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The Blood War

Chapter Eighteen

She wanted to attack, she wanted to run, she wanted to scream, but all Outlander could do was watch. The remorse and sadness in Bone's eyes was gone, the small bit of normalcy within him set ablaze and burned away till all that stood was his blind rage and bloodthrist.

"And you'd almost made the mistake of trusting him ... of pitying him," growled a voice in her mind. It was Scavenger's. "Don't forget who he is. Don't forget what he's done."

Bone looked up from Snowbank's corpse, his eyes meeting hers. She tensed, preparing for the monster to attack, but the fire disappeared and the remorse returned.

Don't forget, Scavenger's voice echoed.

"I," the beast started to say, but he was cut off by a long howl. Outlander looked back at Snowblind. The now sole heir called out in the night, and soon his voice was joined with a chorus of howls in the distance. He lowered his head and looked down at Bone. There was no anger, no sadness, just that same cold calculating look. "My pack," he said, "Is just a few bounds away. If you want to waste time attacking us, go on, but when they catch you, they will not make the mistake of letting you get to your feet again."

Bone seethed at the threat before looking at Outlander. "I didn't want this," he murmered.

Don't forget.

"Leave," she growled. "If I ever see you again, I will give my life to make you suffer."

There was hurt in the eyes of the beast, and he opened his mouth to speak, but another break of howls, much closer this time, prodded him to turn and dash into the bushes. Outlander felt her own anger begin to fade away.

"He followed you?" Snowblind's voice in the sudden silence startled her. She looked at him. No concern for his brother was there, leaving Outlander to wonder if he even had a heart.

She thought, choosing her words carefully. If Snowblind thought Outlander was working with Bone, he might blame her for his brother's death. He would kill her, torture her even. "He followed all of us."

"But he came to speak to you."

Outlander swallowed, her heart thudding, but she was spared the trouble of answering as Snowblind padded over to his brother's mutilated corpse. Heads poked out of the bushes, and Phantasm's face fell immediatly as she shot out of the bushes and ran to her son's carcass. "The beast was here, mother," Snowblind sighed. "Snowbank attacked it foolishly."

The alpha looked up coldly, her tear-filled eyes meeting Outlander's. The coywold resisted the urge to shrink away from the alpha's gaze. It would only have been incriminating. Phantasm turned to face the pack. "The hunt is over. I've lost my son. We're going home."

~CL1

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