A Wolf Scorned by Taylor Spratt

Amira

The wolves growled as they charged for where Syrus and I wedged ourselves against the tunnel wall.

“Syrus!” I yelled and he reached into his pocket to remove what looked like a small green gas mask. Reaching behind him he dropped it into my hand.

“What is this?” I gripped the mask with both hands, studying it.

“Plan B, now put it on!” he demanded before putting on a gas mask of his own. The wolves were almost on top of us when Syrus dipped his hand in his other pocket and pulled out a black metallic-looking sphere, about the size of a tennis ball. He threw it to the ground.

I fastened the mask over my face just in time for one of the wolves to ram its head directly into Syrus’s belly. Sryus threw the beast to one side.

The ball Syrus had thrown exploded with a loud bang, and a cloud of thick grey smoke spewed from the orb, filling the tunnel with a blinding mist.

The wolves cried out as if in pain, their faint silhouettes thrashed about in the smoke before they fell hard to the floor and whimpered like puppies.

“It’s only tear gas, it won’t hold them back for long. Let's go.” Syrus took my hand and led me through the smoke toward the exit.

As we ran, my relief was mixed with the uneasy feeling that something was amiss here.

How was it that Syrus was so prepared for every problem that we faced along the way? Why was he so keen on risking his life just to help one hole shifter go free? He was hiding something from me and my wolf's instinct told me it was important.

We reached the ramp and began our climb out of the hole. A beam of sunlight hit my eyes and water trailed down my cheeks as we reached the surface. I yanked the mask from my face desperate to suck in a deep breath. This was my first taste of real fresh air and it smelled amazing, clean and laced with greenery.

“Were not out of the woods yet, stay close to me.” Syrus raised his hand to shield me as he pulled the mask from his face. Tall figures loomed ahead of us like ghostly gate keepers.

“Vampires males,” I babbled.

“And they’re not the nice kind.” Syrus took a cautious step back, guiding me back with him, his eyes never leaving the blood suckers.

The three vampires had long bone straight hair as white as snow. They wore the signature black cloak most of their kind wore and, typical for vampires, their features were strikingly beautiful, perfectly designed to lure in their prey.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? It seems you two wolves are lost. Your home is back there.” The vampire to the furthest right spoke with what sounded like a thick Romanian accent as he pointed back toward the smoking entrance.

“No thanks, we like it up here better. But you're welcome to go down there if you like,” Syrus said in a cheeky tone and shrugged.

Plainly unamused, the vampire’s eyes went from midnight black to a bright, blood red.

“Do not play with us, wolf. Now return home or we will drink you both dry.” The center vampire spoke in a deep intimidating voice, and by the twitch of his brow I knew he wouldn’t be asking us again.

A bead of sweat slid down Syrus’s forehead and I could hear his heart pick up pace. We were in trouble here. Vampires were much stronger than even Beta wolves and there were three of them.

I couldn't let them kill Syrus. He was only trying to help me. He didn’t deserve to die for that.

I bypassed Syrus to stand in front of him. I widened my stance and placed my hand to my chest.

“Look, guys, you don’t need to hurt this he-wolf. He’s not even from the hole. Let him go and you can take me instead.”

“Ha, how cute! She doesn’t want us to hurt her boyfriend, hear that guys?” The vampire to the further left squealed in delight and the three of them gave a boisterous chuckle that made me go red in the face.

“How dare you laugh at a kind-hearted woman. You three will pay dearly for that,” Syrus snarled.

“You dare threaten us, wolf? When we’re done with you, you’ll be dried out and pale with nothing but the earthworms to keep you warm,” the one in the middle said and they marched towards us, hissing like animals.

Syrus raised both fists, leaning forward and preparing to attack, when the sound of galloping and horse whinnies broke the chilly scene. I turned to peer in the distance and I could scarcely believe my eyes.

Three white unicorns came galloping towards us, trampling the grass with each heavy hooved stride. They had beautiful rainbow-colored manes and magical horns on their heads that looked like spears.

Riding the unicorns were two women and one man. The women had striking eyes and long, flowing black hair. But it was the man who was the real show stopper.

I didn’t think it possible but he was even more magnificent looking than the unicorn he expertly rode.

His shoulder-length strawberry blond hair swept over his wide shoulders as he steered the magical beast towards us by his reins.

