nick sees a blurry dark figure standing behind the witch elder. Though all the speakers by the table seem too unfocused and unaware of the unwelcomed guest.

“No.” Nick huffs out as he struggles to move, realizing only now just how stiff his muscles have become.

Though, the figure instantly grabs the child from behind, wrapping their hand tightly over his mouth. The child struggles aggressively, sending his chair rolling on the floor.

The witch finally takes notice of the noise and her eyes widen when she finally comprehends what is happening. She desperately tries reaching for the child, but he is pulled away from the table and onto the floor with a hand still firmly muffling his screams, which slowly fade.

The witch falls to the floor, her body numb. The council members hurriedly rush out of their chairs, realizing the intrusion, though they too struggle and have to make use of the table to stand.

In the far corner of the room, Kyle is already passed out on the floor.

The child’s body finally goes still, as does his screams, and the cloaked figure stands and walks over to the witch as they pull a long, thin dagger from their back.

Realizing what is happening, Nick forces himself up with much difficulty, making his way to one of the few windows in the cabin.

Gggrrhhh!!! But Ruhan releases a large growl using all his strength to push the intruder away and against a wall.

The intruder gasps from the force of the impact as burning candles fall to the floor. But they swiftly gets up.

Ruhan growls as he forces himself to brace for the fight, but all he gets in return is a slight shake of the head from the intruder.

The masked figure slowly sidesteps away from Ruhan, and he pulls his face with a confused expression.

But the intruder suddenly trips and falls. Looking back, they see Braham lying on the floor with a hand wrapped around their foot. They suddenly start kicking at Braham, but he relentlessly holds on.

But Braham suddenly screams with a loud growl as the intruder stabs his wrist, and finally lets go of their foot.

They jump up, grabbing a fallen chair and hitting an approaching Morik over the head with it. The chair crumbles to pieces and Morik falls to the floor with a loud thud and on top of Braham’s cane.

They pick up the dagger but Victor suddenly grips their hand holding the dagger and starts squeezing it angrily.

“You!! You think you can just come here and kill more of us?” He throws a punch at the intruder which has them stumbling back.

But they feel warmth on their back as they're caught in a firm grip, Ruhan’s grip. But the grip tightens as Victor approaches the intruder again and they're left with no choice but to fight them both off.

Breaking Ruhan’s nose with a sudden hit of the back of their head, and dodging another one of Victor’s punches, they grip their dagger, cut Ruhan’s leg and stabs Victor’s arm as he blocks her oncoming attack. None of whom seem to notice yet the growing smoke choking everyone and numbing them even more.

Finally reaching the window, Nick shoves it open, letting the fresh air in and the choking smoke out.

Looking back in the cabin, he sees the flames growing quicker than he thought it would, and bodies scattered on the ground. He turns his head to the outside and focuses on taking deep breaths rather.

The attacker hurriedly shoves Ruhan against a burning wall and kicks Victor’s knee in, sending him to the floor.

“No!!” Victor screams with anger, getting everyone’s attention as the fresh air starts to clear their minds and brings strength back into their muscles.

Looking back, Nick sees her crouching over the witch whose arm is still reaching out to the limp boy.

Clenching his jaw, he rushes at the attacker and pulls them off of the witch. They both pant from the smoke inhalation and adrenaline, but they desperately pull themselves out of Nick’s hold.

Though, the attacker quickly notices not just Nick suddenly gaining proper consciousness, but everyone else seems to be gaining control of their numb muscles too.

The attacker suddenly throws the dagger at Nick who swiftly dodges it. But the moment he turns to them again, he sees them run out the door.

“Go after her!” Ruhan shouts as he steadies himself against the table, struggling in pain from the burn marks on his back.

Finally awake, Kyle limps to the door at their command, as Braham tries shaking Morik awake and to get off his cane.

Nick hurriedly pushes past Kyle and rushes out after her, eager to get a head start. But he soon hears the shout of another request, from Victor this time. “Find her!”

Nick runs faster as he realizes that they know. Being so close to her, they’ve figured out that the Ghost Killer is a woman.

Shit! That was the one thing keeping her safe from them.