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The Blood War

Chapter Twenty-seven

(Ha, I got it right this time)

“So, what’s our plan?” Outlander asked as they padded through the trees, back in the direction of the pack’s camp. Winks trailed a few paces behind them, having insisted that he wanted to ‘watch Bone as he walked’ and ‘make sure the leg was fine’.

“Our plan?” Bone snorted without looking over, hopping around a patch of swarming briars and keeping his pads clear of the thorns. “No, it’s MY plan. You’re taking no part in this.”

That answer resulted in Outlander nipping his tail, and he hopped forward a step, shooting her a glare. She shot it right back, irritation etched into her face. “I’m helping,” she said in a tone that refused to be argued with. “Snowblind hurt me more than he’s hurt you. I want to take part in watching him die. So I’m helping.”

Bone let out a sigh, wind whisking between his clenched teeth, as he lashed his tail. “Pretty sure you’re related to Journey,” he muttered, ears angling back. “Must have inherited her stubbornness.”

“So you expect me to know what that means, then,” Outlander grunted, but the conversation didn’t continue further from then. The camp was in sight.

They reached the surrounding tree line, peering out from the undergrowth and looking into the camp. It was deserted, with no wolves in sight, presumably out on a hunting patrol.

“Stay here,” Bone ordered, looking over at Outlander. When she began to protest, he spoke over her. “Snowblind is dangerous, and I need to keep you safe. I NEED to keep you safe, Outlander.” At that moment his jaw trembled, hesitation clutching his vocal cords. He wanted to tell her why; he wanted to tell her that Scavenger was in the Forever Grounds, watching over her adopted sister, and that he had promised to keep the coywolf safe until they could be reunited. But something kept his mouth closed; something kept him from telling her the truth. He just didn’t know what.

He turned back to the clearing. “Stay here,” he repeated insistently, before stepping out of the undergrowth. He crossed the stretch of unbroken grass, reached the alpha’s den, and ducked inside.

Cool air met him as he entered, eyes adjusting to the dim light of the small cave. He scanned the rock, hoping to see the white silhouette of Snowblind inside, but found that the cave was empty.

And then he heard a yelp from outside.

Bone turned, darting back out the entrance, and found himself looking at Snowblind, holding Outlander down by the neck, claws slowly curling into the half-healed wound that Bone had given her. His eyes were cold and calculative, and his smile twisted in bitter satisfaction as he saw the look on Bone’s face.

“Poor, poor murder beast,” he sighed with a shake of his head, pressing Outlander further into the ground. “You dared try to strike up an alliance- a FRIENDSHIP, even- with the traitor. The outcast.” He flashed his teeth. “You thought it would be different, didn’t you? Different from everyone else. You thought that you could, what, RELATE to her?”

Bone resisted the urge to let his paws tremble. He wouldn’t be able to reach Outlander in time; Snowblind’s claws were seconds away from breaking into her throat and tearing her life away. Nothing that he could do would save her.

“You wanted a chance at being accepted,” Snowblind continued, his voice harsh. “At being seen as a wolf, not a monster. You had hoped that Outlander would be your chance at maybe, hopefully, possibly living a somewhat normal life, around someone who accepted you.” Bone kept silent, fighting against allowing emotion to show on his face. He kept still, his pale eyes slowly narrowing the longer that Snowblind spoke.

“But now, you’re going to watch that chance die. And then you’re going to join her.”

- President Loki

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