He was tall, well over six feet with bulging muscles that nearly tore open his blue, long sleeved shirt. His face was handsome in a more delicate and pretty way than Syrus’s was. In the sparkle of his hazel eyes and the gentle crease of his smile you could see this man held onto an innocence that few grown men could boast.

A warm tingle spread through me as his eyes met mine and my mouth went dry as I struggled to process these new sensations I was feeling. Was every man from the surface world gorgeous?

The vampire circled to view the new arrivals and snarled. The unicorns approached the vampires at top speed and… wait. Weren't they going to stop?

The three unicorns, led by their riders, used their front hooves to trample the startled vampires in a shocking display of heroics.

The vampires received several bone breaking stomps to their faces, chests, and legs as they begged for mercy from their pretty unicorn attackers.

Satisfied that they had done their job, the riders maneuvered the unicorns off the vampires, and the vampires fled with their tails between their legs.

“You guys are late. Do you know what time it is?” Syrus looked down at his watch, then back up at the people on the unicorns.

“Sorry, Alpha Syrus. Miles over there had us stop for lunch at the Jamaican restaurant on the way,” the younger of the two women said, cutting her eye at the strawberry blonde man.

Miles rubbed the back of his head nervously and chuckled before reverting his gaze back to me. He was practically gawking at me right now, like I had three heads or something.

“Wait a minute. Did she just say, 'Alpha Syrus'? You’re an Alpha?” I did a double take in disbelief and Syrus slowly turned to face me, his expression calm and demure.

“You sound surprised.”

“No, confused would be the better word. What’s going on here? What’s with those unicorns?” I looked at Syrus, the unicorns, and back again.

“They're my pets,” he replied, as if that explained anything, taking one of the unicorns head in his hands and stroking its mane.

“And the people riding them?”

“They're in my pack, of course,” Syrus said, rubbing the unicorn's nose.

“So, these people are wolf shifters, too?” Shifters riding unicorns, now I’d seen it all.

“Just wait a minute. Something still doesn't add up. You clearly planned my entire escape in advance. How is that even possible even when we’d only met, what? A few days ago? You'd better start talking, pal. I don’t like secrets.”

“His name is Alpha Syrus, girl, and you’d better address him as such.” The younger of the two women arched her neck and glanced down at me coldly from atop her unicorn.

“It’s alright, Lilly.” Syrus waved her off and placed both his hands gently on my shoulders. His smile was warm and it reached his eyes. Why was it that he always smiled when he wanted to keep something from me? “All will be explained to you soon, little wolf.”

I brushed off his hands and backed away, starting to feel threatened by his secrets.

“Come on, aren't you happy to see the outside world for the first time?” Syrus gestured to his left and I turned to look. In the distance, about two miles away, was a vibrant metropolis.

There were high-rise buildings by the thousands, cars, and houses just like I’d read about in books and seen in magazines. I took a step closer, relishing the sight. This was the city I’d always heard of, the place that the vampires used our shifter power for.

I’d always resented this place and its citizens, but right now as I gazed upon its clean opulence, I couldn’t help but be dazzled by it and even want to visit it.

I turned my head to the left and saw a thick forest of trees, with flowers of every color blowing in the tame wind. Wolfy perked up in delight at the sight of the open space and endless hunting grounds that we now had the luxury of playing in all we wanted, whenever we wanted.

It just now dawned on me that my lifelong dream had finally come true. I was free.

“Shift.”

“Soon, Wolfy, we have all the time in the world. Every day from now on will be all about doing whatever we want, when we want, with nobody telling us what to do. It will just be you and me from now on.”

I took a few steps toward the trees ready to start my life anew and become one with nature like Goddess Selene had always intended.

I’d wandered to the edge of the forest when a large cloth covered hand stifled my nose and mouth completely. I yelled out but it was too late as my nose was filled with a strange sour smell that drained all my strength.

I fell backward, my body unable to move and my eyes fighting to stay open.

I was caught by a pair of strong arms and with my last moments of consciousness I gazed into the eyes of my attacker.

Syrus leaned over me, viewing my helpless state with a look of utter satisfaction in his eyes and a fiendish grin on his face.

Note to self, ‘Syrus is a lying scoundrel, not a friend. He never was a friend.’